There's no problem at all. Willie Thorne dies aged How troubled snooker star nicknamed 'Mr Maximum' was one of the sport's most famous names but later struggled with bankruptcy and gambling addiction.

A famous missed blue and a long-standing battle with bankruptcy serve as ill-fitting epitaphs for a snooker player who was a mainstay in the top echelons of the game during its unprecedented peak.

Willie Thorne, who has died at the age of 66, was once afforded a place in Chas 'n' Dave's 'Matchroom Mob', which hit the charts with the song 'Snooker Loopy', lamenting: 'Old Willie Thorne, his hair's all gawn Yet alongside Tony Meo, Thorne was one of only two members of the group who failed to clinch one of his sport's major titles.

He was haunted by his error in the UK Championship final against Steve Davis, when, leading and on the verge of extending his lead to within two of victory, he missed the simplest of blues off its spot.

Writing many years later, Thorne admitted: 'I went back to my seat and the doubts kicked in straightaway. I was still in front, but all I could think about was the way I'd failed in big games in the past.

Thorne, who was born in Leicester on March 4, , only started playing snooker at the age of 14 but within two years had been crowned national under champion.

Swiftly turning professional, he came to be regarded as one of the sport's finest break builders, and would go on to become only the third player to secure competitive centuries.

Thorne reached his first of two World Championship quarter-finals in , where he pushed the eventual champion Alex Higgins, and three years later, just three months before his painful loss to Davis, he won his first and only world ranking title, beating Cliff Thorburn to lift the Mercantile Credit Classic.

But Thorne was already struggling with a gambling addiction, and his run to the UK semi-finals in - where he was crushed by Davis - represented the final major success of a generally unfulfilled playing career.

He was declared bankrupt in He remained a familiar figure within the sport and competed in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in with partner Erin Boag, being voted out in 12th place.

A keen Leicester City fan and long-time close friend of Gary Lineker, Thorne announced he was beginning treatment for leukaemia in March He died on Wednesday morning at the age of 66 having being placed into an induced coma in hospital in Spain after suffering respiratory failure.

Lineker was one of the first to pay tribute, describing Thorne as 'one of life's great characters' who had 'potted his final black much too soon.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan, who two weeks ago sported a moustache at the Snooker Championship League in Thorne's honour, tweeted: "Just want to say what a beautiful man, big heart great company.

Had a week in Ireland with him I'll never forget. Stephen Hendry described Thorne as "one of my favourite people in snooker", adding: "I know he had faults and weaknesses we all do but he was one of the game's greatest ever characters, I'll miss him.

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Ranking [36]. British Open [nb 4]. Grand Prix [nb 5]. European Open. UK Championship. Welsh Open. China Open. Thailand Masters [nb 6]. Scottish Open [nb 7].

World Championship. Champions Cup [nb 8]. Scottish Masters. The Masters. Irish Masters [nb 9]. Premier League [nb 10].

Canadian Masters [nb 11]. Hong Kong Open [nb 12]. Strachan Open. Dubai Classic [nb 13]. He passed away very peacefully and without pain listening to his children saying they love him.

That gives me some comfort in this difficult time. Yet his most notable moment on the baize was perhaps his defeat to the then-dominant Steve Davis in the final of the UK championship.

And Leicester City posted: "We are deeply saddened to hear that snooker legend and Foxes supporter Willie Thorne has passed away at the age of Rest in peace.

He won 14 worldwide titles, and reached the final of the UK Championship in , losing to Steve Davis having led the tie at one stage. Nicknamed Mr Maximum - for holding the record for most maximum breaks - he also reached the quarter finals of the world championships in both and ; his best performances in the tournament.

Arguably his finest hour came in the final of The Classic in , where he beat Cliff Thorburn to win his only ranked tournament.

After retiring in , Thorne moved into commentary and became one of the voices of the BBC, having first worked for them in the 80s.

Away from the table, Thorne was open about his troublesome addiction to gambling, which he admitted 'cost him dear', but hoped by speaking out he would help others in a similar situation.

More recently he helped Sport Relief raise money and awareness for homelessness, while also taking part in a TV series focused on highlighting the issue of testicular and prostate cancer.

He had married for the second time to former Miss Great Britain Jill Saxby in , who played a big part in helping Thorne overcome his addiction, but the pair separated in A fundraising page had been set up for Thorne by his friend and carer, Julie O'Neill, who provided fans with regular updates on his health prior to his death.

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He missed out Ben Woollaston his biggest title in when he blew a lead over Steve Davis in the final of the UK Championship after missing a simple blue off its spot. But for all his natural Willie Thorne as a player, major tournament successes remained largely elusive, and Gta Online Spielen Kostenlos addiction to gambling accounted for much of his wealth and contributed to a sometimes chaotic personal life. Thorne pictured when he first got into the game reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in He was able to get his betting under control but when his mother Nancy died in Sahara Las Vegas, he fell back into it. Press Association. Sad news. Had a week in Ireland with him I'll never forget. Topics Snooker news Reuse this content. Mines just got worse I've been diagnosed with leukaemia I'm devastated. Hong Kong Masters. We laughed our way around the Wölfe Schleswig-Holstein for 45 years. Willie always seeme Fellow ex-world champ Neil Robertson said: "So sad to hear Nils Petersen the passing of Willie Thorne last night.