Snooker world turns out to remember John Virgo

Snooker fans and stars of the sport turned out to remember John Virgo [PA Media]

Stars of the green baize turned out in snooker's home city for a memorial service to former player and commentator John Virgo.

Virgo, who died aged 79 in February, reached the World Snooker Championship semi-finals at the city's Crucible in 1979 and was a professional for 18 years before picking up the microphone for the BBC in 1994.

Ahead of the start of this year's competition on Saturday, the service in Virgo's memory took place earlier at Sheffield Cathedral, a short walk from the Crucible.

Former world champion turned pundit Ken Doherty said Virgo was a "wonderful character" whose voice was "synonymous with snooker".

Legendary snooker commentator John Virgo died in February aged 79 [PA Media]

Doherty was among those in attendance at Thursday's memorial along with seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Dennis Taylor, John Parrot and Virgo's widow, Rosie Ries.

A host of players taking part in this year's tournament also attended the event, including Shaun Murphy, John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Mark Williams.

Outside the cathedral, snooker fan Jim Fitzpatrick wore a shirt emblazoned with a snooker table design and Virgo's name.

He said he'd remember the personality as "funny" and someone who "didn't take sport too seriously".

To many, Salford-born Virgo was the voice of snooker and, despite a career which took him to a world ranking of 10, he was perhaps best known for his post-playing career.