John Virgo
| Name | Date of Birth | Country |
|---|---|---|
| John Virgo | 03-03-1946 | England |
Name : John Virgo
Highest Ranking : 10 (1979/1980)
Highest Break : 139 (1987 English Professional Championship)
Century Break : 39
John Virgo (born 3 March 1946 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English former professional snooker player and more recently a snooker commentator and TV personality.
Early professional career (1976–1978)
Virgo turned professional in 1976, at a time when players such as Ray Reardon, John Spencer and Eddie Charlton were at the forefront of the sport. Although he had just turned 30 upon turning pro, he was still among the youngest players on the circuit at the time. In 1977 Virgo reached the semi finals of the UK Championship losing to eventual winner Patsy Fagan.
UK Champion and Top 10 player (1979–1990)
His snooker-playing fortunes peaked in 1979 when he reached the semi-final of the World Championship, and went on to win the1979 UK Championship (though this was not a ranking event at the time). En route to the final Virgo beat Tony Meo, Steve Davis andDennis Taylor. In the final he overcame the reigning world champion Terry Griffiths despite being controversially docked two frames because of a miscommunication regarding the start time of the next session of play. He reached the Top 10 in the world rankings the following season. In 1986 Virgo reached the semi finals of the British Open losing 9-4 to Willie Thorne. Virgo, ending the 1989–1990 season as world number 14, dropped out of the top 16 next season.
Later career and retirement (1991–1995)
In 1993 Virgo entered the qualifying stages of the Grand Prix and the UK Championship but failed to qualify for the main events, losing both times in round seven. Virgo retired from professional play in 1995.