For the latest from the pitch sign up for our football newsletter
Thank you for subscribing!
For the latest from the pitch sign up for our football newsletter
We have more newsletters
Ronnie Sullivan had 600 convicts smashing their cells doors with delight following one of his World Snooker triumphs.
The Rocket’s father, Ronnie O'Sullivan Sr, was sentenced life imprisonment in 1992 for the murder of Bruce Bryan, a driver for notorious gangster and elder brother of the Kray twins, Charlie Kray. He stabbed dad-of-two Bryan to death in a nightclub and spent 18 years behind bars before his release in 2010.
As a result, Ronnie Sr had to follow his son’s early Crucible successes from behind bars. With no access to a television, he arranged for a nearby prisoner, who did have one, to send him coded message during the 2004 final against Graeme Dott. Ronnie Sr managed to turn his fellow prisoners into Rocket fans too and there were extraordinary scenes as Ronnie Jr defeated Dotts 18-8 to win his second World title.
READ MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan gives F-word response to snooker critics as he says 'you can’t win'
READ MORE: Ronnie O'Sullivan's dad made millions from sex shop empire before going to prison
“This guy had a television three doors away. I thought he might give it to me for the night, but he didn’t,” explained Ronnie Sr in the upcoming film, Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything.
“But I said, ‘Look, when my boy gets in the balls, just tap twice. If he’s not in the balls, tap once, then I’ll know what’s happening’. I had to go to Radio 5 Live. Every hour, on the hour, it comes through. I’m pacing about the wing, thinking, ‘f****** hell, he’s going to get beat’.
What's your favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan moment? Tell us in the comments section below
“When he potted the last ball to win that World Championship, every wing was smashing the doors for him. At night, when it’s all quiet, everyone’s got their nut down, and all of a sudden the doors are coming off. 600 cons smashing the doors for my son, it just blew me away.”
Ronnie Jr, 16 at the time of his dad's arrest, was severely impacted by Ronnie Sr's imprisonment. He was then forced to take over the family business when his mum Maria was jailed for one year for tax evasion in the 1990s.
"From 1995-to 2000, I won a few tournaments but I was never really consistent as much as I should have been. I wasted probably five years of my career, messing about really," O'Sullivan exclusively told the Daily Star in 2020.
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
"When he went away it took me a year for me to get my head around accepting that he wasn’t going to be around. I think I’d have won the World Championships a lot earlier and won plenty more tournaments. Absolutely, 100% it would have been different. But it was what it was, it was unfortunate for me and him. Things could have been so much better."
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything will premiere exclusively in cinemas on 21st November, featuring live Q&A with Ronnie, Executive Producer David Beckham and Director Sam Blair. The title will then launch on Prime Video in UK & Ireland on 23rd November, before opening in select cinemas nationwide on 24th November.
- Ronnie Osullivan
- World Snooker Championship
- Snooker
Source: Read Full Article