1985 World Snooker Championship

Professional snooker tournament May 2020 1985 Embassy World Snooker Championship 1985 World Snooker Championship book cover.jpg The programme for the event featuring defending champion Steve Davis Steve Davis playing a shot 1985 04 12 1985 04 28 y Crucible Theatre Sheffield England WPBSA Ranking event £250,000 £60,000 Bill Werbeniuk CAN (143) Dennis Taylor NIR Steve Davis ENG 18–17 1984 1986 The 1985 World Snooker Championship (also known as the 1985 Embassy World Snooker Championship for the purpose of sponsorship) was a professional ranking tournament in snooker that took place from 12 to 28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the event was the ninth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament having taken place in 1977. A five-round qualifying event for the championship was held at the Preston Guild Hall from 29 March to 5 April for 87 players, 16 of whom reached the main stage, where they met the 16 invited seeded players. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and was sponsored by the Embassy cigarette company. The total prize fund for the event was £250,000, the highest prize pool for any snooker tournament to that date. The winner received £60,000, which was the highest amount ever received by the winner of a snooker event at that time. The defending champion was Englishman Steve Davis, who had previously won the World Championship three times. He met Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor in the final which was a best-of-35-frames match. Davis took an early 9–1 lead, but Taylor battled back into the match and drew level at 17–17, forcing a deciding frame. The 35th frame was contested over the final black ball, with the player able to pot the ball winning the world title. After Taylor missed three attempts to pot the black, Davis missed his only attempt to leave Taylor a relatively simple pot to win his sole World Championship. The match, often referred to as the "black ball final", is commonly considered to be the best-known match in the history of snooker and a reason for the surge in the sport's popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Canadian Bill Werbeniuk scored the championship's highest break, a 143, in his first-round match. There were 14 century breaks compiled during the championship, with ten more in qualifying matches. This was the first professional snooker championship to introduce a ban on performance-enhancing substances, with all players in the main stage having to undertake drug tests. The final between Davis and Taylor holds the record for the most-viewed broadcast in the United Kingdom of a programme shown after midnight, with a peak of 18.5 million viewers for the match's final frame, breaking the existing records for the most-viewed sporting event and BBC2 programme. Overview The World Snooker Championship is a professional tournament and the official world championship of the game of snooker. Developed in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India, snooker was popular in the United Kingdom before being introduced to Europe and the Commonwealth. The sport is now played worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand. The World Championship is organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). It features 32 professional players competing in one-on-one single-elimination matches, played over several frames. The players are selected to take part using a combination of the world snooker rankings and a pre-tournament qualification round.Clive Everton 1986 Benson and Hedges Snooker Year Aylesbury Pelham Books 0863691668 9 Third The first World Championship, in 1927, was won by Joe Davis in a final at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England. Since 1977, the tournament has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The 1984 championship was won by England's Steve Davis, who defeated fellow countryman Jimmy White 18–16 in the final; this was Davis's third world championship win, following his victories in 1981 and 1983. The winner of the 1985 championship received a prize of £60,000 from a total of £250,000, the highest first prize amount for a snooker event to that date. The tournament was the first snooker event to feature drug tests for the participants, as mandated by the WPBSA on 9 April 1985; the tests were proposed by WPBSA board member Barry Hearn. The event was broadcast by the BBC in the United Kingdom, with over 90 hours of coverage.Davenport, Peter Letter from Sheffield The Times London 19 April 1985 34 The Times Digital Archive http://tinyurl.gale.com/tinyurl/Bdsgd1 6 September 2019 subscription The estimated cost for the fortnight's broadcast was reportedly £3 million. The championship was sponsored by the Embassy cigarette company. Format The championship was held from 12 to 28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the ninth consecutive World Championship to be held at the venue. Where it's