1930 World Snooker Championship

Professional snooker tournament 1930 World Snooker Championship 1930 03 17 1930 05 23 y yes Thurston's Hall London England BACC Joe Davis ENG (79) Joe Davis ENG Tom Dennis ENG 25–12 1929 1931 The 1930 World Snooker Championship, known at the time as the Professional Championship of Snooker, was a snooker tournament held between 17 March and 23 May 1930 at various venues in England, with the final taking place from 19 to 24 May at Thurston's Hall, London. Defending champion Joe Davis won the title for the fourth time by defeating Tom Dennis by 25 frames to 12 in the final. It was the fourth edition of the World Snooker Championship organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council. Six players participated in the tournament. One first round match was held at Newman's Club, London, and the venue for the other first round match and the semi-finals was Camkin's Hall, Birmingham. The highest break of the tournament was 79, a new championship record, compiled by Davis in the 12th frame of the final. Davis won both of his matches in the tournament by margins that meant the last day of play scheduled was not required. It was the third time in four years that Dennis was runner-up. Background 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 billiard hall manager Bill Camkin, who had also seen snooker's increasing appeal, persuaded the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC) to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season.Everton Clive 23 September 2004 Davis, Joseph [Joe] https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 10.1093/ref:odnb/31013 11 May 2020 subscription https://web.archive.org/web/20190903050418/https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31013 3 September 2019 live The inaugural event was won by Davis, who defeated Tom Dennis 20–11 in the final.Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 0747516103 11–13 Originally called the Professional Championship of Snooker, the annual competition was not titled the World Championship until 1935,Billiards – Professional title Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 3 November 1934 24 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19341103/342/0007 7 British Newspaper Archive subscription but the 1927 tournament is now referred to as the first World Snooker Championship.History of snooker – a timeline https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 29 May 2021 The 1930 Championship was the fourth staging of the championship, the three previous editions all having been won by Davis.Morrison Ian 1987 The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker Twickenham Hamlyn Publishing Group 0600556042 161–164 revised The closing date for entries for the 1930 tournament was 30 November 1929. The entry fee was set at five guineas per player (UK 5 5 0 1930 eq £), with a five guineas sidestake required for each match.The Professional snooker championship of snooker The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford November 1929 27 All matches apart from the final were to be best of 25 frame frames, played over three days, with the final contested over 49 frames across six days, an increase from 33 the previous year.Thorn A. Stanley Notes from headquarters: Professional snooker championship The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford November 1929 2 The championship conditions stipulated that Thurston's Hall was to be the venue for the final, which was expected to take place straight after the conclusion of the Professional Championship of English Billiards. For pre-final matches, the players concerned were to arrange the dates and venues. Entry fees would be used to provide prize money for the finalists, with 60 per cent going to the champion, and gate receipts for each match would be divided equally, after expenses (including 2.5 per cent of the gross receipts for the BACC), between the two players concerned. There were six entries for the Championship: Joe Davis, Tom Newman, Alec Mann, Fred Lawrence, Tom Dennis and Nat Butler.Thorn A. Stanley Notes from headquarters: championship matters The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford January 1930 4 The draw for the competition was made on 14 January 1930 at the BACC's offices in Cecil Chambers, Strand, London.Thorn A. Stanley Notes from headquarters: professional snooker championship The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford February 1930 3 The two first round matches were between Mann and Lawrence, and Newman and Butler. Davis and Dennis received byes into the semi-finals. Summary First round thumb|3 Circus Road, St John's Wood (pictured in 2009), formerly the location of Newman's Club. Newman met Butler at Newman's Club in St John's Wood, London. Butler was 3–1 ahead