Former snooker star Willie Thorne has been placed into an induced coma in hospital in Spain after suffering respiratory failure.

The 66-year-old, who announced he was battling leukaemia in March, was taken to hospital last week with a dangerously low blood pressure.

A GoFundMe page set up to help pay for Thorne's treatment had surpassed the £17,000 mark by Tuesday lunchtime.

Thorne's carer Julie O'Neill wrote on the GoFundMe page: "The doctor called me yesterday to inform me that on Sunday Willie went into respiratory failure and he is now in an induced coma and mechanical ventilation.

"They are treating him with three different antibiotics for three types of infections, which appear to be consuming him at this time.

"We are all hoping that the treatments the hospital are giving him while in this induced coma will help to improve his overall condition and at some point enable him to breath on his own and be brought out of this coma."

Remember watching him in the 80's, hope he can pull through, but it sounds grim.

Met him at Padiham Snooker Club whilst he was doing an exhibition match with Rocket Ronnie, He was not only a great bloke but he was fantastic entertainment. Get well soon Willie.

Good luck to Willie, hope he pulls through

Nice guy all through the snooker years on TV
Hope he can see this one off and come out of it ok.

Sad news.
Willie Thorne used to be a regular in Burnley back in the 1980s. Used to stop in a house near Scott Park.

How sad,get well soon Willie

very sad news, a huge name for many fans when the game was in the spotlight.

Sad news

Sadly passed away. Loved his commentary and knowledge of the game.

RIP

Sad sad news

R I P. Such sad news and unbelievable at only 66 years old

I used to pretend to be Willie Thorne around the family (6' x 3') snooker table, my brothers - "Steve Davis" and "Jimmy White"

Sad news.

Sad news but alas not unexpected, 66 is far too young.

RIP Willie

Sad news.

Wille and Dennis Taylor commentating on a game and 3 O'Sullivan fans open their jackets to reveal "I Love Ronnie" t shirts. You ever have anything like that happen to you? asks Dennis. Not with a name like mine you don't, replies Thorne....

RIP WIllie Thorne.

Sad news. As a snooker fan, I loved his commentary.

Only 66 as well.

Snookers lost one if its great characters today. seemed a very likeable guy, sorry to hear.
John Virgo and Willie Thorne were my fav pair in the comm box.

R.I.P, Willie Thorn.
Great character & player back in the day when snooker was big TV.

slw wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:20 pm

Snookers lost one if its great characters today. seemed a very likeable guy, sorry to hear.
John Virgo and Willie Thorne were my fav pair in the comm box.

John Virgo at 74 looks very frail when I see him. A great commentator.

The commentators often make a huge difference for those watching. Some are great, like these 2, some aren't.

Very sad news. He always came across as a kind and friendly bloke and his commentary was spot on.

FactualFrank wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:03 pm

The commentators often make a huge difference for those watching. Some are great, like these 2, some aren't.

yea i agree, Virgo has a good sense of humour and can see things on a snooker table that i cant.
closely followed by Willie Thorne, Stephen Hendry is very good as well.

One of snooker's characters that makes watching the game so enjoyable. I remember during a mid-session interval at the Crucible once he did a feature (I think it was live) demonstrating the principles behind building a maximum break - he got a 147.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:38 pm

One of snooker's characters that makes watching the game so enjoyable. I remember during a mid-session interval at the Crucible once he did a feature (I think it was live) demonstrating the principles behind building a maximum break - he got a 147.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3pTXsz8wyE

slw wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:35 pm

yea i agree, Virgo has a good sense of humour and can see things on a snooker table that i cant.
closely followed by Willie Thorne, Stephen Hendry is very good as well.

I think I like them all on the BBC. Unfortunately, some commentators on other channels such as Dave Hendon and especially Joe Johnson (truly truly bad) make me either watch the game on a very low volume, or not bother at all. Some people just don't have the voice for it, I guess.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:43 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3pTXsz8wyE

Not live then, but first attempt presumably!

Sad news indeed. Believe he had the most number of 147 breaks of any of the pro players at the time. Think he was the equivalent of the Monday morning footballer. In his prime remember Steve Davis saying he was virtually ‘unplayable’ in practice and exhibition matches..they couldn’t get near him.

He struggled to transfer it to tournaments. Remember him winning the Mercantile Credit Classic (think his only major) and he says on camera ‘I’m so nervous’ All the top pros were willing him to win, a lovely bloke, and top commentator.

So sad

RIP

R.I.P. Willie Thorne .a great player and person.

I might have dreamt it or made it up, but was led to believe he had brief links to the Burnley area in the 80s. A bit of an enigma for me, seems as straight and sensible as you can get but had history. Either way, good bloke who has left his mark on British sporting history and culture. RIP