Snooker icon Jim Donnelly has passed away aged 79. Donnelly was a trailblazer for Scottish snooker, becoming the first-ever Scot to play at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Donnelly won the Scottish Amateur Championship in 1978 and turned professional three years later. Wins over Matt Gibson and Eddie Sinclair in 1982 saw him earn a spot at the World Championship, where he faced six-time champion Ray Reardon in the opening round.
Reardon won the contest 10-5 in the end and eventually reached the final, where he lost to Alex Higgins in an 18-15 classic. Donnelly went on to make up part of the Scotland team that took part in the World Team Classic in 1982, defeating Northern Ireland 4-1 during the group stage.
The Scottish icon would later partner Stephen Hendry during one of their World Cup campaigns, with Donnelly’s best result at a world ranking event coming at the 1983 International Open. He reached the last-16, having recorded wins over Cliff Wilson and David Taylor.
Donnelly reached the final of the Scottish Professional Championship in 1987, but lost 10-7 to Hendry. He retired from the professional circuit in 1997, but remained in the sport as a coach.
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It’s a sad loss for Scottish snooker, with John Higgins taking some time to reflect on Donnelly’s life during his 2026 Welsh Open campaign. He told the WST: “He was a part-owner of the club when I first started playing.
“My dad took me and my brother down. Yeah, sad day. He ran little coaching courses for the young boys, showed us how to hold a cue and how to play off the cushion, things like that. It’s really sad, my thoughts go out to his family, and friends. Sad loss.”