‘You’d think a bomb went off’ – Ken Doherty reveals snooker legend’s nightmare dressing room before becoming close pals

KEN DOHERTY has claimed pal and rival Jimmy White used to leave his dressing room in a mess back in the early days of his career.

Doherty, 55, and White, 63, will roll back the years this week when they face off in their opening clash at the Saudi Arabia Masters.

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It will be over 34 years since they first did battle at the Mercantile Credit Classic in Bournemouth, showing just how impressive it is that the pair are still potting their way to victories.

Doherty, who last beat White back in 2015, has been reminiscing on where their relationship began.

The Irishman hasn’t always been a friend and opponent for White, and instead used to be tasked with cleaning his dressing room as a 14-year-old kid.

Doherty, who worked at legendary Irish venue Goffs, told Metro: “I remember when I worked at Goffs as a 14-year-old, I used to have to clean out his dressing room at times.

“That was part of my job, as well as being an usher and getting Alex Higgins a vodka and orange juice when he would ask for an orange juice, you know?”

Pressed on what the state of White’s dressing room was like back in the day, Doherty revealed: “Oh, well…that’s another story. You wouldn’t know!

“You could go in there and it would look like it wouldn’t have been touched and you’d go in another day and you’d think a bomb went off.”

Doherty has admitted that White was his hero back in the day, but the pair grew close when they started playing on the tour together.

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• Winner: £500,000
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• Last 16: £30,000
• Last 32: £20,000
• Last 48: £11,000
• Last 80: £7,000
• Last 112: £4,000
• Last 144: £2,000
• 147 Break: £50,000
• Total: £2,302,000

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Now Doherty wishes he didn’t have to face off against his pal to try and advance past the first round in a bid to land the Saudi Masters’ mega prize pot of £500,000.

He said: “He’s a good pal of mine so I would have rather played somebody else, but you can’t help but get excited about playing someone like him.

“We’ve had some wonderful matches over the years and it’s a match that gets the juices flowing.”