AIBU to have never heard of Ray Reardon?!

[OnceUponAMidnightBeery]

DH is appalled, I am clueless!

Help back me up here... or join DH in shaking your head sadly 😂

YABU of course, everybody knows!
YANBU who?

Lolol check me out!!!

Found old theme and hadn't heard it since the time, my memory was more or less bang on... In fact I wonder if they are recorded this with more Wahwah when I heard it

Maybe different years - I think they did repeats.

In Ireland nobody switched over channels in the early 70s because we only got a second one in 1978. The world really has changed utterly since then.

@OnceUponAMidnightBeery were you doing a crossword very recently or have I just stumbled into a Ray Reardon related coincidence?!

Don't think about RR for decades, then twice in two days...

Late to the thread, but one of my best memories is playing pool against Alex Higgins. I didn't win but I was a good player back then and put up a good fight.

My dad used to play snooker and was mates with John Spencer (they were the same age and grew up together).

I used to fancy Jimmy White, then met him in real life a few years ago.... quite arrogant and not particularly pleasant

I'm 42 and I don't have a clue who Ray Reardon is.

@ErrolTheDragon

Maybe different years - I think they did repeats.

I would have been early 80s.

Anyway I was so concerned that one of my main childhood memories was wrong, and the impact could well be an undermining of all I am and everything I have known done ever.

That I googled I will be fine I didn't imagine my childhood!

Incidentally. And as a huge star trek fan since seeing them from about age 7. With tattoos to do with it, a massive love (crush!) for one character that I thought was so awesome it was a massive factor on which a levels and degree I did, and a ££££ signed thing... Etc.

It was repeats when I saw it, it was 60s. Interesting story how got so ubiquitous.

It was first broadcast on a network TV channel. Viewing figures low (another story round that I'll spare you of!) cancelled after 3 series.

Got syndicated ie lots of channels can broadcast early 70s as much as they like. Gained popularity due to massive exposure and presumably went global around then.

That's why it was on every 5 mins through those years!

BOOM massive love. So successful brought back for film 1979.

And the rest is history... That very few people indeed, including on this thread, have no interest in!

@UnsuitableHat

Well I've heard of him (I'm 51!) but yanbu not to have done, if you've never taken any interest in snooker. LOL at JFK being a 'household name'.

Do you think? Maybe you're right thinking about it!

I thought he was pretty well known, but I suppose up till some point back... In my lifetime.

He was still mentioned on TV etc, the pic in car, all the young glamorous couple stuff, assassination still kind of in public memory and whatnot. Anniversary shot that sort of thing.

1963 10 years before I was born, adults would all remember shock, news coverage, papers etc.

Funny to think not generally known now here.

I would say JFK was a household name. Considering one of the world's biggest airports is named after him and there are plenty of films about him .

Such a nice guy an so popular with the other players, I think he was like THE player before the likes of Steve Davis came along.

@JudgeJ

I was born in 73 and haven't seen Star Wars, holds absolutely no interest for me

Snap, even the age! The only Star Wars I've seen is in the queue for the ride at Disney, I was whatsapping our grandson to ask who people were. Sci-fi has no interest, I was reluctant to go and see Chariots of Fire, sounded sci-fi to me. Grandson can't believe I've never seen any Marvel films, as well as Star Wars.

It was not that she hadn't set out to watch it which is obv AOK.

It was more because it was on the telly so often when we were kids that I just couldn't understand how she never even caught a bit!

The other two were on all the time as well!

Looking back i think prob her family had no interest iyswim.

I mean I've seen The Great Escape about 87645 times, I think it was always on at Xmas. I would never have chosen to watch, and I didn't enjoy it. But on the sofa with family Xmas period, what can you do?!

DH just interjected with bond films, good shout

Not only am I Welsh but I just found out that I come from the same town as him and I didn’t know his name 🙈 I vaugely recognised him when I googled his name. I’m not quite 40 and no interest in snooker, so that’s my excuse

Wahey!

Claim to fame! At least to 70s snooker fans

How big town? Local slebs are generally vv big deal!