at Snooker Scene Everton's News Agency Birmingham April 1985 4–5 It was the last ranking event of the 1984–85 snooker season.Everton Clive 1985 Guinness Snooker – The Records Guinness Superlatives Ltd 14 0851124488 There were 103 entrants from the World Snooker Tour, with 32 participants in the competition's main draw. A five-round knockout qualifying competition with 87 players, held at Preston Guild Hall between 29 March and 5 April, produced the 16 qualifying players who progressed into the main draw to play the top 16 seeds. The draw for the tournament was made at the Savoy Hotel in London on 16 January 1985. The top 16 players in the latest world rankings automatically qualified for the main draw as seeded players.If the defending champion was ranked outside the top 16 in the world rankings, they would also be an automatic qualifier, in place of the player ranked 16th. As defending champion, Steve Davis was seeded first for the event; the remaining 15 seeds were allocated based on world rankings for the 1984–85 season. Matches in the first round of the main draw were played as best-of-19-frames. The number of frames needed to win a match increased to 13 in the second round and quarter-finals, and 16 in the semi-finals; the final match was played as best-of-35-frames.Hale Janice 1988 Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1987–88 Aylesbury Queen Anne Press 260–261 0-356-14690-1 Hale Janice 1988 Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1987–88 Aylesbury Queen Anne Press 6–8 0-356-14690-1 Six former world champions participated in the main tournament at the Crucible: Ray Reardon (1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1978), Steve Davis (1981, 1983, and 1984), John Spencer (1969, 1971, and 1977), Alex Higgins (1972 and 1982), Cliff Thorburn (1980) and Terry Griffiths (1979). Four players made their world championship debuts, all via the qualifying event: Dene O'Kane, Eugene Hughes, Tony Jones, and Wayne Jones. Embassy World Championship Snooker Scene Everton's News Agency Birmingham June 1985 5–9Kobylecky John 2019 The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018 Kobyhadrian Books 11 978-0993143311 Prize fund The event had a total prize fund of £250,000, an increase of £50,000 in the total prize pool from the previous year, and the winner received £60,000, an increase of £16,000 from the previous year. The prize amount was a new record high for snooker event. The breakdown of prize money for the tournament was: Winner: £60,000 Runner-up: £35,000 Semi-finals: £20,000 Quarter-finals: £10,000 Last 16: £5,250 Last 32: £2,500 Qualifying groups runner-up: £1,500 Qualifying groups third place: £750 Highest break: £6,000 Maximum break: £60,000 Tournament summary Qualifying The qualifying rounds for the event were played from 29 March to 5 April at the Preston Guildhall. The qualifying competition consisted of five knockout rounds, starting with 87 players. There were seven matches in the first round, bringing the number of remaining players to 80. The other four qualifying rounds each contained 16 matches, the winners of each round meeting the 16 higher-ranked players who had been seeded into the next round. The 16 winners from the fifth and final qualifying round met the top 16 seeds in the first round of the main competition.Everton Clive 1985 Guinness Snooker – The Records Guinness Superlatives Ltd 86–87 0851124488 All qualifying matches were played as best-of-19-frames.Sports in Brief The Times London 6 April 1985 31 The Times Digital Archive http://tinyurl.gale.com/tinyurl/BdsTv8 6 September 2019 John Dunning was seeded into the third round of qualifying, where he played his first return match since his heart attack at the 1984 Grand Prix; he lost the match to Wayne Jones, 6–10. Danny Fowler made the highest break of the qualifying competition, scoring a 137 in his 10–0 victory over Jim Donnelly in the fourth round, before losing 2–10 to John Parrott in the fifth. Parrott looking for career boost Aberdeen Evening Express 16 5 April 1985 Fred Davis, aged 71 and eight-time champion between 1948 and 1956, defeated Robert Chaperon 10–9 in the fourth round of qualifying but lost 6–10 to Rex Williams in the fifth. First round The first round of the championship, from 12 to 17 April, featured 32 players competing in 16 best-of-19-frames matches in two sessions; each seeded player competed against a qualifier. The first match to finish was between second seed Tony Knowles and qualifier Tony Jones. Knowles won four straight frames before he was pegged back to 4–4. Jones took four of the next five frames to lead 8–5 but eventually lost 8–10. As part of an initiative to remove performance-enhancing substances, drug tests were performed for the first time during the event; Knowles was the first player tested.Top two forced to struggle The Guardian London 13 April 1985 24 A series of articles in the Daily Star about drug abuse in the championship was based on statements