Snooker legend Ken Doherty retires as he admits defeat over final goal

Former world champion Ken Doherty has retired from professional snooker at 56 years old, accepting that his final goal in the game is out of reach.

The Darlin of Dublin has carved out a superb career on the baize, with the pinnacle being his Crucible triumph over Stephen Hendry in the 1997 final.

The Irishman reached two more World Championship finals, and while he narrowly missed out on another Triple Crown success, he made it to three UK Championship finals and two Masters showpieces.

A World Under-21 champion and World Amateur champion in 1989, he turned professional in 1990 and won six ranking events, reaching a peak in the rankings of number two.

The inevitable slide down the rankings came, though, and since 2017 Doherty has been playing on the main circuit thanks to invitational tour cards.

There has still been the odd bit of brilliance, but results have been difficult to come by and Crafty Ken is hanging up his cue when it comes to the professional game.

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‘It’s come to that time and I’ve decided to call it a day on the main tour,’ Doherty told the Irish Independent.

‘I’m still going to play on the seniors, but on the main tour, the time has come.

‘I probably should have hung up the cue a few years ago. But I just love the game, love playing, doing the exhibitions.

‘That will never change, but it’s just time to call an end to the career and say that’s enough.’

The immensely popular commentator and pundit says he was continuing to play with the aim of turning out at the Crucible for the World Championship one last time.

2027 would have been the ideal time to do it, 30 years on from his greatest triumph, but he has accepted that coming through qualifying is just too difficult a task at this stage of his career.

‘The goal was always just to play finally at the Crucible for one more year, and 2027 is the anniversary, but I just don’t think I’m able to do it any more. That’s the problem. The guys are too good,’ he said.

‘There’s so many young guys coming up. They have the youth on the side. I don’t any more.

‘You’re beating your head against a brick wall and it’s just not going to happen. I enjoy doing the broadcasting as well, so I’ll be there next year, whatever happens.’

Crafty Ken last qualified for the Crucible in 2014, beating Stuart Bingham in the opening round before losing to Alan McManus.

Doherty added: ‘I’ve had a great time. I want to thank everybody, obviously, for all the support over the years. It’s been magnificent, not only here in Ireland, but all over the world.’

Retirement has been on the mind of the Dubliner for a while, telling Metro two years ago that he was considering hanging up his cue during a match.

Doherty led Oliver Lines 4-0 in German Masters qualifying, before being pegged back to 4-4 and then producing a superb break of 66 to win the decider from 53-0 behind.

‘I was sat in my chair at times of that match thinking, do I really want to do this? Going through the mill,’ he said.

‘I’ve had wonderful times as a player, but I was sitting there while he was coming back at me and I couldn’t play how I used to play and thinking maybe it’s time to call it a day.

‘Then I win the last frame with that clearance, it’s given me another boost. It was tough, you’re soul-searching in your chair, you’ve got plenty of time to ponder when you’re missing so many balls!

‘They’re the ups and downs of being a snooker player, all in the space of a best of 9 frames. That’s what you sign up for, the good and the not so good. You have to just control it and enjoy it, hate it and enjoy it again.’

Much-loved for his sense of humour, Doherty added: ‘I tell you what, I’m 55, I came off the table feeling about 65.

‘I was 4-0 up and coasting, then I was collapsing like an MFI wardrobe. It was frightening!

‘I made an unbelievable clearance to win on the black. I don’t know where it came from, I think it came from 1997!’

Obviously it is not a German Masters qualifier in 2024 that Doherty will be best remembered for on the table, but his World Championship triumph and the attention it drew in Ireland.

Even Dublin’s criminals were busy watching him beat Hendry, much to the delight of local police.

‘Everybody in Ireland seemed to watch it,’ Doherty told the Irish Post. ‘The Chief Superintendent told me that I should be on the telly more often as it would make his job a hell of a lot easier.’

There was a homecoming parade for Doherty as he returned with the World Championship trophy, of which he added: ‘I wasn’t expecting it.

‘I was there in 1990 when the football team came back home. Them homecomings were usually only for Olympic champions and the national sides. I didn’t think snooker would have the same impact but it did.

‘It was amazing to come through Dublin with all the cars beeping and people hanging out of windows.’

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