John Virgo’s shut pal has detailed his tragic remaining hours earlier than his loss of life aged 79, after the snooker legend awoke in ache in the course of the night time.
John Virgo tragically died on the age of 79 on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)
A detailed pal of snooker legend John Virgo has spoken of his heartbreak after the 79-year-old died in a Costa del Sol hospital after struggling a ruptured aorta. {Golfing} pal James Malyon, 46, stated he rushed to Xanit Hospital in Benalmadena after John’s spouse Rosie Ries rang him within the early hours of this morning to say the sports activities icon and TV presenter had suffered a well being emergency – however wasn’t capable of attain him in time to say his final goodbye. Mr Malyon, who had recognized John and his third spouse for round six years since they moved to Spain, stated: “He handed away round 5.30am at this time.
“He woke Rosie up in ache and discomfort round 2.30 this morning and he or she referred to as an ambulance and he was taken to hospital the place round three hours later he handed away. He had suffered a ruptured aorta which is the principle artery working down the physique. In accordance with the physician there’s nothing medical that causes it, it may possibly simply occur, which is a bit scary, and he stated that with a rupture like that if it had occurred to a match 30-year-old man it could virtually actually have been the identical end result. So it wasn’t as a result of any underlying well being points, it wasn’t as a result of any ongoing sickness and that’s why it has been so powerful as a result of it was simply fully out of the blue. John had been okay.
“A bunch of us went out for a drink in December when Dennis Taylor was over and he was in good kind. He had gone again to the UK a number of weeks in the past commentating for the Masters in Alexandra Palace, then he got here again to Spain for the weekend and returned once more to Britain to do a few exhibitions for 3 or 4 days.
“He’d received again to the Costa del Sol on Friday and I spoke with him solely yesterday afternoon round about 2.30pm. John and Rosie had simply received again from the Miramar Purchasing Centre in Fuengirola and had been doing the traditional on a regular basis issues. He was proper as rain.”
He added of his pal, who had been residing full-time in Mijas close to Fuengirola since simply earlier than the Covid disaster: “It had been a very regular day for him, nothing out of the strange.
“It will have been their sixteenth wedding ceremony on February 9 and it could have been his eightieth birthday on March 4. Rosie’s clearly very gutted. They’d plans to go for dinner collectively on the ninth and have been planning a visit collectively to Madrid for a beautiful weekend to rejoice his eightieth however now clearly that’s not going to occur.
John Virgo was the enduring voice of snooker on the BBC (Picture: Getty)
“They got here to Spain across the Covid period and spent a whole lot of the lockdown in Fuengirola whereas they’d renovation work carried out on their villa right here. The studies about him coming to Spain for well being causes are true.
“He’s had a long-standing neck drawback which meant his golf swing was not as fluid as earlier than and one of many causes for coming right here would have been for the higher local weather. However what occurred within the early hours of this morning had nothing to do together with his neck drawback.
“To the perfect of my information John didn’t have hypertension. He did smoke. However the docs on the hospital made no point out of underlying well being points that have been associated to his loss of life. They merely stated he suffered a ruptured aorta. They did every part they might however with a rupture like that there was nothing they might do to forestall his passing.
“Rosie referred to as me and I didn’t sadly get to hospital in time to see him earlier than he died however to the perfect of my information there was going to be a CT scan however it all occurred so rapidly it was not possible for them to do something.
“I received to the hospital round half an hour earlier than John handed away. It’s scary how life can go like that and that’s what’s so arduous for everybody as a result of all of it occurred so quick. I met John by means of enjoying golf right here and we grew to become associates from that. I hadn’t met him earlier than he moved out to Spain. It was about 2019 once we met.
“He at all times had an ideal story to inform. He was obsessed with snooker and plenty of different sports activities. He was an ideal Manchester United fan and the life and soul, with some nice tales and jokes, only a nice man to be round.”
Associated articles
John Virgo’s remaining moments on BBC earlier than loss of life as snooker world left in mourning
BBC launch heartbreaking John Virgo assertion as snooker legend dies aged 79
One other shut Costa del Sol-based pal stated: “I don’t imagine there might be any want for an post-mortem as a result of the reason for loss of life was clear.
“Funeral preparations might be made following liaison together with his youngsters and associates within the UK and I feel there might be a service someplace in Spain however nothing’s been finalised but, though I think about there might be a service right here after which some form of memorial service again within the UK.
“Right now it’s not clear whether or not it is going to be a public or personal service. Each occurs in a short time in Spain in the case of funerals usually however the household are going to wish a bit extra time so nothing might be taking place for the subsequent few days for certain.”
Simply earlier than Christmas John was in Christy’s Irish Gastropub & Sports activities Lounge in Fuengirola for a drink with associates together with fellow ex-professionals Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty in addition to James Malyon.
Proprietor Nick Griffin stated earlier at this time: “It’s very unhappy information. John was a beautiful regular man, no airs and graces, from Salford which is a down-to-earth place and he was actually all the way down to earth.
Match schedules, scores, gamers updates and majors information plus chosen affords and competitions Subscribe Invalid e mail
We use your sign-up to offer content material in methods you’ve got consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This will embody adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
“He got here in about 4 or 5 occasions a yr, at all times within the afternoons, and he’d have half a pint of Guinness. That was his drink. He was final in simply over a month in the past and he regarded in good kind. He lived regionally. He was well-known in Fuengirola.
“He was snooker-crazy, he was at all times speaking about snooker and the outdated days and Alex Higgins and every part else. He actually actually liked snooker. Somebody despatched me a message this morning saying he’d died after which I regarded on the Web and clearly learn extra about it. Anybody who had met John would really feel very unhappy as a result of he was such a pleasant man.”
Leave a Reply