Higgins, Alex Gordon (1949- )

Northern Irish snooker player, born in Belfast, County Antrim. At the age of 23, Higgins became the then youngest player to take the Embassy World Snooker Championship when he defeated John Spencer in 1972. Volatile at times, Higgins was nonetheless a hugely popular figure in the game; his 16-15 victory over Jimmy White in the 1982 World Championship ranks as a classic, and he went on to take the final, beating the Welsh player Ray Reardon. Higgins was also part of the successful Irish team that won three world titles during the 1980s.