Willie Thorne diagnosed with leukaemia

Willie Thorne placed into an induced coma in Spain

Former snooker star Willie Thorne has been placed into an induced coma in hospital in Spain after suffering respiratory failure.
The 66-year-old, who announced he was battling leukaemia in March, was taken to hospital last week with a dangerously low blood pressure.
A GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Thorne's treatment had surpassed the £17,000 mark by Tuesday lunchtime.
Thorne's carer Julie O'Neill wrote on the GoFundMe page: "The doctor called me yesterday to inform me that on Sunday Willie went into respiratory failure and he is now in an induced coma and mechanical ventilation.
"They are treating him with three different antibiotics for three types of infections, which appear to be consuming him at this time.

"We are all hoping that the treatments the hospital are giving him while in this induced coma will help to improve his overall condition and at some point enable him to breath on his own and be brought out of this coma."

Thorne reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won his only ranking title, the Mercantile Credit Classic, in 1982.
He starred as part of snooker's 'Matchroom Mob' and went on to become a BBC commentator and appear on the 2007 version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Thorne later battled bankruptcy after admitting he had borrowed up to £1m in order to feed his gambling addiction.

walshb wrote: »

Sad news. Happy go lucky chap.

Hendry’s tweet I found little odd: “I know he had his faults and weaknesses.”

Not sure why that merits being mentioned..

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Willie did have his demons i guess, maybe you could say it's a bit insensitive of hendry to reference it like that but flaws and all, people still held willie in high regard so i think it's fair enough personally.

The Nal wrote: »

Willie applauding Hendry here at the end was lovely.

The Nal wrote: »

Mark King said something similar

https://twitter.com/markking147/status/1273183661542780930

zuutroy wrote: »

King strikes me as a bit of a pain. I remember BBC did a RoS tribute before the UK a few years ago with everyone saying nice things, and King used it to gloat about one of the times he beat him.