Reardon pays tribute to legend Spencer
Wednesday, 12 July 2006 08:10Ray Reardon has led the tributes to snooker legend John Spencer who died yesterday after a battle against stomach cancer.
Spencer was 70 and along with Welsh rival Reardon and Alex Higgins helped take the game from the snooker clubs onto the television screens.
Spencer, whose later career was blighted by eye disease, Myasthenia Gravis, won the world title in 1969, 1971 and 1977 - the first to be staged at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre.
He was also the first winner of the Benson & Hedges Masters in 1975, beating Reardon in the final.
Reardon, who captured six world crowns, said on hearing of the death of his long-standing Lancashire opponent: 'It's so sad.
John was a fantastic player. We played plenty of times as professionals and also in the amateur game.
'Surprisingly, for all that I never got to know him well personally.'
