SNOOKER legend Willie Thorne’s children and his widow are “locked in a bitter row over his ashes and favorite cue”.
Thorne’s second spouse, former Miss Nice Britain Jill Thorne, desires to public sale the cue for the legend’s favorite most cancers charity.
Willie Thorne (left) pictured along with his ex-wife Jill (proper)Credit score: Rex Options
Willie’s youngsters from his first spouse Fiona ‘need the cue to stay within the household’
In response to the Mirror, Willie’s children from his first marriage, twins Tristan and Kieran and daughter Tahli need the cue to “stay within the household”.
Jill’s plan is to public sale the cue for the charity 20-20 Voice Most cancers, a charity that Willie turned a patron of following the demise of his brother Malcolm from throat most cancers.
The Leicestershire native stated: “His youngsters stated they needed the cue again which I perceive, however he had bequeathed it to me.”
She stated that Willie can be “mortified” if he knew in regards to the dispute between his widow and youngsters including: “He would adore it being bought off for charity”.
Willie’s first spouse Fiona instructed the Mirror: “There’s some controversy as we needed the cue to stay within the household.
“Willie was emphatic he needed Tristan and never Jill to take care of his affairs when he died, and there are a number of witnesses to that.
“He was not very eager for Jill to have any involvement.
“My household wouldn’t be supportive of Jill promoting the cue and won’t be stating something to that impact. They weren’t Willie’s final needs.”
Jill break up from Willie final 12 months after returning to the UK from Spain with a extreme chest an infection and was unable to attend his funeral when he handed away final June.
‘IT WAS HURTFUL’
The mum stated that she needed to carry a memorial within the UK for the snooker legend and scatter his ashes.
Nevertheless, in line with the widow, Willie’s youngsters introduced house his ashes after the funeral which was held close to his house on the Costa Blanca close to Torrevieja, in south-eastern Spain.
Jill, from Stoke Golding, instructed the Mirror: “It was hurtful that we had no ashes.
“We don’t know if they’ve been scattered, buried or what, which is kind of unhappy.”
She added: “I used to be subsequent of kin. When he turned very ailing, he handed away in a short time.
“We might converse day-after-day on the telephone, he stated he needed me to have the cue.
“He needed his son to take care of his monetary affairs solely after his demise, as he didn’t need me to deal with his money owed any extra.
“He needed me totally concerned with every little thing else and I agreed. We liked one another unconditionally to the top.”
The 66-year-old snooker legend died from sepsis after being identified with leukaemia earlier this 12 months.
Jill, a speech and language therapist, met Willie when she labored int the gamers’ lounge on the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield in 1992.
Thorne turned a family title within the snooker world within the Eighties and reached the quarter-finals of the World Snooker Championship in 1982 and 1986.
He was an enormous character inside the recreation and was a part of the 1986 single “Snoopy Crazy” which written and carried out by Chas & Dave.
Tahli, Willie’s daughter, declined to remark when approached by the Mirror.
Willie and Jill met in 1992 nevertheless the couple divorced in 2019Credit score: Rex Options