John Virgo

For the British diplomat, see John Virgoe. For the YMCA leader, see J. J. Virgo.

John Trevor Virgo (born 4 March 1946) is an English snooker commentator and former professional snooker player.

John Virgo

Virgo in 2003
Born	(1946-03-04) 4 March 1946 (age 79) Salford, Lancashire, England
Sport country	England
Nickname	JV[1]
Professional	1976–1994
Highest ranking	10 (1979/80)
Best ranking finish	Semi-final (x4)

After turning professional in 1976, Virgo won four professional titles, including the 1979 UK Championship, the 1980 Bombay International and the 1984 Professional Snooker League. A member of the sport's elite Top 16 for seven seasons, Virgo is also a former British Open and World Championship semi-finalist and was runner-up at the 1980 Champion of Champions and the 1984 Australian Masters. Virgo retired from professional snooker in 1994.

Virgo has had a successful career working for the BBC, as a co-presenter of Big Break from 1991‍–‍2002, and as a snooker commentator for the channel. He is a member of the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame.

Snooker career

Early professional career (1973–1978)

Virgo's first notable appearance in a major tournament was during the 1973 American Pool Tournament for The Indoor League where he lost in the semi-final. He turned professional in 1976,^[2] at a time when players such as Ray Reardon, John Spencer and Eddie Charlton were at the forefront of the sport. Although he had just turned 30 upon turning pro, Virgo was still among the youngest players on the circuit at the time. In 1977, he reached the semi-finals of the 1977 UK Championship losing to eventual winner Patsy Fagan by a single frame 8–9.

UK Champion and Top 10 player (1979–1990)

Virgo's snooker-playing fortunes peaked in 1979 when he reached the semi-final of the World Championship, and went on to win the 1979 UK Championship (though this was not a ranking event at the time). En route to the final, he beat Tony Meo, Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor. He overcame the reigning world champion Terry Griffiths in the final, despite being controversially docked two frames because of a miscommunication regarding the start time of the next session of play.^[3] He reached his highest ranking, world number 10, during the 1979–80 season.

In 1986, Virgo reached the semi-finals of the British Open, losing 4–9 to Willie Thorne. He ended the 1989–90 season as world number 14, but dropped out of the elite top 16 the following season.

Later career and retirement (1991–1995)

In 1993, Virgo entered the qualifying stages of the Grand Prix and the UK Championship but failed to qualify for the main events, losing both times in round seven. Virgo retired from professional play in 1994.^[2]

In 2023, Virgo became the 35th person to be inducted into the World Snooker Tour Hall of Fame.^[4]

Television career

As part of his exhibition performances, Virgo performed trick shots and comedic impressions of other snooker players.

From 1991 to 2002, Virgo was co-presenter of the snooker-based TV game show Big Break with Jim Davidson. The 30-min show paired three contestants with three tour snooker players in a three-round format to win the contestants prizes. He said his catchphrase "Pot as many balls as you can" when asked by Davidson to explain the first round rules. After that round, Virgo presented a "trick shot" segment, where the losing contestant would try to win a consolation prize by playing a snooker trick shot demonstrated by Virgo.

He is now a television snooker commentator, working primarily for the BBC. In commentary, Virgo is known for saying, "Where's the cue ball going?", if he sees the cue ball heading towards a pocket for a possible foul.^[5]

On the Talking Snooker podcast in September 2021, Virgo announced that he and his colleague Dennis Taylor were to be axed by the BBC at the end of that season.^[6] It was reported in April 2022 that their time with the BBC would be extended to take in the 2022-23 season,^[7] but in late 2022 the BBC production team informed Virgo that he would stay on for the "foreseeable future".^[8]

Other activities

Virgo's tribute book to Alex Higgins, Let Me Tell You About Alex, was published in February 2011 and described as "explosive".^[9] In April 2012, his book Amazing Snooker Trick Shots was published.

In 2012, Virgo featured as himself in Nicholas Gleaves' debut radio play Sunk, in which he guides a young man in his dream of becoming a snooker champion to avoid a life of crime. This was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.^[10]

Virgo worked with a pool and snooker table company called Liberty Games to create a web-based series of trick shot videos known as the Trick Shot Academy.^[11]

In 2014, Virgo released a trick shot app, John Virgo's Snooker Trick Shots, available on Apple and Android devices.^[12]

