‘All White on the night’ – The little-known fact about Jimmy White’s glorious generation game at German Masters snooker

Turning back the clock, rolling back the years or defying old Father Time? Take your pick from every gnarled old cliché you like when it comes to the wonderful Whirlwind of old London town. They’d all be White. Like a rejuvenated Jimmy in Berlin, all White on the night.

The German Masters at the city’s teeming Tempodrom has witnessed a lot since its inception as a major ranking event in 2011, but has never paid homage to a 60-year-old snooker player gulping copiously from the green baize fountain of youth.

Peng is a 21-year-old who was seven years away from being born when Jimmy was contesting and losing the last of his six world finals against Stephen Hendry in 1994, an agonising 18-17 defeat that denied him the chance to finally hoist the big one above his head.

He will meet ‘Jackpot’ Jack Lisowski on the main table on Thursday night chasing a first quarter-final appearance at a ranking event since he pocketed the Players Championship in April 2004 in Glasgow.

While snooker does not demand physical superiority, these remain remarkable goings-on amid the mental maelstrom of competing among the professional elite over five decades of delight and despair. For Jimbo, probably more so than most.

White remains a character who will forever be recalled for finishing behind some other guy on the most revered occasions. Professional sport is strewn with such figures: golf’s Colin Montgomerie, Earnie Shavers in boxing or Nikolay Davydenko in tennis spring to mind. White is perhaps the daddy of them all. Or rather not.

Lisoswki was seven years away from being born when Jimmy was contesting the first of his six world finals and narrowly losing 18-16 to Steve Davis in 1984, only four years after he turned pro, having trailed 9-3.

The last man aged 60 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event was ‘Steady’ Eddie Charlton, the magnificently measured Aussie who fought rust to see which moved quicker, at the British Open in February 1992. Charlton lost 5-2 to Ken Doherty, but that was not the final word.

A little-known fact is that British Open was won by the 29-year-old White, who defeated James Wattana 10-7 in Derby to earn the trophy and 75 grand. Perhaps this is a curious quirk of fate? An omen? Or perhaps not.

Rather than skulk around feeling sorry for himself, White has never thrown in the white towel under the weight of his storied past that has seen him celebrated as the ‘People’s Champion’ if sadly not a world champion, a title which befitted his burgeoning talent, attacking outlook and epic contribution to the sport’s popularity in the 1980s televised boom.

1992 was also White’s most successful year in the sport when he claimed four ranking titles, made the second 147 in Crucible history at the World Championship and somehow lost 18-14 to Hendry in the world final having led 14-8.

It is an inspirational story and one that suggests quitting when you are down merely deprives the soul of future prosperity. You never know what is around the corner, but there is always room to work on self-improvement.

Jimmy White has made an art form out of losing world finals, but has won much, much more than he will ever lose. Such a champion’s desire to compete is something to behold.

Before the 2012 Masters final at Alexandra Palace, I sat down with Jimmy ahead of a testimonial dinner to mark his 50th birthday that saw his old mucker Ronnie Wood and the Rolling Stones wash up.

“If I’m still playing well, there is no reason why I need to retire,” he told me. “You either want it or you don’t. I am 100 per cent committed. I love the game too much. I’ve tried to go play golf or sit in the sun, but that is not for me.”

A rolling stone gathers no moss. And on Jimmy goes.

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