Even in my borough 500k people I still know plenty from here we're quite 'local' in the these parts though!

You should tell your parents they failed you as a child by not sharing that he was pride of your town

I knew who he was but as I'm 53 not surprising - my Mum always used to watch the snooker from "The Crucible" when I was young - I used to think it was very boring - but then I'm a tennis , football , rugby fan

I can't believe Stephen Hendry is the same age as me

YANBU - it's Ray Reardon and unless you liked sport it's not like he is say Tom Jones

Earlier today I commented to a work colleague in her 40s that my hospital consultant had an Art Malik vibe about them - she looked at me with a expression - she had never heard of him ........

I

I'm 41 and know who he is, not because I've ever knowingly watched snooker but because I grew up in a time when there were only a couple of TV channels and we all sat down together to watch the news at 6pm. And it was an actual round up of the day rather than 24hr rolling speculation and judgement. So Ray Reardon would pop up on the news regularly along with Steve Davis and the young upstart Hendry.

CheeseMmmm - that explains it - I was referring to the early 70s. You're not as old as me.

LOL at JFK being a 'household name'.

I thought that comment was because JFK isn't in the same category of someone you might be expected to know about but in a casual sort of way like Reardon. He's a historical figure from quite recent history - sure, I'd expect people to have heard of him though I wouldn't describe him as a 'household name'.

I've heard of him and I am youngish and foreign. His name pops up on quiz shows a lot.

Those were the days when we used to watch the snooker competition Pot Black in black and white!

I felt old the other day ,looked up Sarah Pascoe and found out she was the daughter of Derek Pascoe who was in Flintlock. A boy band that used to appear a lot on itv childrens tv with the likes of Pauline Quirke

The Welsh Open trophy was renamed the Ray Reardon trophy in 2017, in tribute. That was the last time I saw him on the box.
Good on ya, Dracula. 🧛‍♂️

@ChiefClerkDrumknott

Not only am I Welsh but I just found out that I come from the same town as him and I didn’t know his name 🙈 I vaugely recognised him when I googled his name. I’m not quite 40 and no interest in snooker, so that’s my excuse

I lived in Tredegar for many years!!

I had a crazy teenage crush on Alex Hurricane Higgins

I'm from Sheffield and once watched him chatting down to fans out of an upstairs window of the Crucible theatre. A woman walked past, on the pavement below, and he casually tipped his pint of beer onto her head. It's the thing I always think of now when I see his name.

As for Ray Reardon, my uncle took me to watch him play at the Crucible, so I definitely remember him too :)

If you've never watched snooker, how the fuck would you know you Ray Reardon is?

@MrsJBaptiste

If you've never watched snooker, how the fuck would you know you Ray Reardon is?

As I said above, I've never watched snooker but I did watch the news. Same as I've never watched football but know who Paul Gascoigne is and I've never watched cricket but can remember Ian Botham.

I don't think that it's expected or common knowledge, but he was pretty well known.

Gascoigne no way comparable reardon in terms of being person that people in 2022 recognise name/ who they are etc!

How long ago, which sport, and also how much in public eye after not top of game any more.

Gascoigne (Gazza):

Football for England. That sport way bigger here. And he was England player (just checked) 88-98.

He was a tabloid fave and was front page tabloids often for all sorts of things.

His long term personal issues have contained getting widespread attention. Again the tabloids had him front page periodically, last big story 2019.

Stories about-

-severe alcoholism, incidents in public over years, spells in rehab
-domestic violence against his wife which he's admitted
-sectioned multiple times
-long list of arrests/convictions including drink driving, drugs, racial abuse, assaults

• 2019 wide coverage of prosecution sexual assault woman on train. Quote was a joy for media outlets-

'he was cleared of sexual assault after he called the complainant a "fat lass" and told the court he had only given her a "peck on the lips" to "boost her confidence" and that there was no sexual intention'.

No way is Ray as generally well known as Gazza!

I admit I don't understand the comparison.

Pot Black. BBC2. Jumpers for goalposts

"And for those of you watching in black and white, the pink is behind the yellow."