Alex Higgins

Higgins moved up from 9th in the rankings in 1985 to 6th at the end of the [[1985–86 snooker season]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} His best performance in a ranking tournament was reaching the semi-finals of the [[1986 British Open]] where he lost 3–9 to Davis.{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} He lost again to Griffiths in the second round of the [[1986 World Snooker Championship|World Championship]], this time 12–13.{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} In the [[1985 World Doubles Championship]] Higgins and White lost their first match, 4–5 to [[Danny Fowler]] and [[Barry West]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} The Ireland team of Higgins, Dennis Taylor and [[Eugene Hughes (snooker player)|Eugene Hughes]] successfully defended thier title at the [[1986 World Cup (snooker)|1986 World Cup]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}}

Higgins moved up from 9th in the rankings in 1985 to 6th at the end of the [[1985–86 snooker season]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} His best performance in a ranking tournament was reaching the semi-finals of the [[1986 British Open]] where he lost 3–9 to Davis.{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} He lost again to Griffiths in the second round of the [[1986 World Snooker Championship|World Championship]], this time 12–13.{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} In the [[1985 World Doubles Championship]] Higgins and White lost their first match, 4–5 to [[Danny Fowler]] and [[Barry West]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}} The Ireland team of Higgins, Dennis Taylor and [[Eugene Hughes (snooker player)|Eugene Hughes]] successfully defended thier title at the [[1986 World Cup (snooker)|1986 World Cup]].{{sfn|Everton|1986a|p=26}}

In 1986, Higgins split with his manager Del Simmons and signed with Framework, a management group run by Howard Kruger who also managed White, Stevens and [[Tony Knowles (snooker player)|Tony Knowles]]. Later that year, the four players and the band [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]] released a [[Cover version|cover]] of "[[The Wanderer (Dion song)|The Wanderer]]" by Dion as a counter to "[[Snooker Loopy]]", a pop single featuring snooker players managed by [[Barry Hearn]]'s [[Matchroom Sport|Matchroom]].{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=144}}{{cite news |title=Four Away as cue stars go to pop |newspaper=Daily Record |date=24 April 1986 |page=40 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-four-away-as-cue-stars-go-t/161473886/ |via=Newspapers.com}} At the [[1986 UK Championship]], Higgins head-butted tournament director Paul Hatherell after an argument; he was fined £12,000 and banned from five tournaments,{{cite news | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2889881.stm | title = Bad boys: Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins | work = BBC Sport | date = 11 April 2003 | access-date = 1 May 2009 | archive-date = 30 March 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070330154755/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2889881.stm | url-status = live}} as well as being convicted of assault and criminal damage arising from the incident and fined £250 by a court. At the [[1987 Irish Masters]], he was fined £500 for being abusive towards tournament director Kevin Norton.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=150}} He reached the Masters final for the fifth time in [[1987 Masters (snooker)|1987]], losing to Dennis Taylor in the deciding frame.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=14–15}}

In 1986, Higgins split with his manager Del Simmons and signed with Framework, a management group run by Howard Kruger who also managed White, Stevens and [[Tony Knowles (snooker player)|Tony Knowles]]. Later that year, the four players and the band [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]] released a [[Cover version|cover]] of "[[The Wanderer (Dion song)|The Wanderer]]" by Dion as a counter to "[[Snooker Loopy]]", a pop single featuring snooker players managed by [[Barry Hearn]]'s [[Matchroom Sport|Matchroom]].{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=144}}{{cite news |title=Four Away as cue stars go to pop |newspaper=Daily Record |date=24 April 1986 |page=40 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-record-four-away-as-cue-stars-go-t/161473886/ |via=Newspapers.com}} At the [[1986 UK Championship]], Higgins head-butted tournament director Paul Hatherell after an argument; he was fined £12,000 and banned from five tournaments,{{cite news | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2889881.stm | title = Bad boys: Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins | work = BBC Sport | date = 11 April 2003 | access-date = 1 May 2009 | archive-date = 30 March 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070330154755/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2889881.stm | url-status = live}} as well as being convicted of assault and criminal damage arising from the incident and fined £250 by a court. At the [[1987 Irish Masters]], he was fined £500 for being abusive towards tournament director Kevin Norton.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=150}} He reached the Masters final for the fifth time in [[1987 Masters (snooker)|1987]], losing to Dennis Taylor in the deciding frame.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|pp=14–15}} The team of Higgins, Taylor and Hughes won the [[1987 World Cup (snooker)|World Cup]] for a third consecutive year, defeating Canada in the final for the second time.{{cite news |last=Friskin |first=Sydney |date=22 March 1987|title=Irish team rock the Canadians |work=The Times |location=London |page=38 }}

By 1988, Higgins had been fined a total of £17,200 in his professional career.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=154}} That year, he was dropped by Kruger and acquired a new manager, Robin Driscoll.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=153}} In January 1989, he fell from the window of his partner's first-floor flat, breaking multiple bones in his ankle. He arrived at several subsequent matches on crutches and played while hopping on one leg.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=155}} Later that year, Kruger's Framework management company was [[wound up]] at his instigation, with Higgins claiming that he was owed over £50,000.{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |title=Sport in brief: Snooker |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 July 1989 |page=18 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-sport-in-brief/163289374/ |via=Newspapers.com}} After Higgins had died, [[Clive Everton]] wrote that the money lost to Framework was "a financial blow from which [Higgins] never recovered."{{rp|6}} The last professional tournament that he won was the [[1989 Irish Masters]], where he beat Hendry 9{{nbnd}}8 in the final.

By 1988, Higgins had been fined a total of £17,200 in his professional career.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=154}} That year, he was dropped by Kruger and acquired a new manager, Robin Driscoll.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=153}} In January 1989, he fell from the window of his partner's first-floor flat, breaking multiple bones in his ankle. He arrived at several subsequent matches on crutches and played while hopping on one leg.{{sfn|Hennessey|2000|p=155}} Later that year, Kruger's Framework management company was [[wound up]] at his instigation, with Higgins claiming that he was owed over £50,000.{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |title=Sport in brief: Snooker |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 July 1989 |page=18 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-sport-in-brief/163289374/ |via=Newspapers.com}} After Higgins had died, [[Clive Everton]] wrote that the money lost to Framework was "a financial blow from which [Higgins] never recovered."{{rp|6}} The last professional tournament that he won was the [[1989 Irish Masters]], where he beat Hendry 9{{nbnd}}8 in the final.