Snooker Community Gathers for Terry Griffiths’ Funeral

The funeral service for former world snooker champion Terry Griffiths was attended by over 200 individuals, including notable snooker figures Dennis Taylor, Stephen Hendry, and Mark Williams. Griffiths, a native of Pontarddulais, Swansea, passed away at the age of 77 following what his family described as “a long battle with dementia.” Prior to his snooker career, Griffiths worked as a postman and a bus conductor. He achieved professional status in 1978 and, remarkably, secured the world championship title on his debut attempt in 1979, defeating Taylor. During the funeral service held at Llanelli Crematorium in Carmarthenshire, Griffiths’ son, Wayne, recounted personal anecdotes and cherished recollections of his father, whom he characterized as “modest and humble.” Wayne stated, “Dad indeed was a great player, good coach and a good man.” He further added, “He was also a great family man, a proud father and a loving husband too.” Griffiths’ other significant victories included the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982. Following his retirement from professional play, Griffiths established himself as an accomplished coach and a popular television pundit and commentator. The funeral procession passed the Terry Griffiths Matchroom, a snooker and pool club located in Llanelli. Dennis Taylor, a fellow snooker legend from Northern Ireland, expressed his satisfaction with the “great turnout” for a player he remembered for his “wicked” sense of humour. Taylor noted that during Griffiths’ visits to Northern Ireland, people “took him to their hearts.” He also mentioned observing several players among the attendees, such as Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Tony Chappell, Wayne Jones, and Jackson Page. Taylor commented, “Not only was he a great, great player, he’s one of the best coaches the game’s ever seen.” He continued, “Of course, that’s a great tribute to some of the modern day players, they owe a lot to Terry.” Taylor added, “Sadly, if he hadn’t have got ill I think he’d have just kept on working, because everybody wanted to work with ‘the Griff’.” Taylor also reminisced about holidays shared with the families of Griffiths and Doug Mountjoy, stating, “We used to have wonderful times at Pontins and we had a great holiday in America together, all the three families.” Adam Rees, 60, a friend of Griffiths, remarked outside the Matchroom club, “He put us on the map,” adding, “Snooker wasn’t anything in Llanelli until him.” Andrew Morgan, 53, another friend, described Griffiths as a “gentlemen.” Morgan elaborated, “He was such a character, full of banter and one liners.” Wayne Lock, 60, from Llanelli, referred to Griffiths as a “treasure to the town.” Lock asserted, “He always stood by the town through thick and thin.” He concluded, “He set up the Matchroom, teaching youngsters for years and years. We’re very proud of him.”