World Professional Match-play Championship

Snooker was developed in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India.{{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|isbn=978-0-9548549-0-4 |page=1}} Professional English billiards player and billiard hall manager Joe Davis had noticed the increasing popularity of snooker compared to billiards in the 1920s, and with Birmingham-based billiards equipment manager Bill Camkin, persuaded the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC) to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season.{{cite ODNB |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=23 September 2004 |title=Davis, Joseph [Joe] |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31013 |access-date=11 May 2020 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903050418/https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 |archive-date=3 September 2019 |url-status=live}} In 1927, the final of the first professional snooker championship was held at Camkin's Hall; Davis won the tournament by beating Tom Dennis in the final.{{cite book |last=Morrison |first=Ian |date=1987 |title=The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker |publisher=Hamlyn Publishing Group |location=London |isbn=978-0-600-55604-6 |pages=27–30}} The annual competition was not titled the World Championship until 1935,{{cite news |title=Snooker championship |work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |date=11 May 1927 |access-date=12 March 2019 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19270511/425/0020 |page=20 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Billiards – Professional title |work=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |date=3 November 1934 |accessdate=24 November 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19341103/342/0007 |page=7 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} but the 1927 tournament is now referred to as the first World Snooker Championship.{{cite book |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=1993 |title=The Embassy Book of World Snooker |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |isbn=978-0-7475-1610-1 |pages=11–13}}{{cite web |title=History of snooker – a timeline |url=https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-date=7 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107025119/https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ |url-status=live }}

In 1952, the World Professional Match-play Championship was created following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the BACC.{{cite news |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F1tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5966%2C3977587 |date=19 February 1952 |page=2 |title=World Snooker Title |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=12 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312050745/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F1tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5966%2C3977587 |url-status=live }} In response to player complaints that the BACC was taking too large a percentage of income from the tournament, the BACC claimed that the championship "has always been, and in theory is to be, regarded as an affair of honour and a test of merit", and that "every effort is made to arrange terms advantageous to the professionals competing in the championship, compatible with securing an equitable return for the promoters of it, the B.A.& C.C."{{cite magazine |title=The B.A.& C.C. and the world's professional snooker championship |magazine=The Billiard Player |publisher=Billiards Association and Control Council |date=November 1951 |pages =4–8}}{{cite news|last=Everton|first=Clive|title=Neil Robertson set to rewrite history as first genuine Australian world champion|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/apr/30/world-snooker-championship-neil-robertson-shaun-murphy|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 May 2012|location=London|date=30 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330222054/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/apr/30/world-snooker-championship-neil-robertson-shaun-murphy|archive-date=2014-03-30|url-status=live}} The PBPA members established an alternative competition which became known as the World Professional Match-play Championship,{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Luke |last2=Gadsby |first2=Paul |date=2005 |title=Masters of the Baize |location=Edinburgh |publisher=Mainstream |isbn=978-1-84018-872-1 |pages=47–55}} and which was perceived by most snooker followers as the genuine title competition.{{cite book|last=Everton |first=Clive |date=1986 |title=The History of Snooker and Billiards|publisher=Partridge Press |location=Haywards Heath |isbn=978-1-85225-013-3 |pages=59–63}} Editions of the World Professional Match-play Championship are now recognised as official world championships.

