Snooker legend Ken Doherty claimed the World Snooker Championship using a bargain £2 cue purchased with money borrowed from his mother. Doherty recently watched Wu Yize, 22, become the tournament’s second-youngest champion by defeating Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a thrilling final.
Doherty’s 1997 Triumph and Near Miss
Nearly three decades ago, Doherty defeated dominant force Stephen Hendry in the 1997 final to become a national icon. He came close to defending the title in 1998 and breaking the Crucible curse but lost to John Higgins in the decisive match.
The Story Behind the £2 Cue
Doherty achieved greatness with a discarded cue left at a Dublin club. The bar owner initially asked £5 for it, but a young Doherty cleverly negotiated a lower price. He borrowed £5 from his mother, split the cash into £2 in one pocket and £3 in another, then offered only the £2, claiming that’s all his mother could spare. The owner accepted the deal.
Doherty has kept the cue since 1981, when he was about 10 years old. He picked it up from the pool rack after someone abandoned it and asked the manager if he could have it if no one returned.
“I still have the cue. I changed cue just recently, just to try it out. But I’ve had my £2 cue since 1981. I’ve had it since about 10 years of age,” Doherty explained. “I won the World Junior Championship, I won the World Amateur Championship and I won the World Professional Championship with a £2 cue. I think it was good value! Thankfully no one came back to collect the cue.”
The £2 cue delivered a World Championship victory and six ranking titles for Doherty.
Hero’s Welcome in Dublin
Following his World Championship win, Doherty received a triumphant return in Dublin with an open-top bus parade through the city center and a reception at the Mansion House. The lord mayor presented him with a cut-glass trophy amid huge crowds lining the streets with flags and banners proclaiming “Welcome home champ.”
“Those type of homecomings are only granted to Olympic champions or the national football team, so I was quite honoured and humbled by it. I didn’t think it would have such an impact on the country. It was wonderful, what dreams are made of,” Doherty recalled.
