John Virgo

“The better players need to be out there in front of a big crowd, the TV cameras, with the adrenaline going. That is a test for any player to be able to do it on the big stage.”

“I remember that if you went down to the Crucible or other snooker tournaments it was all the snooker writers, and then all of a sudden when the game became popular on television it wasn't only snooker writers: it was what we called special correspondents.”

“I was doing commentary for the BBC and had exhibition work but if you're not winning you are not earning as much. And when you're seen as a successful sportsman, people assume you're earning a good living. There was pressure on me to have the newest car, a more expensive holiday. It was all about keeping up appearances.”

“It's a different world now and as we see with footballers and everybody else, and the fall from grace of any sportsman, it's a difficult balancing act now of going out and being nice to the general public and being very wary.”

“I have never invested directly in stocks and shares. That's never been my type of speculation.”