Donnelly: A familiar face to BBC Sport viewers

In 1992, Dougie also joined BBC Sport's network TV team as a presenter and reporter, working on that year's Olympic Games in Barcelona and at football's Euro 92 tournament in Sweden.

Since then he was worked at major events including the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, Euro 96, the Open Championship and US Masters, and the World Snooker Championship.

Dougie has been a regular at the Benson & Hedges Masters since 1993, and has also presented the BBC's coverage of the BDO World Darts Championship and many major bowls events.

He has also hosted Grandstand and Sunday Grandstand, as well as two series of his own chatshow for BBC Scotland.

Clive Everton

Senior commentator Clive Everton is one of the most respected figures on the snooker circuit.

He is the founding editor of Snooker Scene magazine, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and is snooker correspondent for both The Guardian and Independent on Sunday.

Everton: Nearly 30 years of snooker with the BBC

Clive first covered snooker for BBC Radio in 1972, when Alex Higgins won his first world title. His network TV commentary career began at the 1978 World Championship.

As a player, he reached the 1975 and 1977 world amateur billiards semi-finals. but in the latter he exacerbated a back problem which later needed surgery, ending his hopes of a professional career.

Clive reached ninth in the world billiards rankings, and is still 20th despite rarely playing.

In a varied career, he has also covered Wimbledon for The Times of India, rugby for the Sunday Telegraph and football for The Times.

Clive, who played tennis for Worcestershire for 13 years until 1974, wrote a book with Ann Jones following her 1969 Wimbledon triumph.

He also managed Jonah Barrington when he was world squash number one.

Taylor in his trademark 'upside down' glasses

The highlight of his career came in 1985 when, on the final black of the final frame, he beat Steve Davis to take the world title in front of 18 million TV viewers.

The Irishman turned professional in 1972. He reached the World Championship sem-finals in 1975 and 1977 before making the final in 1979, where he lost to Terry Griffiths.

Although he became one of the most consistent players on the circuit, a major title eluded him until he won the Rothman's Grand Prix title in 1984.

He never quite matched the heights of his famous triumph over Davis in Sheffield, but did win the 1987 Masters title and remained in the world's top 16 until 1994, having entered it in 1976.

The Entertainer: John Virgo

A former under-16 and under-19 champion, he turned professional in 1977, and reached the semi-finals of that season's UK Championship.

In 1979 he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship where he lost to Dennis Taylor, but ended the season with a career-highest ranking of 10th.

He claimed the UK Championship crown in the same year, beating Terry Griffiths 14-13 in the final, but that proved to be the pinnacle of his playing career.

He reached two ranking-event semis in 1982, and the last four of the British Open in 1986, but subsequently dropped down the rankings and finally quit the circuit in 1994.

John has remained a big exhibition draw, however, thanks to his reputation as one of the game's great entertainers.

A former WPBSA chairman, he found his niche on national TV in the mid-1990s with the BBC's snooker gameshow Big Break, and is a regular commentator on its snooker coverage.