▁professional ▁s no oker ▁player . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁West ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁turning ▁professional ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁enjoyed ▁some ▁success ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁twelve ▁years , ▁reaching ▁the ▁last ▁ 3 2 ▁of ▁a ▁ranking ▁tournament ▁on ▁fifteen ▁occasions , ▁the ▁last ▁ 1 6 ▁on ▁five ▁and ▁progress ing ▁to ▁three ▁quarter - final s . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁UK ▁Championship , ▁West ▁lost ▁ 1 – 9 ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final ▁to ▁Steve ▁Davis ; ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁International ▁Open ▁finished ▁in ▁a ▁ 2 – 5 ▁loss ▁to ▁Jimmy ▁White , ▁and ▁the ▁UK ▁Championship ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁ended ▁for ▁West ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 – 9 ▁defeat ▁to ▁Terry ▁Griff ith s . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁reached ▁the ▁semi - final ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁English ▁Professional ▁Championship , ▁losing ▁ 6 – 9 ▁to ▁Ne al ▁F ould s . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁West ' s ▁form ▁decl ined , ▁and ▁he ▁fell ▁to ▁ 6 6 th ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁rank ings ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 / 1 9 9 3 ▁season ; ▁he ▁finished ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 6 / 1 9 9 7 ▁season ▁ranked ▁ 1 7 9 th , ▁and ▁was ▁re leg ated ▁from ▁the ▁tour ▁aged ▁ 3 8 . ▁