December 30th 2015

The Queens New Year Honours list has just been published. I always check, because you never know. Two legendary sportsmen have been formally recognised in the most recent role of honour. Tony McCoy has been knighted for his services to racing and Ronnie O’Sullivan for his services to snooker. Tony McCoy is a mere 41 yet his career in racing has been stellar and is unlikely ever to be surpassed.                             

He was born in Toome, better known as Toomebridge, very near to Seamus Heaney’s birthplace. In twenty seasons in the saddle he has never come anywhere but first in the Champion Jockeys table. This is a record       that will stand until Hell freezes over.

In that time he has ridden a total of 4358 winners. Totally incredible. He has also won every major race in the book including the Aintree, the Irish, the Scottish, the Welsh and the Midlands Grand Nationals. He has also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle. He holds the record for the most successes in one season at 289 which is 20 greater than that of the legendary Sir Gordon Richards, the only other jockey to be knighted. He rode his first winner in Thurles but for most of his career has ridden in England. The fact that he was retained as first jockey to J.P.McManus was certainly a major factor in his incredible success. Take a bow, Sir Anthony Peter. (Arsenal supporter.)

Ronnie O’Sullivan is one of the great colourful characters of the beige table. Just last year he declared his non-interest in awards such as this but seems to have had a change of heart. The ‘Rocket’ had a colourful background as his parents ran a string of sex shops in Soho. Ronnie Senior was convicted of murder in 1992 and spent 18years in Sing-Sing. Mommy was Sicilian so the genetic cocktail was of the Molotov variety.

None of these minor distractions diminished his ability or success on the snooker table and he won the world championship on five separate occasions. He still holds the record for the youngest ever winner not having reached his eighteenth birthday. His style is flamboyant but deadly precise. He has more natural talent than anyone I ever saw except perhaps Alex Higgins who was a lovely man but had serious issues.

The Prodigal played the Hurricane on one occasion in Athlone but that’s another story. Snooker needs more of the lads with flair like O’Sullivan and less of the Peter Ebdons. Nice one Ronnie. Go celebrate with a coke diet. (Arsenal supporter.)