Ken Doherty, 25 years after world title, opens up on meeting U2 and telling Sir Alex where to go

Just a few days after he was topped world snooker champion in 1997, Ken Doherty obtained a cellphone name from a quantity he didn’t recognise.

‘The voice on the different finish went, ‘Kenny, Alex Ferguson right here, I do know you’re a massive Manchester United fan, how about parading that trophy up at Old Trafford?’ and I instructed him to go f*** himself!’ laughs Doherty.

‘I believed it was my mate joking! He goes, ‘Kenny, I’m not going to ask you twice, it is Alex Ferguson’ and I stated, ‘Sorry Mr Ferguson’.

‘I went up the day they have been selecting up the Premiership trophy towards West Ham. It was unimaginable. The roar I obtained strolling out at Old Trafford was one of the vital memorable days of my life.’

Of course, essentially the most memorable day of all of them got here earlier that week, when he beat the nice Stephen Hendry 18-12 on the Crucible to turn into the primary Irishman and solely third abroad participant to win the World Championship.

For the weeks that adopted, Doherty was handled like a rock star — and loved rock-star firm. ‘I used to be at a U2 live performance at Lansdowne Road and I obtained invited to the after social gathering,’ begins the 52-year-old. 

Ken Doherty (pic) has opened up in an unique interview with Sportsmail’s David Coverdale

It is almost 25 years to the day since Doherty received the 1997 World Snooker Championship title

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‘I used to be introduced over to meet Bono, who was speaking to Michael Stipe (the REM lead singer) and Roger Taylor (the Queen drummer). As I used to be speaking to them, I obtained a faucet on the shoulder and it was The Edge.

‘He stated, ‘You would not come over to say hiya to my mom would you?’ I believed, ‘For f**** sake — he is introduced me out of the corporate of Bono, Taylor and Stipe to come over and say hiya to his mom!’ But he was made up and so was she.’

By far essentially the most surreal expertise got here when Doherty returned dwelling from Sheffield. ‘I used to be given an open-top bus tour proper by means of Dublin, from the airport to town centre,’ he recollects.

‘I believed that was reserved for Olympic heroes or the nationwide soccer group. I bear in mind being on College Green in 1990 once they got here again from the World Cup in Italy. For me to be met by 1000’s on the airport, the streets lined, automobiles beeping, it was unimaginable. It reveals the impression it had on the entire nation.’

There was one impression that also makes Doherty giggle 25 years later. ‘I ended crime within the metropolis of Dublin for 3 hours!’ he grins. ‘The chief of police instructed me that between the hours of 7pm and 10pm, once I was taking part in on the Monday evening, they did not have one cellphone name till I lifted the trophy.

The Irishman, now 52, prevented Stephen Hendry (left) profitable six world titles in succession

Doherty continues to be the one Irishman to win the game’s most prestigious and wealthiest match

‘The women on the switchboard thought there was one thing improper with their telephones. He stated to me, ‘You needs to be on tv extra typically — you’d make my job a hell of quite a bit simpler!’.’

Before he made historical past on the Crucible, Doherty’s solely rating title win was the 1993 Welsh Open. He had by no means gone previous the quarter-finals of the World Championship. But he had good preparation for the 1997 match.

‘I used to play with Ronnie O’Sullivan on the Ilford Snooker Centre,’ he explains. ‘For some time we weren’t practising with one another, however earlier than 1997 I made a aware resolution and stated, ‘Look Ronnie, let’s put our variations to one facet and practise for this World Championship’. 

We performed one another in a better of 19 each single day. The two of us have been flying. Going there, I believed he was going to win it.’ O’Sullivan confirmed off his type within the first spherical when he hit a 147 break in a document time of 5min 20sec towards Mick Price however misplaced his subsequent match towards Darren Morgan. 

Doherty, although, noticed off Mark Davis, Steve Davis and John Higgins to set up a ultimate with defending champion Hendry, who had already received a record-equalling six titles and 5 in a row.

He is on the second 12 months of his two-year invitational tour card and hopes to get one other card

‘He was virtually unbeatable,’ says Doherty. ‘He was a fearsome participant. He revolutionised the sport within the 90s, the best way Davis dominated the 80s. He was the benchmark. It was like taking part in him on his personal desk on the Crucible. He was scary to play. I went there to take pleasure in myself and not present intimidation and it labored.

‘He made three centuries within the first session however I used to be 5-3 up and that set the tone for the match. I went into the ultimate session 15-9. I wanted three frames. But that is when the stress hit dwelling and he staged a terrific comeback. 

‘He obtained it again to 15-12 and ought to have made it 15-13 however missed a ball alongside the highest cushion and I received the body. I went into the dressing room on the mid-session interval a really relieved man that I’d stopped the rot and I got here out and received 18-12. It utterly modified my life.’

Back in Ranelagh, Dublin, Doherty’s mom Rose was too nervous to watch. ‘She could not deal with the stress as she suffered from hypertension,’ he says. ‘She went out on her bike earlier than the snooker began however she obtained a puncture and had to stroll dwelling.

‘On the best way she was stopped by somebody within the village, who stated, ‘Congratulations, your son has simply turn into world champion’. That’s how she came upon.

Doherty stated he as soon as instructed iconic ex-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson where to go

‘I gave the trophy to her and she put it on her TV in her entrance room for the entire 12 months. People would come to get an image with it. She used to clear it on daily basis.’

Doherty’s mum had an important hand to play in her son’s triumph, having paid for the cue he received the World Championship with — albeit 16 years earlier.

‘I used to be 11 when I discovered this cue on the pool rack at my native snooker membership,’ he recollects. ‘The supervisor needed a fiver for it so I begged my mom for the cash. I then modified it to 5 previous £1 notes and put three in my left pocket and two in my proper.

‘I instructed the supervisor I might solely afford £2 and he let me have it for that. I’m the one participant to win the World Juniors, World Amateurs and World Championship and I received all of them with that £2 cue! I nonetheless play with it at present. It was a very good funding, I feel!’

That 41-year-old cue was again in motion on the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield final week when Doherty tried to qualify for the World Championship for the primary time in eight years. He misplaced to Jamaica’s Rory McLeod however has not given up hope of a return.

Doherty additionally recalled his encounter with U2 rockstars Bono (above proper) and The Edge (left)

‘It can be nice to come out by means of these curtains yet another time,’ he says. ‘I nonetheless love competing but it surely’s not as straightforward because it used to be. The customary is getting increased and increased. As you become older, it’s extremely onerous to maintain up.

‘I’m coming to a crossroads. I’m on the second 12 months of my two-year invitational tour card. But I hope they may provide me one other and then that might possibly be sufficient for me.’

Doherty will likely be on the Crucible this 12 months as a BBC pundit and is tipping O’Sullivan to win his seventh title and equal Hendry’s document. ‘He is again to world No 1, that may give him a lift,’ he says. ‘I’d love to see him win it. He’s one of the best ever and deserves to equal Stephen’s document and get seven. This could possibly be the 12 months.’

Doherty will then be again on the iconic Sheffield theatre on July 8 to rejoice the twenty fifth anniversary of his most well-known triumph.

‘John Virgo, Dennis Taylor and Hendry are going to be there with me,’ he provides. ‘It will likely be nice to recap some reminiscences of 1997 — though Stephen will not be doing an excessive amount of speaking about it!’