Getty PhotographsFormer snooker world champion Ray Reardon is lastly to be given his dwelling county’s highest honour, a number of months after he died.
Reardon, who gained the world title six occasions, will probably be awarded the liberty of Blaenau Gwent, with a scroll awarded to his household in all probability subsequent yr.
Nevertheless, councillors voiced their disappointment it was solely being awarded following his loss of life on the age of 91 in July.
One, Wayne Hodgins, known as the honour “lengthy overdue”, and one other, Derrick Bevan, stated the honour was good, however he was “upset as we should always have performed it years in the past when he was nonetheless alive”.
In September, councillors agreed to bestow the liberty of the county on Reardon, who dominated the game within the Nineteen Seventies, racking up half a dozen world championships between 1970 and 1978.
Final week that call was rubber-stamped at a unprecedented assembly of the council, which agreed the wording of the award as: “In recognition of Ray’s nice contribution to and achievements within the sport {of professional} snooker not solely in Tredegar and Wales but additionally globally.”
Reardon, who was born in Tredegar in 1932, labored as a coal miner and a police officer. He gained six consecutive Welsh novice snooker championships within the Nineteen Fifties and the English novice championship in 1964 earlier than turning skilled in 1967.
He was nicknamed Dracula due to his distinctive widow’s peak coiffure, grew to become a family identify, and was awarded the MBE.
Getty PhotographsIn 2016, the cup awarded to the winner of the Welsh Open was named the Ray Reardon Trophy in his honour.
Hodgins stated of the liberty of the borough: “I absolutely assist this, it was lengthy overdue and sadly the gentleman has handed.”
He recalled how the participant had helped deliver the game “into the limelight” on the Pot Black TV present. Reardon gained the primary sequence on the BBC in 1969.
Bevan stated Reardon was “one in all our heroes once we had been youngsters” and “an actual character”.
One other councillor, Jonathan Millard, known as the honour “completely overdue” for “a Tredegar lad by means of and thru, he’s somebody who gave again to the neighborhood”.
Councillor Chris Smith stated there can be “a small ceremony to current the liberty of the borough scroll to Ray’s household”.