‘Ronnie O’Sullivan’s fast 147 was ridiculous’: Opponent Mick Value remembers well-known break

Mick Value achieved snooker immortality by spending exactly 5 minutes and eight seconds sitting in his chair.

This month marks 25 years since Value gazed out from behind a pair of Dennis Taylor-style upside-down glasses as Ronnie O’Sullivan fired the quickest most break in historical past within the 14th body of their World Championship first spherical conflict.

With no probability of O’Sullivan’s document being crushed, Value’s place in historical past, in addition to his temporary starring position within the break’s inevitable annual TV re-runs, seem safe.

“I made an honest break and he performed secure, and with my subsequent security shot I minimize it a bit skinny,” Value instructed the PA information company. “5 minutes and eight seconds later, I’m within the Guinness E-book of Information.”

Value retired from skilled snooker in 2004 and after a interval enjoying in native leagues in Nuneaton, packed his cue away for good seven years in the past. Now 55, he’s a maths instructor at Castlewood Faculty for youngsters with particular academic wants in Solihull.

“I do typically present the children the video, as an ice-breaker,” says Value. “However as a result of they don’t see me having a go, all of them simply assume I will need to have been garbage.”

Value’s passive position in snooker historical past hardly does justice to a participant who reached the Crucible thrice, together with the second spherical after victory over Taylor in 1992. In 1990 he grew to become solely the third participant to make three consecutive century breaks in skilled event play.

He confesses to having been quizzed so usually about O’Sullivan’s break that he has had time to chisel out all of the one-liners – “it was only a query of who acquired in first” – however his reminiscence of the occasions main as much as the break are clear.

“It was 8-5 on the interval and we acquired a knock on the door to say they have been holding us again for 10 minutes so the following body might be proven stay on the BBC,” recalled Value.

“It’s humorous, as a result of within the membership you need individuals watching you, however enjoying on the Crucible it turns into nerve-racking. So I went just a little bit extra nervous, and Ronnie simply went hyper.

“I couldn’t imagine how briskly he was going. I watch it again now and he’s just about operating around the desk, it was ridiculous, simply sensible, mesmeric.”

Value stays a fan of the game and is pleased with the experiences it gave him. He reached the semi-finals of the 1993 European Open, dropping to Stephen Hendry, and gained three of 4 profession conferences he had with Jimmy White.

“I regard myself as having been just a little bit higher than a journeyman,” stated Value. “I used to be all the time across the high 32 and I peaked at quantity 17 on this planet.

“I didn’t take pleasure in the previous couple of years as a result of there have been children doing issues I simply couldn’t compete with. But it surely’s nice to have the ability to say I acquired to the Crucible and solely misplaced 10-6 to the very best participant who has ever lived.”