Everton 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, and he worked alongside Ted Lowe and Jack Karnehm in the boom years of the 1980s, before becoming lead commentator in the 1990s.

Hendon told WST, external how his friend developed a unique style.

“His commentaries were notable for his crisp, spare, pinpoint use of language, with not a word wasted. He only spoke when necessary,” he said.

“When he did, it was worth hearing. ‘Warning: genius at work,’ was how he once summed up a Jimmy White century.

“Ray Reardon six times world champion in the 70s, Steve Davis six times in the 80s, but it’s a magnificent seven times for Stephen Hendry in the 90s,’ he said as Hendry triumphed in 1999. ‘Amazing, astonishing, astounding,’ was his summation of Shaun Murphy’s shock capture of the 2005 world title.”

As a player, Everton reached the 1975 and 1977 world amateur billiards semi-finals and rose to ninth in the world billiards rankings and 47th in snooker.

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

Everton, 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.