reportedly by Silvino Francisco.Cue for a throng Pithers, Malcolm The Guardian London 16 April 1985 21 Francisco trailed 1–8 after the first session of his first-round match against 11th seed Dennis Taylor, and lost the match 2–10.Francisco now the fallen star Everton, Clive The Guardian London 16 April 1985 26 At a press conference held afterwards, World Snooker chairman Rex Williams said that there was no evidence of drug use in the sport, and Francisco apologised to Kirk Stevens (the player named in the Daily Star articles), claiming that the statements in the article were a "total lie". Top seed and defending champion, Steve Davis, won his match against Neal Foulds 10–8 to reach the second round. Only two unseeded players won their first-round matches: Patsy Fagan defeated 12th seed Willie Thorne 10–6 and John Parrott defeated 13th seed John Spencer 10–3. Spencer was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis shortly after the tournament; his vision was affected and he won only two matches all season.Fagan's rest cure Everton, Clive The Guardian London 17 April 1985 26 After being defeated twice during the season by Eugene Hughes, six-time champion and fifth seed Ray Reardon won 10–9 against Hughes on a deciding frame. In a low-scoring match between ninth seed Alex Higgins and Dean Reynolds, neither player produced a break of over 30 points in the first three frames. Reynolds won just the fifth frame of the opening session, Higgins taking an 8–1 lead and eventually winning 10–4.A soft blow for the Hurricane Hale, Janice The Observer 14 April 1985 39 John Virgo led tenth seed Tony Meo 5–4 after the first session, but won just one frame in the second session to lose 6–10. In a press conference after the match, Virgo said: "I don't think Tony played well enough to beat me. It was the run of the balls that beat me. That's the way it has been for me for six years. I can't explain it. I practise hard. I play well, but sometimes that is not enough. You need a lot of luck in this game and I didn't get any at all."Snooker The Times London 15 April 1985 26 The Times Digital Archive http://tinyurl.gale.com/tinyurl/BdsZt6 6 September 2019 subscription Although fourth seed Kirk Stevens defeated Ray Edmonds 10–8, snooker pundit Clive Everton said that his standard of play was not that of a top-four player and Edmonds "made [Stevens] work".Edmonds makes Stevens work Everton, Clive The Guardian London 18 April 1985 26 In a slow first session, Rex Williams and eighth seed Terry Griffiths played seven (instead of the planned nine) frames; Griffiths led 6–1 after three hours and 38 minutes, eventually winning the match 10–3. Bill Werbeniuk (seeded 14th), who had not won a match all season, defeated Joe Johnson 10–8 and scored a 143 break in the tenth frame – the third-highest break at the championship at that time. Third seed Cliff Thorburn defeated Mike Hallett, 10–8; 15th seed Doug Mountjoy defeated Murdo MacLeod, 10–5; 16th seed David Taylor defeated Dene O'Kane, 10–4; and sixth seed Eddie Charlton defeated John Campbell, 10–3, in an all-Australian tie. Second round The second round, from 18 to 22 April, was played as eight best-of-25-frames matches. Steve Davis led David Taylor 3–0 and 6–3 before winning seven of the eight frames in the second session to win 13–4, scoring century breaks in the eighth (100) and eleventh (105) frames.Davis smoothly into last eight Everton, Clive The Guardian London 19 April 1985 24 Alex Higgins and Terry Griffiths were tied 5–5 after ten frames. Griffiths pulled ahead during the second session, leading 10–6, and won three of the first four frames of the final session to win 13–7.Griffiths blows out the Hurricane Everton, Clive The Guardian London 20 April 1985 15 John Parrott led Kirk Stevens 6–2 after the first session and eventually won, 13–6.Griffiths is back taking pot luck with the past Hale, Janice The Observer 21 April 1985 39 Ray Reardon and Patsy Fagan were tied after the first session, 4–4, before Reardon pulled ahead 7–5. Reardon fluked the final black ball of frame 13 to lead 8–5, and pulled ahead 12–9 before his cue tip came off in frame 22 when he was well ahead on points. Reardon would have been allowed 15 minutes to replace his cue tip, but Fagan offered to let Reardon use his cue. Reardon accepted, using Fagan's borrowed cue to complete his victory.Timely tip for Reardon Everton, Clive The Guardian London 22 April 1985 22 In an all-Canadian second-round match, Cliff Thorburn defeated Bill Werbeniuk 13–3 with a session to spare. Embassy World Championship Snooker Scene Everton's News Agency Birmingham June 1985 9–13 Two former event finalists, Dennis Taylor and Eddie Charlton, met in the second round; Taylor defeated Charlton, 13–6. Seventh seed Jimmy White overcame Tony Meo, after being tied 10–10, to win 13–11. In the final second-round match, Tony Knowles defeated Doug Mountjoy 13–6. Quarter-finals The quarter-finals were played as best-of-25-frames matches in