Dave Harold
A tenacious and gritty competitor from Stoke who carved out a 25-year career by beating the very best on his own stubborn terms.
Born 1966 (age 60)·English snooker player·Birthday: December 9·Generation X
Biography
Dave Harold emerged from the potting sheds of Stoke-on-Trent to become a fixture on the professional snooker tour for a quarter-century. Known as 'The Hard Man' for his resilient, grinding style, he was a qualifier's nightmare and a giant-killer who thrived on upsetting the established order. His breakthrough came in 1993 when he won the Asian Open as a 150-1 outsider, defeating the likes of Stephen Hendry. While never capturing a ranking title at the prestigious UK or World Championship level, his consistency and tactical nous kept him in the world's top 32 for extended periods. Harold's career is a testament to the sheer durability and mental fortitude required to survive at the sport's highest level without the flair of its superstars.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dave was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1993 Asian Open, a ranking event, as a 150-1 underdog, beating Stephen Hendry in the semi-finals.
- Reached the semi-finals of the 1996 UK Championship, one of snooker's 'Triple Crown' events.
- Defeated then-world number one Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round of the 2008 World Championship.
Did You Know?
He was known for using a unique, homemade rest extension nicknamed 'The Lollipop'.
He turned professional in 1991 after winning the English Amateur Championship.
His nickname 'The Stoke Potter' is a nod to his hometown's pottery industry and his craft on the table.
“You have to earn the right to play the shot.”