Only two of the leading professional players, Horace Lindrum and Clark McConachy, had declined to join the PBPA, and they were the only two entrants to the BACC's 1952 World Snooker Championship.{{cite book |last=Lowe |first=Ted |title=Between frames |year=1984 |publisher=A & C Black |location=London| isbn=978-0-7136-2446-5 |pages=44–46}} Lindrum won their match, and therefore the title, 94-49 after {{cuegloss|dead frame|dead frames}}. The other professionals at the time, with the exception of Joe Davis who had retired from world title competitions, entered the PBPA's 1952 World Professional Match-play Championship.{{cite magazine |last=Everton |first=Clive |title=Snooker 1945–1957: from boom to bust |magazine=Snooker Scene |location=Birmingham |date=October 2019 |pages=19–23}} There were ten participants, and the two finalists in the 1951 World Snooker Championship, Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson, were given byes to the semi-final stage in opposite halves of the draw. The remaining eight contenders played two rounds to determine the other two semi-finalists.{{cite news |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-VtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GosMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2202%2C3040916 |date=4 October 1951 |page=7 |title="World" Snooker Draw |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=18 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918142157/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-VtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GosMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2202%2C3040916 |url-status=live }} Davis won the final against Donaldson, finishing the last day at 38–35 after achieving a winning margin at 37–30.{{cite news |author= |title=Leeds billiards player in title semi-final |work=Bradford Observer |date=17 March 1952 |page=6 }}{{cite book |last=Kobylecky |first=John |date=2019 |title=The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018 |publisher=Kobyhadrian Books |isbn=978-0-9931433-1-1 |pages=198–200}}

At the second edition, in 1953, Davis and Donaldson were again the finalists,{{cite web |title=Embassy World Championship |url=http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=36 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124071753/http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=36 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |publisher=Snooker Scene |access-date=9 May 2012}} and were level at 33–33 in the final, before Davis won 37–34.{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=30 March 1953 |page=2 |title=Professional snooker}} The pair also faced each other in the 1954 final, which Davis won 45–26. Even before losing the match, Donaldson declared that he would not enter the championship again, saying he could not give enough time to the practice he felt was necessary.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JVtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5IsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1577%2C591821 |title=Snooker and Billiards |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=4 |date=5 March 1954 |access-date=30 November 2017 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430221918/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JVtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5IsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1577,591821 |url-status=live }}

Davis retained the title in 1955, taking a decisive lead of 37–34 against John Pulman in the final, and 38–35 after the remaining dead frames were played.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q0pAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=clkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2979%2C2382485 |title=Snooker & billiards |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=11 |date=21 March 1955 |access-date=13 December 2015 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222174038/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=q0pAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=clkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2979%2C2382485 |url-status=live}} There were only four entries to the 1956 World Professional Match-play Championship, Pulman led 31–29 at the end of the penultimate day of the best-of-73-frames final,{{cite news |title=Pulman two ahead with 13 to go |work=Lancashire Evening Post |date=10 March 1956 |page=6}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zWlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X5UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5276%2C1224511 |title=Snooker & billiards |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=7 |date=10 March 1956 |access-date=22 March 2016 |archive-date=4 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704145908/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zWlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X5UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5276%2C1224511 |url-status=live }} but Davis won five of the six frames in the afternoon session to lead 34–32 and added three of the first four frames in the evening to achieve a winning margin at 37–33. After dead frames, the final score was 38–35.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zmlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X5UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4117%2C1320931 |title=Played on Saturday |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=11 |date=12 March 1956 |access-date=13 December 2015 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222174401/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zmlAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X5UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4117%2C1320931 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=12 March 1956 |page=16 |title=Snooker champion}}

Having won the first five editions of the World Professional Match-play Championship, Davis didn't participate in 1957, which again attracted only four competitors. The 1957 tournament was held in Jersey and was won by Pulman, who defeated Jackie Rea 39–34 in the final. The only significant press coverage of the tournament was in the Jersey Evening Post. After this, the event was discontinued due to a decline in the popularity of snooker.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Chris|title=World Professional Championship|url=http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416080933/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html|archive-date=16 April 2013|website=Chris Turner's Snooker Archive|access-date=24 February 2011}} There were no new players turning professional between Rex Williams in 1951 and John Spencer in 1967.{{cite magazine |title=Spencer turns professional |magazine=Billiards and Snooker |publisher=Billiards Association and Control Council |date=March 1967 |page=11}} Clive Everton wrote in 2019 that "only very few permutations could be made from such a limited cast of players. The contests between them were devoid of bite, variety, surprise or any sense of occasion or importance." The events from 1952 to 1957 are regarded as world championships by World Snooker, but later events with similar titles are not.{{cite web|title=History of the World Snooker Championship|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0,,13165~2306123,00.html|website=World Snooker |access-date=30 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315202302/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0%2C%2C13165~2306123%2C00.html|archive-date=15 March 2011|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.wpbsa.com/about/world-snooker-tour/ |title=World Snooker Tour |author= |website=wpbsa.com |publisher=WPBSA |access-date=28 April 2020 |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511020557/https://www.wpbsa.com/about/world-snooker-tour/ |url-status=live }}