three sessions on 23 and 24 April. Terry Griffiths led Steve Davis after winning the first four frames of the match, but finished the first session at 4–4. Davis won six of the eight frames in the second session to lead 10–6. In the first frame of the third session, Griffiths committed a foul by touching a ball with his waistcoat, following which Davis made a break of 80 to win the frame. Davis also took the next two frames, winning 13–6 to reach his fourth World Championship semi-final. Embassy World Championship Snooker Scene Everton's News Agency Birmingham June 1985 15–17Davis in mood to break prize barrier Everton, Clive The Guardian London 24 April 1985 26 John Parrott also won the first four frames of his match against Ray Reardon, and led 5–3 after the first session. Parrott extended his lead to 9–5 in the second session, but missed the green ball in two successive frames to lead by only 9–7 after the session. Reardon won the first five frames of the third session (seven in a row) to lead 12–9, and Parrott won the next three frames to force a deciding frame.Reardon recaptures his touch Everton, Clive The Guardian London 25 April 1985 26 With one red left on the table, Parrott led by seven points; Reardon snooker snookered Parrott, and won a free ball to win the match with a break of 31.Crucible Diary Snooker Scene Hale, Janice 15–16 20 June 1985 Due to slow play, only six of the eight frames of the opening session between Dennis Taylor and Cliff Thorburn were played. Taylor took a lead of 4–0, before ending the session at 4–2. The session was described as interesting by Clive Everton of The Guardian, however, due to the "high quality of the tactical play." The second session was also long-winded, with the match adjourned at 1:21a.m. (after nine hours and 45 minutes of play); Taylor led 10–5, with a frame still to be played. Resuming the match, Taylor won three straight frames to win 13–5 and reach his fifth semi-final. Thorburn said after the match that both players were at fault for the slow play: "I wasn't the only one playing safe. If I had played well, this would have been the longest match ever." There was only one break of over 50 in the entire match, made by Taylor in the final frame. Second seed Tony Knowles played Jimmy White, and led 5–3 after the first session. Knowles made a break of 137 during the session, but missed the black; it would have been the tournament's highest break. He retained his lead through the second session, despite twice being a pot away from being tied; the session finished 9–7. Returning to the match, Knowles won the next two frames but White won a re-spotted black in frame 19. Knowles handled the pressure better than White, and won 13–10. Semi-finals thumb|upright|alt=picture of Steve Davis reaching for chalk|Defending champion Steve Davis (pictured in 2007) reached the final by defeating Ray Reardon in the semi-finals, completing the 100th Crucible century break. The semi-finals were played on 25 and 26 April as best-of-31-frames matches over four sessions. Reigning champion Steve Davis defeated Ray Reardon, needing only three sessions to secure a 16–5 victory. Reardon failed to play at the level he had played against Parrott.Victory Taylor-ed for Davis Everton, Clive The Guardian London 27 April 1985 14The Crucible's Greatest Matches: Forty Years of Snooker's World Championship in Sheffield 2017 978-1-78531-284-7 Nunns Hector Pitch Publishing 67–77 Although Reardon had won his previous matches with strong safety play, Davis's long pot long potting created opportunities throughout the match. Janice Hale of Snooker Scene magazine wrote that the match had "an air of inevitability", with Davis in full control. Davis compiled the 100th century break made at the Crucible, a 106 break in frame 13. In winning, he reached his third straight World Championship final. Tony Knowles played Dennis Taylor in the second semi-final. After winning the first two frames, Knowles won only three more frames in the rest of the match; Taylor led 10–5 after the second session, and then took six frames in a row to win the match in three sessions. Knowles had expected to win, as the higher-seeded player, but he failed to exhibit the form he had shown earlier in the tournament and fell by the same scoreline as Reardon. Afterwards, he could not understand how he had lost to a lower-seeded player.Crucible Diary Snooker Scene 20 June 1985 19 Taylor said that he had seen Knowles get "angry" during the match, however, and that he had "thrown his cue" at a few shots. Knowles also lost the following year's event in the semi-finals to eventual champion Joe Johnson. Because both semi-finals were one-sided and finished early, tournament organisers arranged exhibition matches to occupy the pre-sold afternoon and evening sessions on 26 April.Dazzling Taylor blinds Knowles https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1985/0427/Pg004.html#Ar00403 20 July 2024 The Irish Times 27 April 1985 4 