Steve Davis Announces his Retirement

I see that Steve Davis has announced his retirement from snooker. The six times world champion called it a day after losing in the World qualifying rounds against Feargal O'Brien. He ruled the sport in the 80s and has become a great ambassador for the sport and will retire as one of the greatest players and tacticians in the sport. Enjoy your retirement Steve.

This was a meaningless retirement to those interested in seeing players fight for tournaments - because Steve Davies had long dropped out of contention for these trophies. People would still be interested in seeing Steve Davies in exhibition matches to satisfy their memories of watching Steve Davie competing and winning at the top level. Steve has also become something of an entertainer in terms of his anecdotes and story telling.

Fair play...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/36187848

His love of the game really shines through on this clip.

10 highs & lows from the Nugget archives    

1) 1997 Masters Final.  Coming back from a seemingly impossible 8-4 deficit against one of the game's great front runners Davis schooled O'Sullivan with 6 frames of far from sexy but clinical matchplay snooker.
2) 8 times Irish Benson & Hedges Masters champion. An achievement unlikely to be surpassed in any pro tournament.  
3) 147 break vs John Spencer (1982 Lada Classic).  It seemed apt that the player who owned that decade would make the first televised maximum ( and with it the incredible prize of a Lada ). This was rubbing it in for Spencer though as he had made one himself in a televised tournament in 1979 but missed out on the accolade as the cameramen were on a tea break.
4) 1985 World Final vs Dennis Taylor. Both players readily admit the overall standard of the match was nothing to write home about but for pure drama few things in this game beat scrappy deciders and it didn't get any more dramatic, or scrappier, than this. I'd love to know Taylor's odds when 8-0 down.    
5) Beating Mike Hallett 9-0 (1988 Masters Final). Poor Mike (as many others did) took some brutal hidings from an (in his pomp) Davis and this defeat was as ruthless and clinical as things got.  
6) 2000 9-ball World Championships. Coming back to beat 'The Magician' Efren Reyes 9-8 after being 8-2 down, Davis nearly took the roof off.          
7) Tony Knowles 10 Steve Davis 1 (1982 World Championship). Snooker's answer to Tyson/Douglas. Playboy Knowles (who went out on the sauce till the early hours between sessions) didn't even need to bring his 'A' game to record the biggest upset of the modern era.  
8) Nugget 6 Ken Doherty 0 (1996 Masters). This was Davis going for everything and potting everything. 5 out of the 6 frames won in a single visit. An incredible performance, the type of which rarely seen from him even in his heyday.
9) 4 World Doubles titles with Tony Meo.  Their period of domination didn't detract from the enjoyment of a much-missed event. C'mon Barry, how about it ?
10) Steve Davis 18 John Parrott 3 (1989 World Championship). His final World Title win came courtesy of the biggest pasting in the venue's history. JV said afterwards that anyone who thinks that a better player has played this game is kidding themselves.  

Happy retirement, Steve.

Steve interesting Davis:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36382248

What a player. IIRC him winning the Masters I think in 1996. Was a streaker I think and he maintained composure.

Made me feel old hearing about him retire as I recall bunking off school to go and get his autograph when he did a signing in Bradford...I'd have been 14 or 15 yrs old. My Mum bought tickets for me and my dad to see him and Doug Mountjoy in an exhibition match at the local Sports Centre back in 1981....I was 10!!! My best mate at the time loved Alex Higgins and we both based out entire snooker games on their respective styles. I was annoyed that I didn't have a cleft in my chin or a double jointed thumb like Steve and blamed that on my inability to play very well.

Absolutely distraught when he lost to Taylor and my dad still thinks it was a fix. Was also gutted when he lost to Joe Johnson but also delighted that the lad from my home town won the World Title....so a bit conflicted by the whole thing.

I know Hendry won more World titles etc and O'Sullivan is doing his thing but for me, Davis will also be the best and is responsible for making snooker the attraction it was back in its heyday.

Legend!!!!!