1949 World Snooker Championship

April 2024 1949 World Snooker Championship 1949 02 21 1949 05 7 y Leicester Square Hall London England Billiards Association and Control Council Walter Donaldson SCO (115) Fred Davis ENG Walter Donaldson SCO 80–65 1948 1950 The 1949 World Snooker Championship was a snooker tournament held at Leicester Square Hall in London, England from 21 February to 7 May 1949, organised by the Billiards and Snooker Control Council. There were 12 entrants, of which eight participated in the main draw. Seven players were placed directly into the main draw. They were joined by Conrad Stanbury, who won the qualifying competition which was held from 10 to 19 February at the same venue. Stanbury won all three of his qualifying matches on the deciding frame. For the third successive year, the final was contested by Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson. Davis became the second player to successfully defend his first world title, after his brother Joe Davis in 1928, by defeating Donaldson 80–65 in the final. He had taken a winning lead of 73–58 on the previous day. The match was still in the balance with the score at 63–58 before Davis won 10 frames in a row to secure victory. Donaldson made the highest break of the tournament, 115, on the last day of his semi-final match against John Pulman. It followed his break of 100 in the previous frame, and was the first time that century breaks had been made in consecutive frames in competition. Background The World Snooker Championship is a professional tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker.Snooker championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 11 May 1927 12 March 2019 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19270511/425/0020 20 British Newspaper Archive subscription The sport was developed in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India.Hayton Eric Dee John 2004 The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History Rose Villa Publications 978-0-9548549-0-4 1 Professional English billiards player and billiard hall manager Joe Davis 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.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 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.Morrison Ian 1987 The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker Hamlyn Publishing Group London 978-0-600-55604-6 27–30 The annual competition was not titled the World Championship until the 1935 tournament,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 Canadian's bid for Snooker title Dundee Courier 20 October 1934 20 January 2016 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19341020/167/0009 9 British Newspaper Archive subscription but the 1927 tournament is now referred to as the first World Snooker Championship.Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 978-0-7475-1610-1 11–13History of snooker – a timeline https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 29 May 2021 Davis had also won the title every year from 1928 to 1940, after which the tournament was not held again until 1946 due to World War II.Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 978-1-85225-013-350–52 Fred Davis was the defending champion, having defeated Walter Donaldson 84–61 in the 1948 final. There were 12 entrants for the 1949 championship.World snooker draw Western Daily Press 8 October 1948 2 https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-world-snooker-draw/149608947/ Newspapers.com Seven players were placed in the main draw, to be joined by the winner of the five-player qualifying competition. Schedule thumb|alt=A snooker table with several rows of tiered seating around it|The Leicester Square Hall match room (pictured in 1903) +Schedule of matches for the 1949 World Snooker Championship Match Dates Venue, city Walter Donaldson v Conrad Stanbury 21–26 February 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Snooker Evening Despatch 21 February 1949 4 https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-despatch-snooker-title/143420823/ Newspaper.comDonaldson nears 100th 100 Sunday Mail 27 February 1949 15 Sidney Smith v Alec Brown 28 February–5 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Other results The Billiard Player March 1949 6 Fred Davis v Kingsley Kennerley 7–12 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Davis's good snooker start Nottingham Journal 8 March 1949 3Davis ousts Kennerley Northern Whig 12 March 1949 4 John Pulman v Albert Brown 14–19 March 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Pulman meets Albert Brown Belfast Telegraph 14 March 1949 5Pulman's winning margin Dundee Evening Telegraph 9 March 1949 8 Walter Donaldson v John Pulman 28 March–2 April 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Pulman misses chances Western Morning News 29 March 1949 3 https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-morning-news-pulman-misses-chanc/143422972/ Newspapers.comDonaldson