‘Terry Griffiths was an all-time snooker nice – few contributed as a lot to the sport’

Few people contributed more to the game of snooker than Terry Griffiths.

And if there’s a perfect example of how sport can transform someone’s life, it has to be what happened to the Welshman.

Griffiths, who has died at the age of 77, was facing a life working as a miner, which he started doing in his teens. He went on to become a postman and bus conductor, before harnessing his talent on the baize by turning professional in 1978.

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He went on to become world champion at the first time of asking, beating Dennis Taylor in the final the following year. He also won the Masters and UK Championship.

And is one of only 11 players to have completed the games coveted Triple Crown.

But Griffiths also went on to become a successful coach to some of snooker’s greatest players, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams.

Not to mention carve out a career as a popular and much-loved TV commentator.

And let’s be honest, talking about snooker on live television is probably just as hard as playing the game itself.

Snooker has lost a giant.

The sort of bloke those who never got to meet him, are now left wishing they had done.