Who did Jimmy White face in first World Championship match as 'Whirlwind' faces latest regeneration game in Crucible qualifying?

React to this story

Jimmy 'Whirlwind' White is best remembered for losing six times in world finals at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield between 1984 and 1994, but the Tooting icon would dearly love to return to the sport's most famous venue after a 20-year absence. White takes on Gao Yang live on TNT Sports and HBO Max on Monday at 10:00 and 19:00, chasing four qualifying wins to reach the main stages.

'Big stepping stone in my career' - Whirlwind looks back on 40th anniversary of first ranking title

Video credit: TNT Sports

Jimmy White will begin his latest bid to return to the Crucible Theatre when he faces China's Gao Yang in his opening World Championship qualifiere at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Monday.

The 'Whirlwind of London Town' first appeared at the Crucible in 1981 when he lost 10-8 in the first round to old foe Steve Davis, who would progress to claim the first of his six world crowns, with his latest and last appearance coming in a 10-5 loss to David Gray in his opener in 2006.

In between times, White famously lost six world finals, four times to Stephen Hendry (1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994) and once each to John Parrott (1991) and Davis (1984).

Snooker

White misses out on glamour meeting with Williams at Shenzhen Open

21/07/2026 at 10:31

Indeed, White, who turned professional in 1980, is unsurprisingly the only player still competing on the main professional circuit from his debut 45 years ago, which saw Davis defeat Doug Mountjoy 18-12 to secure the £20,000 winner's prize.

It was a moment in time that saw fellow celebrated snooker icons of yesteryear, including Terry Griffiths, John Spencer, Fred Davis, Willie Thorne, Ray Edmonds and John Virgo included in the 24-man starting grid.

White did win the Masters in 1984 and UK Championship in 1992, but is best remembered for being snooker's most famous nearly man at its biggest event, that saw him revered like big Frank Bruno or Big Daddy back in the day.

Can Jimmy White recreate Judd Trump's brilliance?

Video credit: TNT Sports

A few years ago, the BBC quiz show Pointless succinctly summed up the life and times of White when his surname came up in a round about snooker players to have contested the world final.

Of course, Jimmy was given as a high scorer on 55, which is a lot fewer than his glorious total of 327 career centuries.

”Recently won the World Seniors, but six world finals without a trophy,” said presenter Richard Osman.

”That’s annoying,” responded co-host Alexander Armstrong.

”It kind of is, but I suppose it makes you even more legendary in a way" said Osman. "To be the best loser ever.”

White managed to find some weird and wonderful ways to lose at the World Championship.

He watched his close friend Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins produce an epic do-or-die 69 clearance from 15-14 and 59-0 behind in the 1982 semi-finals, before Higgins defeated Ray Reardon 18-15 in the final.

"It was a mental break, it was phenomenal," said White. "I didn't think he would clear up, no. There were about four shots he played that were amazing. His name was on the trophy that year.

"Did it cost me the World Championship? At that time I didn't care if I won or lost because I was having such fun.

"In 1979 and 1980, I went to Australia to play in the amateur World Championship which cost me two years of experience at the Crucible. Who knows?

"Maybe it was meant to be because I'm still playing now."

O'Sullivan, Davis, Hendry, White? Snooker stars name their childhood heroes

Video credit: TNT Sports

White also led Hendry 14-8 in the 1992 final and was thinking about the after-party celebrations before watching the Scot reel off 10 straight frames for an 18-14 victory.

He was in the balls in the deciding frame of the final two years later, but twitched a black off the spot when poised for victory and Hendry somehow eked out an 18-17 win.

"When I watch the old school snooker, how this bloke didn't win a world title is beyond me," commented former World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn.

"I keep watching it still expecting him to win. He's in positions where you wonder, 'how can you fail Jim?'

"He's got solid technique and a sound temperament, but when he saw the land of milk and honey and Moses was leading you across the river bed in the greatest scene in the movie, he stayed a bit too long there and the water crashed down on you."

At the age of 63 and playing on a World Snooker Tour wild card, the odds may be stacked against White winning four qualifiers to reach the main stage at the Crucible, but he will be boosted by a similar run to the last 32 at the UK Championship in 2022.

At the age of 60, he became the oldest qualifier at the UK since 63-year-old Eddie Charlton in 1993 with wins over Victor Sarkis, Mitchell Mann, Stephen Maguire and Dominic Dale.

He has twice been within one win of returning to the Crucible, losing 10-3 to Mark King in 2008 and 10-5 to Robert Milkins in 2013, with the venue which revelled in the universal cry of "C'mon Jimmy" proving to be elusive.

But despite time dimming the White lights on the grandest stage, the British public have never lost their affection for the crowd favourite, who lost the last of his six world finals a decade before 21-year-old Gao was born in 2004.

It will be the ultimate regeneration game in professional sport if he can pot from the fountain of youth this time.

White's Crucible world finals

1984: Lost 18–16 to Steve Davis (Eng)
1990: Lost 18–12 to Stephen Hendry (Sco)
1991: Lost 18–11 to John Parrott (Eng)
1992: Lost 18–14 to Stephen Hendry (Sco)
1993: Lost 18–5 to Stephen Hendry (Sco)
1994: Lost 18–17 to Stephen Hendry (Sco)

Qualifying for the 2026 World Championship takes place between April 6-15, and is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

BetVictor English Open

Will O'Sullivan play 'home' event at English Open as White faces hectic schedule?

18/07/2026 at 08:38

Halo World Championship

Can Kane v Haaland's colossal World Cup showdown topple snooker's greatest final?

11/07/2026 at 14:39