beats John Pulman Western Morning News 4 April 1949 6 https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-morning-news-donaldson-beats-joh/143423389/ Newspapers.com Fred Davis v Sidney Smith 4–9 April 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Western Daily Press 5 April 1949 5 https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-daily-press-world-snooker-champi/143423733/ Newspapers.comFred Davis in final Sunday Sun 10 April 1949 8 https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-sun-fred-davis-in-final/143425273/ Newspapers.com Fred Davis v Walter Donaldson 25–30 April, 2–7 May 1949 Leicester Square Hall, London Joe tips Fred to hold his title Grimsby Evening Telegraph 25 April 1949 3 https://www.newspapers.com/article/grimsby-evening-telegraph-joe-tips-fred/143425694/ Newspapers.comDonaldson still leading in snooker final The Scotsman 2 May 1949 7Donaldson leads Evening Post Nottingham 2 May 1949 6 https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-donaldson-leads/143425908/ Newspapers.comFred Davis keeps Snooker title The North Wales Weekly News 12 May 1949 10 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-north-wales-weekly-news-fred-davis-k/137711892/ Newspapers.com Tournament summary Quarter-finals The quarter-finals were played over 71 frame frames. Walter Donaldson led Conrad Stanbury 4–2, 5–1 and 9–3, with four of his nine frames won on the final black ball.Donaldson forges ahead Dundee Courier 22 February 1949 4 He increased his lead to 18–6,Donaldson leads 18–6 Aberdeen Press and Journal 23 February 1949 4 and to 29–7.Donaldson races ahead Aberdeen Press and Journal 24 February 1949 4 On the fourth day of the match, Donaldson made a 104 break in the first frame, and finished the day 38–10 ahead, having secured a winning margin at 36–10.96th century break Belfast News-Letter 25 February 1949 4 On the penultimate day, Donaldson took eleven of the twelve frames played,Easy for Donaldson Dundee Courier 26 February 1949 4 and the final score was 58–13.Sports in brief: snooker The Times 28 February 1949 6 The reporter for The Billiard Player magazine wrote that Donaldson played "brilliant pots and almost audacious shots, some of which might never have been seen even in an exhibition match". Having taken an early lead, Sidney Smith defeated Alec Brown 41–30, having made the highest break of the match, 98.World Snooker Championship (professional 1948-9) The Billiard Player 3 April 1949Sports in brief: snooker The Times 7 March 1949 2 Fred Davis led Kingsley Kennerley 18–6 and 23–6, and secured a winning margin at 36–13. His 104 break during the afternoon session on 10 March was the highest of the match. Kennerley won five of the six frames on the last afternoon and finished 21–50 behind.Sports in brief: snooker The Times 14 March 1949 2 John Pulman established a winning lead of 36–24 on the penultimate day of his match against Albert Brown, to reach the semi-finals of the world championship for the first time.Pulman's winning lead Sports Argus 9 March 1949 4 https://www.newspapers.com/article/sports-argus-pulmans-winning-lead/143379615/ Newspapers.com 15 March 2024 15 March 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240315001334/https://www.newspapers.com/article/sports-argus-pulmans-winning-lead/143379615/ live After dead frames, the final score was 42–29.Sports in brief: snooker The Times 21 March 1949 6 Semi-finals The semi-finals were contested over 71 frames. Donaldson made breaks of 100 and 115 in successive frames against Pulman. It was the first time that century breaks had been made in consecutive frames in competition,Everton Clive Joe Davis and his century of centuries Snooker Scene August 2022 16 and the 115 was the highest break of the tournament.2004 Embassy World Championship Information http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/res_03_4/03_4worldinfo.htm Global Snooker Centre 7 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20041208092511/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/res_03_4/03_4worldinfo.htm 8 December 2004https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YVNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FosMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3845%2C6205671 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 2 4 April 1949 19 March 2016 30 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210430205455/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YVNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FosMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3845,6205671 live He achieved a winning margin by winning the first frame on 1 April to make it 36–13.Sports in brief: professional snooker The Times 2 April 1949 2 The eventual score was 49–22. Smith and Davis each won six frames on the first day of their match, and were level again at 9–9 before Davis gained a lead of 13–11 at the end of the second day.Davis and Smith play for safety Western