West Country snooker legend Andy Hicks set to retire; a look at Hicks' career story

The 50-year-old was relegated from the professional circuit in April during the qualifying rounds for the 2024 World Championship. He attempted to win his tour card back at the recent UK Q School, but was denied a top tier return as he lost in both events.

Since that trip to Leicester, Hicks has had time to reflect, and confirmed to local practice partner and new professional Haydon Pinhey that he will be hanging up his cue.

For much of the past 35 years, Devon-born Hicks has been the chief snooker flagbearer for the south-west of England; a more remote part of the country with fewer practice facilities, partners and events.

‘The Toast of Tavistock’ began playing at the Pot Black in Plymouth along with former professional player Bill Oliver. He moved to the outskirts of London for a couple of years in the late 1990s before coming back to the West Country where he had practice base spells at the South West Academy in Gloucester and Bells Court in Falmouth alongside Paul Williams, before most recently having a facility at Crackington Haven.

Andy Hicks’ professional career highlights

Hicks turned professional in 1991 and quickly adapted to his new surroundings very well, reaching the last 32 of two ranking events and the final qualifying round of the World Championship all in his rookie campaign.

During only his second season on the top flight, Hicks won seven matches to reach the semi-finals of the European Open ranking event, defeating Ronnie O’Sullivan in the last eight before bowing out to Steve Davis in Belgium.

A few months after being a quarter-finalist at the 1993 Dubai Classic, Hicks reached a non-ranked Strachan Challenge event final, being defeated by Anthony Hamilton 9-4 in the title match.

Left-hander Hicks’ most consistent and famous spell came during the mid 1990s. At the 1994 Grand Prix - an event televised by the BBC - he defeated former world champions Terry Griffiths and Steve Davis on his way to the last four where he was agonisingly denied a final berth by Dave Harold in a deciding frame, 9-8.

Later in the same season, Hicks won three qualifying matches to reach the final stages of the 1995 World Championship. On his Crucible debut, Hicks eliminated six-time champion Davis in the first round before following up with victories over Willie Thorne and Peter Ebdon to sensationally reach the one-table set-up as a first-time qualifier. His incredible run was ended by Nigel Bond 16-11 in the semi-finals.

The next season, Hicks continued to appear at the business end of huge events, beating O’Sullivan in the last eight as he reached the semi-finals of the 1995 UK Championship; snooker’s second biggest ranking tournament.

A few months later as a wildcard, Hicks made his debut at the Masters - the sport’s most prestigious invitational event - by registering a trio of century breaks as he saw off David Roe in his first match. At the time, Hicks was only the second player in the history of the London-based spectacular to have made three tons in a best-of-nine frames tie.

Hicks went all the way to the last four at the Wembley Conference Centre where O’Sullivan halted him.

The result meant that Hicks had been a semi-finalist in all three of snooker’s fabled Triple Crown events within the space of a year. And he didn’t stop there, as he navigated a passage to the semi-finals of the 1996 European Open in Malta just a few weeks after his heroics at the Masters.

Hicks was the runner-up at the 1997 Pontins Professional invitational, and later in the same year he emerged from a field of over 330 entrants to win the non-ranked Benson and Hedges Championship in Malvern, a title that saw him qualify for the upcoming Masters edition. In London, Hicks lost 5-4 to Darren Morgan in the wildcard round, but did make a 142 during the game, which stood as the event’s highest break that year.

Following a few steady, yet unspectacular, seasons, Hicks again qualified for the Crucible in 2004 where he memorably defeated Quinten Hann 10-4 in the first round. In the last 16, Hicks played his part in an epic duel with O’Sullivan, during which the players were level on nine occasions. O’Sullivan - who hit five centuries in the contest - managed to oust it 13-11, and went on to win his second world crown a few days later.

After several lean years on the circuit - which coincided with a downturn of events on the professional scene - Hicks’ ranking slipped and he was relegated from the tour in 2013.

Although Hicks initially failed to get his pro status back through Q School in subsequent years, he picked up enough merit points to appear in several professional events as a top-up amateur player. At the 2017 Snooker Shoot Out, he won five matches to reach his sixth career ranking event semi-final - nearly 21 years on from his fifth.

In 2019 at the age of 45, Hicks graduated from Q School and regained his professional tour card after six years without it. His last big hoorah on the global stage was at the 2021 UK Championship where he won four consecutive deciding frame matches en route to the quarter-finals.

Hicks’ final tournament outing as a professional was at the 2024 World Championship qualifiers. He defeated Long Zehuang 10-2 before going out to Noppon Saengkham - who made a 147 in the match - 10-5 in the penultimate round.

Career numbers and summary

‘The Cream of Devon’ qualified for the Crucible eight times, including on four successive occasions between 2004 to 2007.

He made over 165 centuries in professional play, putting him in an elite club of those who have compiled 100 100s.

In 2012, he gained another elite membership when he constructed a maximum 147 break during the UK Championship qualifiers.

Hicks is one of the greatest players ever not to have broken into the world’s top 16. Due to his consistent form from the mid to late 1990s, he held ranking positions of 17, 18, 19 and 21, all in consecutive seasons; just shy of the very top bracket.

Hugely admired and respected by his snookering peers, Hicks was known as one of the sport’s best practice players. It is understood that he has made around 400 147s in frames.

Speaking to the BBC last year, Hicks said "I turned pro when I was 17, if you'd said I was still a pro coming up to 50 I would have laughed at you at 17.

“All you're thinking at a young age is 'hopefully I'll do OK', you never think it's going to on 30-plus years.”

Hicks - who currently lives in Cornwall - may not have won a ranking title, but he did enjoy experiences that many ranking event winners haven’t including match victories at the Wembley Conference Centre and a date with the one-table at the Crucible, all whilst staying within the top echelons of the sport for the best part of 30 years.