1952 World Snooker Championship

Snooker tournament, held 1952 April 2022 1952 World Snooker Championship 1952 02 25 1952 03 8 y Houldsworth Hall Manchester England BACC Horace Lindrum AUS Clark McConachy NZL 94–49 1951 1952 United Kingdom Greater Manchester 300 Greater_Manchester_with_former_districts.png Location within Manchester Houldsworth Hall 8 53.457 -2.224 The 1952 World Snooker Championship was a snooker tournament held between 25 February and 8 March 1952 at Houldsworth Hall, in Manchester, England. The event featured only two entrants – Australian Horace Lindrum and New Zealander Clark McConachy. Due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), most players withdrew from the event. The BACC thought the championship was primarily about honour, and financial consideration should come second, whilst the PBPA disagreed. The PBPA established an alternative 'world championship' called the PBPA Snooker Championship which would later become the official world championship as the World Professional Match-play Championship. The competition was played as one continual match, held over 145 frame frames. Lindrum won the match, taking a winning 73–37 lead early on the 10th day and won 94–49. In winning the event, Lindrum became the first player from outside Britain and Ireland to gain victory in the tournament. The status of the event is debated, with some historians not considering Lindrum a true World Champion due to the field of just two players. Background The World Snooker Championship is an annual cue sport tournament and is the official world championship of the game of snooker.Lindrum Challenged to 500 match Aberdeen Evening Express 10 July 2021 12 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000445/19520307/183/0012 British Newspaper Archive subscription The first world championship in 1927, held in Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, England, was won by Joe Davis.Turner Chris World Professional Championship http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Chris Turner's Snooker Archive 9 February 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724180133/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html 24 July 20111927 World Professional Championship http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/27world.htm globalsnookercentre.co.uk Global Snooker Centre 29 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20041010103752/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/27world.htm 10 October 2004 Due to a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the organisers for the event, the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), most players withdrew.The Glasgow Herald https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F1tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5966%2C3977587 19 February 1952 2 Google Newspapers World Snooker Title The BACC thought the championship was primarily about honour, and financial consideration should come second, whilst the PBPA disagreed.Everton Clive Neil Robertson set to rewrite history as first genuine Australian world champion https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/apr/30/world-snooker-championship-neil-robertson-shaun-murphy guardian.co.uk 21 May 2012 London 30 April 2009 The PBPA went on to create the World Professional Match-play Championship, where the remaining players would take part, and would be retroactively given status as the world championship for following years. With just two participants remaining – Horace Lindrum and Clark McConachy – the tournament was contested over a single match. The pair met in a best of 145 frame match, held between 25 February and 8 March 1952 at the Houldsworth Hall in Manchester, England.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HVtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6853%2C4593501 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald Google Newspapers 3 26 February 1952 McConachy had played in the 1951/1952 News of the World Snooker Tournament from September 1951 to January 1952. This was an annual round-robin handicap tournament played by the leading professionals. McConachy was defeated in each of the eight games he played in and winning an average of 11 frames in each 37-frame match. He also lost all three matches he played on level terms, 10–27 to Albert Brown, 8–29 to John Pulman, and 11–26 to Sidney Smith. He lost 11–26 to Joe Davis, despite receiving a 21-point start in each frame.The Times 21 January 1952 4 Professional Snooker On 19 February, the Tuesday before the final, McConachy had scored one of the early snooker maximum breaks in a practice frame at the Beaufort Club in London. An official of the BACC later examined the table and found it slightly over the standard size and so the break was not accepted as official. At the time, Joe Davis held the record for the highest official break of 146.The Times 20 February 1952 2 Great Snooker Break – The Maximum ScoreThe Times 19 April 1980 14 Mr Clark McConachy Lindrum did not play in the News of the World tournament. His last competitive tournament was the 1951 World Snooker Championship, in which he had lost to Walter Donaldson in the semi-final, trailing 25–36 on the final day.Donaldson in snooker final Aberdeen Evening Express 27 January 1951 20 January 2016 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000445/19510127/100/0008 British Newspaper Archive subscription Summary thumb|alt=Horace Lindrum|Horace Lindrum (pictured in 1947) won the event, the first non-British player to do so. With the score tied at 6–6 after the first day, Lindrum won eight of the next twelve frames to lead 14–10 after the second day's play.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HltAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=5042%2C4780628 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald Google Newspapers 9 27 February 1952 This lead extended to 22–14 after the third day.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H1tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=C48MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4983%2C4851482 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 6 Google Newspapers 28 February 1952 All 12 frames were shared on day four, with each player winning six, but Lindrum still led 28–20.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ffM-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jk0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4895%2C4970844 Snooker The Glasgow Herald 7 29 February 1952 The fifth day saw featured Lindrum extend his lead to 38–22 after day five, winning ten of the twelve frames played.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PFBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4141%2C14797 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald Google Newspapers 2 1 March 1952 Lindrum led 44–28 at the end of the first full week of play.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PVBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6736%2C159314 Snooker The Glasgow Herald 7 3 March 1952 Google Newspapers Lindrum won eight frames on the eighth day of play to lead 52–32,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PlBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5020%2C321685 Google Newspapers Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 2 4 March 1952 before winning nine frames the following day to leave him 61–35 ahead.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=we8-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=K00MAAAAIBAJ&pg=6671%2C299614 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 9 5 March 1952 With the score required for victory being 73 frames, Lindrum won 10 frames on 5 March to lead 71–37, needing just two of the remaining 37 frames for victory.Google Newspapers https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P1BAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4791%2C510328 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 9 6 March 1952 Lindrum won the first two frames to reach a winning 73–37 position on 6 March.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27072791?searchTerm=Horace%20Lindrum Horace Lindrum's Snooker Win Easy The Mercury 10 March 1952 12 TroveGoogle Newspapers https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QFBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4913%2C598872 Snooker and billiards The Glasgow Herald 7 7 March 1952 The remaining 35 dead frames were due to be played, although in the end only a total of 143 frames were played, Lindrum winning 94–49.Horace Lindrum's Snooker Win Easy http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27072791?searchTerm=%22Clark%20McConachy%22%20snooker&searchLimits= Trove 21 May 2012 The Mercury 10 March 1952 Lindrum became the first player from outside Britain to win the World Championship, and would remain the only non-United Kingdom winner until the Canadian Cliff Thorburn won the event in 1980.Lindrum Gains Snooker Title http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27066655?searchTerm=%22Clark%20McConachy%22%20snooker&searchLimits= 21 May 2012 The Mercury Trove 8 March 1952http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/future-bright-for-new-snooker-superstar/story-e6frg7mf-1225862760340 Gatt Ray Future bright for new snooker superstar The Australian 6 May 2010 5 May 2010 https://archive.today/20121231010512/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/future-bright-for-new-snooker-superstar/story-e6frg7mf-1225862760340 31 December 2012 live Main draw Sources:World Championship – Roll of Honour http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-tournaments-archive-world-championship-roll-of-honour.asp Global Snooker 19 March 2011 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120222034318/http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-tournaments-archive-world-championship-roll-of-honour.asp 22 February 2012 Hayton Eric The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker 2004 Rose Villa Publications Lowestoft 0-9548549-0-X 144 Final145 framesLindrum Leading In Snooker Trove http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57093877 9 May 2013 Morning Bulletin 8 March 1952Horace Lindrum In Lead http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49019518 9 May 2013 The West Australian 8 March 1952 Trove AUS Horace Lindrum 94 NZL Clark McConachy 49 References 30em 1952 (1) World Championships World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championships World Snooker Championships Category:International sports competitions in Manchester