WE REMEMBER

WILLIE THORNE WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED AS A FUN, CHEEKY SNOOKER PLAYER WHO EARNED THE NICKNAME “MR MAXIMUM”. 

HE PLAYED THE GAME HE LOVED FROM THE YOUNG ATE OF 15, PLAYING IN LOUGHBOROUGH & THEN IN THE SNOOKER HALLS OF LEICESTER. IN 1970, HE BECAME NATIONAL UNDER 16 CHAMPION. HE TURNED PROFESSIONAL IN 1975. HE WILL BE REMEMBERED FONDLY BY MANY AS AN ALL ROUND ENTERTAINER & COMMENTATOR. BUT TO ME, HE WILL BE REMEMBERED AS MY FRIEND & THE CO-FOUNDER OF SIMANAGEMENT.

OUR JOURNEY STARTED WHEN I WAS ON A FEW TOURS WITH SNOOKER. WE WOULD TALK, KNOCK A FEW BALLS ABOUT IN PRACTICE, HAVE A FEW DRINKS IN THE PLAYERS LOUNGE BETWEEN MATCHED & BASICALLY PUT THE WORLD TO RIGHTS. 

WHEN I LEFT THE GAME WE LOST CONTACT, BUT RE-ESTABLISHED OUR FRIENDSHIP AGAIN IN EARLY 2019, WHEN I FIRST HAD THOUGHTS ABOUT STARTING UP A COMPANY, WORKING WITH UP & COMING SNOOKER STARS.  HE INVITED ME TO HIS HOME IN SPAIN FOR A LONG WEEKEND (ONE OF MANY WEEKENDS I HAD WITH HIM). HE WAS WELL KNOWN TO THE LOCALS & COULD GO NOWHERE WITHOUT BEING ASKED FOR HIS PHOTOGRAPH BY DOTING FANS. NOTHING PHASED OR IRRITATED WILLIE.

THIS PARTICULAR WEEKEND, WE SPENT DRIVING AROUND IN HIS RANGE ROVER, WALKING HIS BELOVED DOGS AFTER A DAY OF PLAYING SNOOKER & JUST CHILLING IN HIS VILLA. WE LAUGHED, CHATTED & TALKED ABOUT MY BUSINESS IDEAS. WE REKINDLED A FRIENDSHIP THAT HAD BEEN PUT TO ONE SIDE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN. AFTER THROWING SOME IDEAS AROUND & REALISING IT WAS SOMETHING WE BOTH WANTED TO DO, WE DECIDED TO MAKE OUR DREAMS A REALITY. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING VERY EXCITING, THAT WOULD SEE US WORKING VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER, IN SPORT THAT WE BOTH LOVED.

LIKE MANY OF US, WILLIE HAD BEEN THROUGH SOME REALLY HARD TIMES & HAD MANY DEMONS. BUT HE ALSO HAD A BIG HEART. HE WAS KIND, GENUINE, FULL OF FUN & ALWAYS SMILING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT LIFE WAS THROWING AT HIM. HE TREATED EVERYBODY EQUALLY & NEVER CONSIDERED HIMSELF TO BE ABOVE ANYBODY ELSE. IM GUTTED TO THINK THAT WE HAD SO MANY PLANS FOR THE FUTRUE REGARDING WORKING TOGETHER, NOT JUST ON THE BUSINESS, BUT ALSO IN PROMOTING WILLIE HIMSELF, INCLUDING A BOOKED Q&A THEATRE NIGHT ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF EXHIBITIONS. WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON HIS SNOOKER GAME TOGETHER, AS WELL AS SHOWING THE WORLD WHO THE REAL WILLIE THORNE WAS. 

BUT THE BIGGEST HEARTACHE IS THE FACT THAT I HAVE LOST MY FRIEND AFTER JUST FINDING HIM AGAIN.

YOU WILL BE SORELY MISSED, MY FRIEND. BUT YOU WILL REMAIN IN OUR HEARTS & YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A LEGEND IN THE EYES OF THE TRUE SNOOKER FANS. HERE‘S TO YOUR NEXT 147 BREAK.

RIP MR MAXIMUM.