Morning News 6 April 1949 6 https://www.newspapers.com/article/western-morning-news-smith-and-davis-pla/143423995/ Newspapers.com Davis secured a winning margin at 36–18, and won 42–29 after dead frames. Final The final was contested over 145 frames. For the third consecutive year, the final was contested by Donaldson and Davis.Professional snooker The Times 9 April 1949 2 The match started on 25 April, as the best-of-145 frames. Donaldson took a 7–5 lead on the first day.Snooker The Times 26 April 1949 6 He was still two frames ahead, 13–11, after the second day,Snooker The Times 27 April 1949 2 but the third day finished with the players level at 18–18.Snooker The Times 28 April 1949 6 Donaldson regained a two-frame lead (25–23) the next day,Snooker The Times 29 April 1949 2 and increased his lead to 34–26 on 29 April.Snooker The Times 30 April 1949 6 Davis had reduced his deficit, at 33–39, by the end of day 6, and made a break of 102 in the last of those frames;Snooker The Times 2 May 1949 6 It was the only century break of the match.58 Donaldson maintained a six frame lead (45–39) after the next day of play.Snooker The Times 3 May 1949 6 Davis then took eight of twelve frames on 3 May, including all six frames in the earlier of the two sessions, to lead 49–47.58Snooker The Times 4 May 1949 6 He moved a further two frames ahead on both of the next two days, and led 63–57.Snooker The Times 5 May 1949 6Snooker The Times 6 May 1949 2 He then won 10 frames in a row on 6 May to secure the titleSnooker title for Fred Davis Nottingham Evening Post 7 May 1949 21 March 2016 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19490507/088/0006 British Newspaper Archive subscription at 73–58.Snooker: F. Davis again champion The Times 7 May 1949 6 A reporter for The Times commented that on the decisive day, Davis was in "his best form of the match". After 13 dead frames on 7 May, the final score was 80–65 to Davis.Snooker The Times 9 May 1949 6 Davis became the second player to successfully defend his first world snooker title, after his brother Joe Davis in 1928.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 2011 The championship trophy was presented by Aubrey Ellwood, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command.Sir Aubrey B. Ellwood, KCB, DSC The Billiard Player 7 June 1949 Richard Holt of the Billiards Association and Control Council's magazine The Billiard Player felt that Davis was "the 'compleat' snooker player", who demonstrated skill in potting, safety play and tactics.Holt Richard World's Professional Snooker Championship The Billiard Player 4 June 1949 Snooker historian Clive Everton later noted that several of the sessions took more than three hours and wrote that "caution was the watchword".58 Main draw Results of the main tournament were are follows.World Championship 1949 http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1949.asp Global Snooker 19 March 2011 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120222034419/http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1949.asp 22 February 2012Embassy World Championship http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=36 https://web.archive.org/web/20130124071753/http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=36 24 January 2013 Snooker Scene 9 May 2012Hayton Eric The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker 2004 Rose Villa Publications Lowestoft 978-0-9548549-0-4 143 160 Quarter-finals 71 frames Semi-finals 71 frames Final 145 frames Fred Davis ENG 50 Kingsley Kennerley ENG 21 Sidney Smith ENG 41 Alec Brown ENG 30 Walter Donaldson SCO 58 Conrad Stanbury CAN 1921 13 Albert Brown ENG 29 John Pulman ENG 42 Fred Davis ENG 42 Sidney Smith ENG 29 Walter Donaldson SCO 49 John Pulman ENG 22 Fred Davis ENG 80 Walter Donaldson SCO 65 Qualifying Tournament John Barrie withdrew for business reasons, giving Herbert Holt a bye into the final of the qualifying event.The Times 15 October 1948 6 J Barrie Conrad Stanbury beat Herbert Francis 18–17 in his first round match played from 10 to 12 February 1949The Times 14 February 1949 2 C Stanbury and then beat Jackie Rea by the same score in a match played from 14 to 16 February. Stanbury then played Holt in the final of the qualifying from 17 to 19 February and recorded his third 18–17 victory.The Times 21 February 1949 6 Snooker The Billiard Player magazine commented that for Stanbury to win three successive matches on the deciding frame was "a quite unusual sequence". All three qualifying matches were at Leicester Square Hall.World Snooker Championship The Billiard Player 3 March 1949 160 Round 1 Best of 35 frames Round 2 Best of 35 frames Final Best of 35 frames Conrad Stanbury CAN 1921 18 Herbert Francis ENG 17 Herbert Holt ENG w/o John Barrie ENG w/d withdrew Conrad Stanbury CAN 1921 18 Jackie Rea NIR 17 Herbert Holt ENG 17 Conrad Stanbury CAN 1921 18 References 30em 1949 World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championship, 1949