Perhaps nowadays better known as a commentator and for his television appearances with Jim Davidson in Big Break, ‘J.V.’ was, from the late 1970s and through the 1980s, one of the best players on the circuit.

A one-time bank clerk, John gained his early experience of snooker in Potters Club in Salford, still a well-known haunt of many professionals. He won the National Under-16 title in 1962 and the Under-19 one three years later. Fifteen caps for England and the National Pairs title in 1976, with Paul Medati, persuaded him to turn professional later that year.

He got through two qualifying rounds for his first visit to the Crucible in 1977 but lost in his opening match. This was followed by the UK semi-final. In 1978 he failed to qualify for the Embassy but reached the UK quarter-finals and followed this with his best ever Embassy performance losing in the semi-final to Dennis Taylor. He ended that season, 1978/79, with his best ever ranking on 10th,

Better still was to come when he claimed his only major title, the 1979 UK Championship although this was not a ranking event at the time. He beat Terry Griffiths 14-13 in the final. That was to prove to be the pinnacle of his success on the table and he was in and out of the top 16 over the next few years. He did however collect the 1980 Pontins Professional title.

He always appeared glum, even miserable, at the table and those who did not know him were surprised to hear that his exhibitions were in great demand, for his comedy impressions as much as his trick shots. His big opportunity came in 1982 at the Crucible. One of the semi- finals had finished early and something had to be done to entertain the audience. John did his act, taking off the likes of Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon and Dennis Taylor and brought the house down. The TV cameras were rolling and John instantly had a second career.

It was perhaps as well that he had this to fall back on as his success at the table at that time was limited to two semi-finals in 1982, the Jameson International and the Professional Players Tournament, both ranking events. He would not reach another semi until the 1986 Dulux British Open. In the meantime he did, in 1984, win the ill-fated and short-lived Professional Snooker League but that carried no ranking points - or prize money!

Over the next few years he rarely got beyond the last 32 in any event and in 1990/91 he only won two matches all season and as a result dropped out of the top 16 for the last time. During this time, apart form his cabaret act he spent two years as chairman of the WPBSA so he could be excused for not having time to put in as much practice as he might have liked.

He continued to play the circuit but with diminishing enthusiasm. He had added TV commentating to his other talents and finally quit the tour at the end of the 1993/94 season. When the BBC decided to launch a light hearted snooker based game show Big Break in the mid 1990s John was offered the job as partner to Jim Davidson. The show was a great success and a road-show version toured the country.

John has one minor claim to fame. When he beat Steve Davis in the 1987 Dulux British Open, it was the first time anyone had knocked Steve out of an event before the televised stages.