Personal life

Virgo has two children, a son and a daughter, from his second marriage. He separated from his first wife Avril, in 1991, after eight years together.^[13]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament	1973/ 74	1974/ 75	1975/ 76	1976/ 77	1977/ 78	1978/ 79	1979/ 80	1980/ 81	1981/ 82	1982/ 83	1983/ 84	1984/ 85	1985/ 86	1986/ 87	1987/ 88	1988/ 89	1989/ 90	1990/ 91	1991/ 92	1992/ 93	1993/ 94
Ranking[14]	[nb 1]	[nb 1]	[nb 1]	[nb 2]	18	19	10	12	13	19	14	18	19	19	19	15	13	14	31	49	72
Ranking tournaments
Dubai Classic[nb 3]	Tournament Not Held															NR	3R	1R	1R	LQ	A
Grand Prix[nb 4]	Tournament Not Held									SF	2R	2R	1R	2R	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	LQ	LQ
UK Championship	Tournament Not Held				Non-Ranking Event							LQ	2R	2R	2R	QF	1R	1R	1R	LQ	LQ
European Open	Tournament Not Held															3R	2R	2R	2R	LQ	A
Welsh Open	Tournament Not Held																		2R	LQ	WD
International Open[nb 5]	Tournament Not Held								NR	SF	1R	2R	2R	2R	QF	2R	1R	Not Held		1R	WD
Thailand Open[nb 6]	Tournament Not Held										Non-Ranking Event				Not Held		3R	2R	1R	LQ	A
British Open[nb 7]	Tournament Not Held						Non-Ranking Event					2R	SF	QF	2R	2R	1R	1R	1R	LQ	WD
World Championship	A	A	A	1R	LQ	SF	2R	1R	2R	1R	1R	1R	1R	1R	1R	2R	2R	1R	LQ	LQ	A
Non-ranking tournaments
The Masters	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	A	1R	1R	A	A	A	A	1R	1R	1R	A	A	A
Irish Masters[nb 8]	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	1R	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Pontins Professional	A	A	A	A	A	A	W	QF	QF	A	A	QF	A	QF	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
European League[nb 9]	Tournament Not Held										W	Not Held		A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
Former ranking tournaments
Canadian Masters[nb 10]	Not Held		Non-Ranking Event						Tournament Not Held				Non-Ranking			2R	Tournament Not Held
Hong Kong Open[nb 11]	Tournament Not Held						Non-Ranking Event									NH	3R	Tournament Not Held
Classic	Tournament Not Held						Non-Ranking Event				1R	QF	2R	2R	3R	3R	3R	1R	3R	Not Held
Strachan Open	Tournament Not Held																		1R	MR	NR
Former non-ranking tournaments
Norwich Union Open	1R	Tournament Not Held
Canadian Club Masters	Not Held		QF	Tournament Not Held
Canadian Masters[nb 10]	NH	QF	A	SF	A	A	A	A	Tournament Not Held				A	A	A	R	Tournament Not Held]
Tolly Cobbold Classic	Tournament Not Held					A	SF	A	A	A	A	Tournament Not Held
Bombay International	Tournament Not Held					A	W	Tournament Not Held
Champion of Champions	Tournament Not Held					A	NH	F	Tournament Not Held
International Open[nb 5]	Tournament Not Held								QF	Ranking Event								Not Held		Ranking
Classic	Tournament Not Held						SF	A	A	1R	Ranking Event									Not Held
Pontins Brean Sands	Tournament Not Held									SF	Tournament Not Held
UK Championship	Tournament Not Held				SF	QF	W	2R	1R	QF	1R	Ranking Event
British Open[nb 7]	Tournament Not Held						RR	RR	2R	LQ	RR	Ranking Event
New Zealand Masters	Tournament Not Held											1R	Not Held			A	A	Tournament Not Held
Australian Masters[nb 12]	Tournament Not Held						A	A	A	A	A	F	QF	A	A	NH	R	Tournament Not Held
English Professional Championship	Tournament Not Held							2R	Not Held			QF	QF	2R	2R	1R	Tournament Not Held
Norwich Union Grand Prix	Tournament Not Held															A	QF	A	Not Held
World Seniors Championship	Tournament Not Held																		1R	Not Held

Performance Table Legend
LQ	lost in the qualifying draw	#R	lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)	QF	lost in the quarter-finals
SF	lost in the semi-finals	F	lost in the final	W	won the tournament
DNQ	did not qualify for the tournament	A	did not participate in the tournament	WD	withdrew from the tournament

NH / Not Held				means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event				means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event				means an event is/was a ranking event.

1. He was an amateur.
2. New players on the Main Tour do not have a ranking.
3. The event was also called the Dubai Masters (1988/1989)
4. The event was also called the Professional Players Tournament (1982/83–1983/84)
5. The event was also called the Goya Matchroom Trophy (1985/1986)
6. The event was also called the Asian Open (1989/1990–1992/1993)
7. The event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)
8. The event was also called the Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament (1974/1975–1976/1977)
9. The event was also called the Professional Snooker League (1983/1984) and the Matchroom League (1986/1987 to 1991/1992)
10. The event was also called the Canadian Open (1974/1975–1980/1981)
11. The event was also called the Australian Masters (1979/1980–1987/1988 & 1995/1996) and Australian Open (1994/1995)
12. The event was also called the Hong Kong Open (1989/1990) and Australian Open (1994/1995)

Career finals

Non-ranking finals: 6 (4 titles)

Legend
UK Championship (1–0)
Other (3–2)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	1979	UK Championship	Terry Griffiths	14–13
Winner	2.	1980	Bombay International	Cliff Thorburn	13–7
Winner	3.	1980	Pontins Professional	Ray Reardon	9–6
Runner-up	1.	1980	Champion of Champions	Doug Mountjoy	8–10
Winner	4.	1984	Professional Snooker League	Dennis Taylor	Round-Robin
Runner-up	2.	1984	Australian Masters	Tony Knowles	3–7

Pro-am finals: 1

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Runner-up	1.	1975	Pontins Spring Open	Ray Reardon	1–7[15]