The BACC announced in September 1969 that "The BA & CC and Professional Billiard Players Association have reached agreement regarding procedure for turning professional and other events governed by the BA & CC."{{cite magazine |author= |title=B.A. & C.C. Official |page=8 |magazine=Billiards and Snooker |publisher=Billiards Association and Control Council |location=London |date=September 1969}} However, following a dispute about the terms for a challenge match for the World Professional Billiards Championship, the PBPA disassociated itself from the BACC from 1 October 1970,{{cite magazine |author= |title=Untitled article |page=4 |magazine=Billiards and Snooker |publisher=Billiards Association and Control Council |location=London |date=October 1970}} and was renamed the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) on 12 December 1970.{{cite book |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=2012 |title=Black farce and cue ball wizards |publisher=Mainstream |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-78057-568-1}}{{rp|45}} The 1976 World Professional Match-play Championship was promoted by professional player Eddie Charlton in Melbourne, with WPBSA approval. Charlton defeated Ray Reardon 31–24 in the final.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Chris|title=World Matchplay|url=http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/matchplay.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228200020/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/matchplay.html|archive-date=28 February 2012|website=Chris Turner's Snooker Archive|access-date=14 March 2011}}

The WPBSA refused to sanction a similar event in 1977 but in April 1978 they did agree to an event to be played in Australia in March 1979. Mike Watterson, the promoter of the World Championship, expressed disapproval for the event since there had been some confusion over which was the authentic World championship.{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=2 May 1978 |page=6 |title=Snooker – Confusion over two world events feared}} Charlton was unable to find a sponsor and the event was cancelled.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136982344 |title=Snooker titles cancelled |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=53 |issue=15,862 |date=26 February 1979 |access-date=12 March 2016 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=29 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929091008/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136982344 |url-status=live }} Charlton made another attempt to organise the event in January 1981 but this again failed because of the lack of a sponsor.{{cite news |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Sf9jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2276%2C4461184 |date=10 November 1980 |page=27 |title=Eddie Snookered |access-date=11 March 2016 |archive-date=13 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313023642/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Sf9jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2276%2C4461184 |url-status=live }}

In July 1968, Williams and Charlton played a match, sanctioned by the BACC, billed as the World Open Match Play Snooker Championship. It was a challenge by Charlton for the World Open Snooker Championship title won in 1967 by Williams.{{cite magazine |last=Fryer |first=Bob |title=World Open Match Play Championship: Eddie Charlton 43, Rex Williams 30 |magazine=Billiards and Snooker |publisher=Billiards Association and Control Council |date=October 1968 |page=18}}

In 1988, Barry Hearn promoted an invitational tournament, called the World Matchplay, for the top twelve players in the provisional rankings. It was held in the UK annually until 1992, and the 1988 event was the first snooker tournament to offer a six-figure winner's prize, £100,000.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Chris|title=World Matchplay|url=http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/matchplay.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228200020/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/matchplay.html|archivedate=28 February 2012|website=Chris Turner's Snooker Archive|accessdate=21 July 2021}}

{{reflist}}

{{World Professional Match-play Championship}}

{{World Snooker Championship}}

{{World snooker champions}}

{{Snooker tournaments}}

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1952

Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1976

Category:1952 establishments in England

Category:1976 disestablishments in England

Category:Defunct snooker competitions