after the first afternoon session, but Newman took all four frames in the evening to lead 5–3 on the first day.Sheffield Independent 18 March 1930 10 Professional SnookerThe Times 21 March 1930 7 Professional Snooker After the next afternoon session, Newman was still two frames clear at 7–5, and he won all four frames in the evening to make it 11–5.Newman winning Birmingham Daily Gazette 19 March 1930 10 There was just one session on the following two days. Butler won all four frames on the third day and then won the first four frames on the final day to win 13–11. Lawrence and Alec Mann played their first round match in Birmingham.Thornton W. W. Fine snooker by F. Lawrence Birmingham Daily Gazette 18 March 1930 10 After taking the first frame, Lawrence won the second by over 100 point points, and the third on a re-spotted black. Lawrence won all eight frames on the first day, playing cautiously, including taking two and a half minutes deliberating over a particular shot. On the second afternoon, with Lawrence seemingly lacking the level of concentration that he had shown the previous day, Mann won all four frames.Good recovery by Alec Mann Birmingham Daily Gazette 19 March 1930 10 The players shared the four frames in an evening session that lasted nearly two and a half hours, ending with Lawrence Lawrence 10–6 ahead.Professional snooker Sheffield Independent 19 March 1930 18 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001464/19300319/264/0010 10 British Newspaper Archive subscription Playing confidently, Mann won all four frames of the final afternoon to level the match at 10–10, including the twentieth which he won on the final black ball after Lawrence had failed in an attempt to pot it. Lawrence took the first three frames in the evening to progress to the semi-finals 13–11.Thornton W. W. Professional snooker Birmingham Daily Gazette 20 March 1930 1 December 2017 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19300320/227/0010 10 British Newspaper Archive subscription Semi-finals The first semi-final commenced on 23 April. Davis won the first four frames against Lawrence in 65 minutes, compiling break breaks of 58, 50, 48, 44 and 37 in the process. W.W. Thornton wrote in the Birmingham Daily Gazette that this was "a performance which I can not recollect having been equalled by Davis himself or any other player under championship conditions, and described Lawrence during the session as "an amazed spectator." This was followed by Davis winning all four of the first day's evening frames to lead 8–0.Thornton W. W. Snooker champion in form Birmingham Daily Gazette 24 April 1930 10 Although Davis did not play to the same standard on the second afternoon, he again took all four frames for 12–0, playing some shots with his left hand rather than his normal right.Thornton W. W. Davis's easy snooker win Birmingham Daily Gazette 25 April 1930 10 The thirteenth frame was won by Lawrence, who added the fourteenth by winning it on the final black ball before Davis secured victory at 13–2 with a day to spare.Joe Davis Nottingham Evening Post 25 April 1930 20 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19300425/023/0007 7 British Newspaper Archive subscription On the 25th, the pair played exhibition matches of billiards, over 75 minutes with Davis to win only if he scored twice as many points as Lawrence, and snooker. Davis won the afternoon billiards match 571–271, but lost the evening one (under the conditions agreed) by outscoring Lawrence 578–368, and won both frames of snooker played in each session.Davis v Fred Lawrence Birmingham Daily Gazette 26 April 1930 10 Butler won the first two frames of his semi-final against Dennis on 1 May, with the first session ending level at 2–2. The pattern was repeated in the second session, with Butler taking a 4–2 lead then Dennis equalising.Snooker title Birmingham Daily Gazette 2 May 1930 10 Dennis held a 10–6 lead after the second day.T.A. Dennis to meet Joe Davis Birmingham Daily Gazette 5 May 1930 9 The first three frames of the final day were won by Butler to close to 9–10, before Dennis won the twentieth frame. In the concluding session, Dennis increased his lead to 12–9, then butler won the 22nd frame by a single point and added the next to move within one frame. Dennis secured victory at 13–11 by winning the 24th frame 60–34. On 17 May, Davis won the Professional Championship of English Billiards for the third year in a row, defeating Newman 20,918–20,117 at Thurston's Hall.Billiards: Davis retains the championship The Times 19 May 1930 4 C.E.M. The professional championship The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford June 1930 4 Final The final was scheduled to be played from Monday 19 May to Saturday 24 May and was over 49 frames.The professional championship of snooker The Billiard