One of the best known and most loved personalities in snooker will be visiting the Isle of Man to talk about the sport and his career at a black tie event in October.
The Isle of Man Sporting and Dining Club will welcome snooker legend Dennis Taylor to its next dinner event. The event, sponsored by HSBC, will see Dennis speaking about his love of snooker and providing some witty insights into playing in a number of major tournaments and alongside some of the sport’s most recognisable faces.
Dennis Taylor took up the game of snooker at the age of nine and became local champion in Coalisland five years later. He moved to England in 1966, won the national under-19 billiards championship in 1968 and became a professional snooker player in 1972. In 1979 he reached his first world championship final, where he was defeated by Terry Griffiths. Having experimented with contact lenses, Dennis began to wear the large snooker glasses that were to become his trademark in 1983.
The following season, he collected his first title, when he beat Cliff Thorburn in the final. A few months later, Dennis took the world title in extraordinary fashion. Steve Davis took an 8-0 lead in the first session, but Dennis fought back to trail 9-7 overnight. He ended up claiming the title on the final black and in so doing became part of snooker history. Dennis continued to be a powerful force in snooker, reaching the latter stages of many ranking events. In 1987, he won the B&H Masters title after a nailbiting final against Alex Higgins and later that year it was against Dennis that an 18-year-old Stephen Hendry claimed his first ranking title in the Grand Prix.
Dennis has now achieved a cult status following his performances in the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. He is also part of the BBC television commentary team.
During the dinner in October, a charity raffle will yet again be held, with all funds raised being donated to a local charity to be nominated by sponsors HSBC. At the previous dinner held in June featuring cricket icon and West Indies legend Sir Garfield Sobers, ?855 was raised in aid of the Douglas Mayoral Charity Appeal 2013-14.
Kevin Cartledge, Senior Manager at HSBC in the Isle of Man, said:
“The quality of speakers we continue to welcome to these Isle of Man Sporting and Dining Club events is fantastic, and I am delighted that HSBC is continuing to support them. Already this year we’ve had the opportunity to hear from football, golf and cricket icons in Kevin Keegan, Bernard Gallacher and most recently Sir Garfield Sobers, and I am delighted that we are able to sustain this high calibre of speaker. Dennis Taylor will I am sure be a big draw, which will in turn help us raise a significant sum for a local charity at the dinner.”
John Wannenburgh of the IoM Sporting and Dining Club added:
“Even for those who are not avid snooker fans, Dennis Taylor is perhaps one of the most recognisable figures in sport. For those who are keen on snooker he is an icon of the game, being both a hugely talented player and a hugely charismatic personality at the table and away from it. Dennis will undoubtedly be a fascinating speaker with a host of stories to tell, which I’m sure will make this dinner another hugely popular event.”
The event will take place on Thursday 17th October 2013 at the Best Western Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas, with dinner tickets costing ?60 for members and ?65 for non-members (excluding VAT), available by contacting the Club on 617049 or mobile 07624495749 and at john@sportinganddiningclub.com.
