Ray Reardon dead at 91: Six-time world snooker champion who mentored Ronnie O’Sullivan dies after cancer battle
SNOOKER legend Ray Reardan has passed away at the age of 91.
The former world number one died following a battle with cancer.
Tributes have poured in for Reardon, who won the World Snooker Championship six times between 1970 and 1978.
The Welshman became the first player to be ranked world number one when rankings were introduced in 1976.
And he held onto top spot for five years, before gaining it back after just a year in 1982.
Reardon also held the record for the oldest winner of the World Snooker Championship after he won the tournament aged 45 in 1978.
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That record was broken by Ronnie O'Sullivan, who he mentored in preparation for the 2004 World Snooker Championship, which The Rocket won.
Reardon won five ranking events and was a pioneer of the game alongside the likes of Steve Davis and Alex Higgins.
Among the tributes was a message from former player and rival Jim White, which read: "Gutted to hear my very good friend Ray Reardon has passed away. A total class act and very kind to me when I was making my way in the game. A giant of the game. Rest in Peace mate."
His countryman Mark Williams, a three-time world champion, said: “Ray is one of the best sports people ever from Wales and the best snooker player.
“He’s one of the reasons why a lot of us started playing. He put snooker on the map, alongside Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and Steve Davis. Anyone playing now owes them a lot because they brought popularity to the game. He is a real inspiration.”
Another ex-player and BBC commentator John Virgo wrote: "Sad news. Ray Reardon passed away last night, it was an honour to have known him, a true great of our game RIP."