Six words, spoken at 1.40am, confirmed Terry Griffiths’ place in the nation’s heart: ‘I’m in the final now, you know.’ Forty years ago, months after turning professional and on his first Crucible appearance, the giddy Griffiths spoke to revered BBC presenter David Vine. The Welshman, a former miner, bus conductor, postman and insurance agent, was overwhelmed and exhausted after reaching the 1979 world championship final after a gruelling 19-17 semi-final victory over Eddie Charlton. Forty years ago, months after turning professional, reached the World Championship final ‘I was there, but I didn’t know what day it was!’ Griffiths, (below) now 71, laughs. ‘Out of the blue I said it, and that became a very famous phrase for some reason. I suppose it was the accent and somebody coming off the street and getting in the final of the world championship. ‘A lot of people were hoping I was going to win, because that’s how they are in this country. They love an underdog.’ He qualified for his second tournament as a pro and watched the first-round draw in his front room. ‘The only two seeds left I could have played were Perrie Mans or Ray Reardon,’ he recalls. ‘I didn’t fancy the job against Ray. He was a tremendous player. He won it the year before and was my hero. ‘When I drew Perrie Mans, I was jumping up and down because I’d played him a few times in exhibitions. That set me on a good road, mentally. I absolutely couldn’t wait to get there.’ With only two professional tournaments a year, Griffiths wanted to get his face on television to increase exposure for the exhibition circuit. ‘The other 15 players were all wanting to win. I never thought of winning. I just wanted to play. It’s the best place in the world,’ he says. He won 13-8 against South African Mans to set up a quarter-final with Alex Higgins. The pair conjured a Crucible classic, a best-of-25 rollercoaster won by Griffiths in the deciding frame with a 107 break. Six words confirmed Terry Griffiths’ place in the nation’s heart: ‘I’m in the final now, you know.’ ‘It was so exciting when you played him,’ says Griffiths. ‘You never knew what he was going to do. He could walk out or he could play three frames when you wouldn’t see one shot. And all of a sudden he’ll have three frames where he leaves you balls all over the pocket. You never knew when he was going to be good or bad.’ Next up was Australian Charlton, who was now the favourite following Reardon’s exit. Griffiths recalls: ‘I was starting to fall apart a little bit, because I had never played so many frames, not even in practice. ‘Against Eddie I just lost my way. I was just so tired. I lost 14lb at the Crucible. I was not sleeping well, not eating much and being on the table all the time. I played well and went well in front, and then all of a sudden he came back at me to 17-17 and I won the last two.’ Griffiths was exhausted and after the first day of the three-day final, he was tied with Dennis Taylor 15-15. ‘It was monstrous, the first to 24!’ Griffiths says. ‘The next day when I went down to the practice table I couldn’t pot a ball. I went back to the hotel and just said to myself, “After all this time and work, all the practice, I know one thing for certain — I can either be a winner or a loser. I know which one I want to be”. ‘And somehow I just lifted myself up again. On the final day I played very, very well. I beat Dennis 9-1.’ With his 24-16 win, Griffiths became the first qualifier to win at the Crucible and was greeted in Llanelli by packed streets. ‘Everybody said to me, “Cor you play slow!”. I said, “What do you mean?”. I had no idea. So I watched the video and couldn’t believe how slow I was. It was just because I tried so hard but I changed and got a bit more aggressive.’ Griffiths' Cinderella story brought overnight fame, and he remembers the incredible period It was not the only thing that changed for Griffiths, whose Cinderella story brought overnight fame. ‘The only thing I didn’t like is that I used to be called Terry in my town. A lot of people knew me because I played amateur snooker. But everybody called me Terry Griffiths then. Nobody called me Terry. ‘When I was an insurance agent I earned £3,000 a year. That was a lot of money. The first year as a professional I had £75,000. £75,000! My wife and I were people brought up in council houses. And then all that money came in, we didn’t know what to do. In the end we spent a lot, of course!’ On his title defence in 1980, Griffiths lost at the first hurdle, with Steve Davis inflicting the first of seven Crucible defeats against the Welshman. Griffiths jokes: ‘I’m so pleased for him, that he kept knocking me about on the table! He’s a great friend, Steve, and a fabulous player. He dominated the game.’ The pair met in the 1988 final, a match most remembered for Griffiths knocking the World Snooker globe off its pedestal. ‘I turned round and knocked the trophy over. That wasn’t very good. That was the best shot I played throughout the final!’ Griffiths retired in 1997 after a 9-7 defeat by compatriot Mark Williams took his tally of frames at the Crucible to 999. ‘The Crucible either loves you or it kills you,’ he says. ‘There’s no place like it.’ All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility