Jim Donnelly (13 June 1946 – 24 February 2026) was a Scottish professional snooker player and coach.[1][2]

Biography

Donnelly won the Scottish Amateur Snooker Championship in 1978, beating Eddie McLaughlin 6–4 in the final.[3] He was accepted by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) as a professional in 1981.[4]

He defeated fellow Scottish players Matt Gibson and Eddie Sinclair, both with a scoreline of 9–8, in the qualifying competition for the 1982 World Snooker Championship and became the first Scottish player to qualify for the main stage of the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre.[1][3] He lost 10–5 in the first round to Ray Reardon.[1] Donnelly was placed 29th in the world rankings for the 1982–83 snooker season, a career high.[5]

He reached the final of the 1987 Scottish Professional Championship by beating Murdo MacLeod and Sinclair, but finished runner-up as he was defeated 10–7 by Stephen Hendry in the final.[6][1] His best performance in a ranking tournament was reaching the last 16 of the 1983 International Open.[6] He was a member of the Scotland team in the 1982 World Team Classic and in the World Cup for Snooker in 1985, 1986 and 1989.[3]

After his professional career finished in 1997, Donnelly coached players including John Higgins, Alan McManus and Anthony McGill, and also worked as a fitness instructor.[3]

Donnelly died on 24 February 2026, at the age of 79.[6] In his obituary in Snooker Scene, Marcus Stead wote that Donnelly was "known for his shrewd snooker mind and his sense of fun."[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hayton, Eric; Dee, John (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. pp. 370–371. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.
  2. ↑ Kane, Desmond (26 February 2026). "Snooker mourns death of Crucible pioneer Jim Donnelly, who inspired Scottish icons Stephen Hendry, John Higgins and Alan McManus - 'A sad loss'". TNT Sports. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Stead, Marcus (March 2026). "Jim Donnelly". Snooker Scene. p. 24.
  4. ↑ "Snooker". The Guardian. 18 April 1981. p. 22.
  5. ↑ "New world rankings". Snooker Scene. June 1982. p. 29.
  6. 1 2 3 "Scottish snooker's first Crucible star Jim Donnelly passes away". Totallysnookered.com. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Donnelly_(snooker_player)