Joe O'Boye
{{short description|Irish snooker player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox snooker player
| name = Joe O'Boye
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1960|3|6}}
| birth_place = Leicester, England
| Professional = 1980–1990
| Official maximums =
| Ranking wins =
| World champ =
}}
Joe O’Boye (born 6 March 1960{{cite book |last1=Hayton |first1=Eric |last2=Dee |first2=John |date=2004 |title=The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History |publisher=Rose Villa Publications |location=Lowestoft |isbn=978-0-9548549-0-4 |page=759-760}}) is an Irish former professional snooker player. He represented the Republic of Ireland at the 1988 Snooker World Cup.{{cite book |editor=Smith, Terry |date=1988 |title=Benson and Hedges Snooker Year |location=Aylesbury |publisher=Pelham Books |isbn=0720718309 |chapter=Fersina Windows World Cup Results|page=100|edition=Fifth }} He was the winner of the 1980 English Amateur Championship.
Career
O’Boye had three applications for professional status declined by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association after his 1980 English Amateur Championship victory before they relented and he was accepted. In October 1985 he made his television debut at the 1985 Rothmans Grand Prix held at the Hexagon in Reading against Jimmy White, losing 4-5 but with White winning the last three frames. Before the game O’Boye was unable to find his dress suit and was still undressed four minutes before play; White offered to lend him his spare, before it was eventually found.{{Cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19851022/472/0022 |title=O'Boye! Joe caught with his pants down|newspaper=The Press and Journal |location=Aberdeen |date=22 October 1985 |page=22|via=British Newspaper Archive}}
O’Boye reached the quarter-final at the 1987 International Open where he played Stephen Hendry following wins against Martin Clark, Kirk Stevens and Robby Foldvari. O’Boye defeated Danny Fowler and Barry West to reach the last 32 of the Snooker World Championship in 1989. He lost 10–6 to Silvino Francisco at The Crucible.{{cite web|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505233132/http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=23|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2014|title=1989 World Championships Results|website=www.snookerdatabase.co.uk|accessdate=24 February 2018}} O’Boye had previously reached the last 32 of the UK Championship in 1988, where he lost to Dennis Taylor.{{cite web|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=117|title=1988 UK Championship Results|website=www.snookerdatabase.co.uk|accessdate=24 February 2018|archive-date=7 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007101916/http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=117|url-status=dead}}
O’Boye would often practise at a snooker club in Kings Cross along with Peter Ebdon and Tony Drago.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/snooker-positive-thinking-takes-ebdon-to-the-summit-124106.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220609/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/snooker-positive-thinking-takes-ebdon-to-the-summit-124106.html |archive-date=9 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Snooker: Positive thinking takes Ebdon to the summit|date=11 January 2003|website=independent.co.uk|accessdate=24 February 2018}} Drago beat O’Boye 9-0 in 81 minutes at the 1990 UK Championship. O’Boye was said to have been a significant influence in terms of his break-building abilities on the likes of Drago and Ebdon, as well as Jimmy White who was considered a drinking buddy of O’Boye and their escapades together "tended to involve an inordinate amount of alcohol" although O’Boye was later said to have remarked "I don’t regret anything. You’re only young once, and you can’t buy youth."{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/sport/national-sport/18403502.crucible-characters-day-eight-joe-oboye/|title=Crucible characters day eight: Joe O'Boye|website=East Lothian Courier}} O’Boye's behaviour at the 1990 Rothmans Grand Prix in Reading in October 1990 caused him to be banned from the 1991 Mercantile Credit Classic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19910105/379/0019|title=Press and Journal. Saturday January 5 1991 p.16|website=British Newspaper Archive}} Further charges of abusive behaviour towards sponsors and match officials during the 1990 UK Championship in Preston and the Benson and Hedges satellite tournament in Glasgow caused further suspensions to include the 1991 World Snooker Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001715/19910105/209/0018|title=Irish Independent. January 5, 1991 p.18|website=British Newspaper Archive}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{portal|Cue sports}}
- {{snooker.org player|3288}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:OBoye, Joe}}
Category:Irish snooker players
Category:Sportspeople from Limerick (city)
{{England-snooker-bio-stub}}