Player W. G. Clifford June 1930 30–31 Davis had won the title each year since the championship's inception in 1927, whilst Dennis had been the runner-up in two of those three years.Snooker title Sheffield Daily Telegraph 20 May 1930 9 There were eight frames played each day with four frames in the afternoon and four in the evening (five on the final day). The match was held at Thurston's Hall. Davis led 6–2 at the end of the first day, winning both sessions 3–1.Professional Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 20 May 1930 17 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19300520/465/0019 19 British Newspaper Archive subscription The report in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph stated that Davis had been "very lucky" to win three of the four evening frames, despite the high standard of his potting, as Dennis' tactical play represented "clever snooker." Davis won all four frames on the second afternoon but the evening session was split 2–2 to leave Davis 12–4 ahead. In the last frame of the afternoon session Davis scored a championship record break of 79.Turner Chris World Professional Championship http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html https://web.archive.org/web/20130416080933/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html 16 April 2013 cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Chris Turner's Snooker Archive 9 February 20111931 World Professional Championship http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/31world.htm globalsnookercentre.co.uk Global Snooker Centre 29 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20060517050555/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/31world.htm 17 May 2006Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 21 May 1930 17 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19300521/517/0018 18 British Newspaper Archive subscription The Sheffield Daily Telegraph account of the match praised Davis' potting and positional play.Snooker title Sheffield Daily Telegraph 21 May 1930 7 On the third day, Davis won the afternoon session 3–1, and after the players shared the frames in the evening session, Davis led 17–7 overnight.Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 22 May 1930 17 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19300522/404/0019 19 British Newspaper Archive subscription Each player won two frames on the fourth afternoon session but Davis won three in evening to lead 22–10.Snooker Championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 23 May 1930 17 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19300523/390/0016 16 British Newspaper Archive subscription The fifth afternoon session was shared to leave Davis 24–12, needing just one more frame, with Davis recording a 70 break in the second frame of the day. Davis took the first frame in the evening to win 25–12, winning a day early and claiming the title for the fourth time.Snooker Championship – Won by Davis for fourth successive year Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligence 24 May 1930 17 November 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19300524/600/0022 22 British Newspaper Archive subscription Davis retains snooker title Dundee Courier 24 May 1930 9 The championship trophy and medals were presented by John C. Bisset, chairman of the BACC. Schedule +1930 World Snooker Championship schedule Match Dates Venue, city Ref. Tom Newman v Nat Butler 17–20 March 1930 Newman's Club, London The Times 18 March 1930 7 Professional Snooker Fred Lawrence v Alec Mann 17–19 March 1930 Camkin's Hall, Birmingham Joe Davis v Fred Lawrence 23–25 April 1930The match was concluded on the second of the three scheduled days Camkin's Hall, Birmingham Tom Dennis v Nat Butler 1–3 May 1930 Camkin's Hall, Birmingham Joe Davis v Tom Dennis 19–24 May 1930The match was concluded on the fifth of the six scheduled days Thurston's Hall, London Main draw Match results are shown below. Winning players and scores are denoted in bold text. no Round 1 Best of 25 frames Semi-finals Best of 25 frames FinalBest of 49 frames Fred Lawrence ENG 13 Alec Mann ENG 10 Tom Newman ENG 11 Nat Butler SCO 13 ENG Joe Davis 13 ENG Fred Lawrence 2 ENG Tom Dennis 13 SCO Nat Butler 11 ENG Joe Davis 25 ENG Tom Dennis 12 Final Final: Best of 49 frames.Thurston's Hall, Leicester Square in London, England, 19–23 May 1930. Joe Davis 25–12 Tom Dennis Day 1: 43–57, 70–42, 56–37, 81–28, 55–57, 70–25, 88–43, 63–20Day 2: 76–26, 68–37, 56–48, 104–19 (79), 58–75, 83–29, 84–36, 32–73Day 3: 48–53, 100–13, 102–22, 58–38, 29–57, 83–25, 37–86, 81–33Day 4: 12–84, 65–49, 85–24, 37–80, 75–27, 56–43, 41–50, 96–37Day 5: 55–62, 93–39 (70), 25–72, 70–57, 74–33 Notes References 1930 World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship World Snooker Championship, 1930