I became snooker world champion defying 150/1 odds despite being an aspiring popstar labelled 'Mr Nobody'

Shocks don't come much bigger than a former gas engineer and aspiring pop star defeating snooker great Steve Davis to become world champion.

Joe Johnson was the man who had fans glued to their TVs back in 1986, as the jobbing dad-of-six - who had spent time working as a mechanic and for British Gas as a pipe layer - shocked then three-time world champ Steve Davis to lift the biggest prize in the sport. Johnson had started the tournament as a rank outsider - with bookies even offering odds of 150/1, and he'd never previously progressed past the first round stage at the tournament.

But after he got that first win, there was no stopping the Bradford man who - sporting multi-coloured shoes, battled through the pain barrier to cause one of the biggest shocks of the 80s. After finally ending his winless run at the Worlds with a 10-3 victory against Dave Martin, Johnson had been seeded to face reigning champ Dennis Taylor in the second round. But Taylor had been knocked out by Mike Hallett, and Johnson got the better of the giantkiller with a 13-6 success.

Next up was a clash with his bogey player Terry Griffiths, in what became a last eight epic. Playing attacking snooker from the off, Johnson led 9-7 after two sessions, but Griffiths responded strongly to move three ahead with a possible four to play. An ingrowing cyst on Johnson's back caused him to almost quit while 7-5 in front, before gritting his teeth and carrying on. When the going got tough Joe really made his mark, as he won the final four frames - and clocked up two centuries along the way to take the tie 13-12. Suddenly anyone with money on the rank outsider was daring to dream.

Fourth seed Tony Knowles was comfortably dispatched in the semi-finals, with Johnson's