Barry West
{{short description|English snooker player (1958–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox snooker player
|name = Barry West
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1958|10|24}}
|birth_place = Wickersley, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
|death_date = {{death date and age|2022|12|15|1958|10|24|df=y}}
|death_place =
| Sport country = {{ENG}}
| Professional = 1985–1997
| High ranking = 21 (1989–1990)
| Official maximums =
| Best finish = Quarter-final (x3)
| Ranking wins =
| World champ =
}}
Barry West (24 October 1958 – 15 December 2022) was an English professional snooker player.
Biography
Barry West was born on 24 October 1958, in Wickersley, England, and became a professional snooker player in 1985.{{cite book |last1=Hayton |first1=Eric |last2=Dee |first2=John |date=2004 |title=The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History |publisher=Rose Villa Publications |location=Lowestoft |isbn=9780954854904 |pages=997–998}}{{cite book |last=Morrison |first=Ian |date=1988 |title=Hamlyn Who's Who in Snooker |location=London |publisher=Hamlyn |isbn=978-0-600-55713-5 |page=117 }} At the end of his first season he achieved a world ranking of number 30. The following season, he defeated former world champion John Spencer in the final round of qualifying to make his debut at The Crucible at the 1987 World Snooker Championship. In the first round he faced another former world champion, as Ray Reardon beat him 10-5.
The following season, he reached the semi-final of the English Professional Championships, recording a break of 134 to win the top break prize. He returned to The Crucible for the 1988 World Snooker Championship, but lost in the first round 10-8 to Doug Mountjoy.{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Terry|author-link= |date=1988 |title=Benson and Hedges Snooker Year |url= |location= |publisher= Pelham Books |page= 55 |isbn=0-7207-1830-9}}
During his career he reached the quarter-finals of ranking tournaments three times. At the 1985 UK Championship, West lost 1–9 in the quarter-finals to Steve Davis;{{cite news |last=Friskin |first=Sydney |title=Snooker: The master teaches new boy a lesson |work=The Times |date=28 November 1985 |page=23}} the 1988 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 Griffiths. He also reached the semi-finals of the 1988 English Professional Championship, losing 6–9 to Neal Foulds.
West finished the 1996/1997 season ranked 179th, and was relegated from the tour as only the top 64 players automatically retained their professional status.{{cite magazine |title=WPBSA world rankings 1996–97 |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=June 1997 |publisher=Everton's News Agency |location=Birmingham |pages=28–30 }}
West made a return to competition in qualifying for the 2010 World Snooker Championship, but was defeated in his first match, 1–5 by Del Smith.{{cite web |title=Barry West |url=https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=502&season=2013 |publisher=Snooker.org |access-date=3 November 2023 |archive-date=27 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327103407/https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=502&season=2013 |url-status=live }} He entered the 2012 World Seniors Championship, winning three matches to qualify for the last 16, where he lost 2–0 to Dene O'Kane.{{cite web|title=World Seniors Championship Qualifiers (2012)|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=241|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=14 September 2012|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023051323/http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=241|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Wyldecrest Park Homes World Seniors Championship (2012)|url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=196|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=14 September 2012|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023120337/http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=196|url-status=live}} He also participated in the 2013 event, but lost his first match in the qualifying competition 1–2 to Les Dodd.{{cite web|title=888casino.com World Seniors Championship Qualifiers (2013)|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=304|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=30 August 2013|archive-date=6 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006230317/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=304|url-status=live}}
West died in December 2022, at the age of 64.{{cite news |title=Barry West Passes Away |url=https://wst.tv/barry-west-passes-away/ |access-date=16 December 2022 |publisher=WST |date=16 December 2022 |archive-date=16 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216142903/https://wst.tv/barry-west-passes-away/ |url-status=dead }}
References
{{Reflist}}
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