Tony Knowles

English snooker player who reached three World Championship semi-finals in the 1980s and famously beat defending champion Steve Davis 10-1 at the 1982 Crucible.

Born in Bolton, Lancashire, on 13 June 1955, Anthony Knowles began playing snooker at around nine years old at the social club run by his father. A twice British under-19 champion, he turned professional in 1980 after his application was initially rejected twice by the sport's governing body. Knowles shot to national prominence at the 1982 World Championship when he stunned defending champion Steve Davis 10-1 in the first round at the Crucible, an upset that made him an overnight star during snooker's television boom. He went on to reach three World Championship semi-finals during the decade, in 1982, 1984 and 1986, and climbed to a career-high world ranking of number two in 1984/85. His only ranking title came at the 1982 International Open, and he added the 1983 Professional Players Tournament and 1984 Australian Masters among his other wins. Knowles's good looks and high-profile personal life made him a fixture of the tabloid press during the 1980s, and he was fined £5,000 by the WPBSA in 1984 for bringing the game into disrepute after revelations about his private life were published. His playing career wound down through the 1990s before he dropped off the main tour in 2001. After retiring, Knowles became a familiar broadcasting voice, working as a pundit and commentator for the BBC, Ladbrokes and Sky Sports, often alongside fellow 1980s contemporary Tony Meo. He also appeared as a team captain on A Question of Sport and has continued to compete occasionally in seniors and qualifying events.

Confident, fluent potter with an attacking temperament

One of the defining personalities of snooker's 1980s television boom