Jim Donnelly, the Scottish snooker player and coach, died on February 24, 2026, aged 79.
Born in Edinburgh on June 13, 1946, he won the Scottish Amateur Snooker Championship in 1978, beating Eddie McLaughlin 6–4 in the final. He was accepted as a professional by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in 1981.
The following year, he defeated Matt Gibson and Eddie Sinclair 9–8 in qualifying for the 1982 World Snooker Championship, becoming the first Scottish player to reach the main stage at the Crucible Theatre. He lost 10–5 to Ray Reardon in the first round and was ranked 29th in the world for the 1982–83 season.
Jim Donnelly (13 June 1946 – 24 February 2026) was a Scottish professional snooker player and coach.