subscription Final 1985 World Snooker Championship final thumb|upright=0.75|left|alt=A smiling Dennis Taylor|Dennis Taylor (pictured in 2004) won the championship by potting the final black ball to claim his sole world title. The final was played between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor on 27 and 28 April as a best-of-35-frames match over four sessions. This was Davis's fourth world final, having won the title in 1981, 1983, and 1984; and Taylor's second, having lost 16–24 to Terry Griffiths in the 1979 final. Davis and Taylor had met at the World Championship on two previous occasions, Taylor winning their first-round encounter in 1979 and Davis winning the semi-final in 1984.The Dennis Taylor Interview: That '85 black ball final, the impact of his mother's death, and snooker's heyday Hannon Shane Off The Ball 8 September 2019 https://www.offtheball.com/podcasts/highlights-from-off-the-ball/dennis-taylor-interview-85-black-ball-final-impact-mothers-death-snookers-heyday Although Taylor scored a break of 50 in the first frame of the match, Davis won all seven frames of the opening session to lead 7–0. At the start of the second session, Davis took the eighth frame and was leading in frame nine but missed a feather thin cut on the green ball. This error was later considered the turning point of the match, as it allowed Taylor to win his first frame, Davis however won the next frame to lead 9–1, but Taylor won six frames in a row to finish the second session 7–9 behind overnight. On the second day, Taylor tied the match at 11–11 and 15–15, but was never ahead at any point. Davis won the next two frames to lead 17–15, needing one more frame to win the championship. Taylor clinched frame 33 and then made a break of over 50 to tie the match at 17–17, forcing a deciding frame. The final frame lasted more than an hour, finishing after midnight British Summer Time. Davis led 62–44, with just the last four balls to play, Taylor requiring all four to win the match. He Pot potted difficult shots on the brown, blue, and pink, leaving the black ball to determine the winner of the championship. With the black safe, both players attempted to double the ball. The first real opportunity fell to Taylor, with a long pot to the baulk corner, but he missed the shot; according to commentator Jim Meadowcroft, "That was the biggest shot of his life". Davis was left with a thin cut on the black; he stepped up to the table and again missed the shot, leaving Taylor a mid-range shot. Ted Lowe said, "This is really unbelievable" before Taylor potted the black and won the match. Taylor was not ahead at any point during the match, until the final pot. The final between Davis and Taylor attracted an average of 14.4 million viewers with a peak of 18.5 million viewers on BBC2, the programme finishing at 12:23 a.m. after Taylor had won the title.Waumsley Rick Television's Top Ten Snooker Scene Everton's News Agency Birmingham April 1992 14–15 The viewership was the highest for any broadcast after midnight in the United Kingdom, and the most-viewed show on BBC2. The match became known as "the black ball final".https://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/on-this-day-the-black-ball-final/179498 Snooker classics: Dennis Taylor beats Steve Davis in black-ball final Press Association 1 May 2020 sportinglife.com Hestview 11 June 2020 After potting the final ball, Taylor raised his cue stick; he "waggled" his finger and kissed the winner's trophy. He said in a 2009 interview that the gesture was aimed at his "good mate" Trevor East, whom he had told he would win. (Mark Selby would mimic his gimmick in 2014 after defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan, who also was the defending champion of the last 2 world championships.) At a press conference afterwards, he said that the match was the "best he had ever been involved in [his] life". Taylor dedicated the world championship to his late mother who had died the previous year. Unwilling to play snooker, he had withdrawn from the 1984 International Open.I've not done bad from a wee lad from Coalisland The Belfast Telegraph 7 February 2017 Beacon, StephenCloth of gold – Dennis Taylor wins World Snooker Championship Keating Frank The Guardian London 30 April 1985 8 September 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/sport/1985/apr/30/frankkeating https://web.archive.org/web/20190531145638/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/1985/apr/30/frankkeating 31 May 2019 live His family and friends had persuaded him to play again in the Grand Prix event, where he won his first professional title by defeating Cliff Thorburn in the final. Main draw The results for each round of the main stage of the championship are shown below. The numbers in parentheses beside some of the players are their seeding ranks (each championship has 16 seeds and 16 qualifiers). numbered 175 First roundBest of 19 frames Second roundBest of 25 frames Quarter-finalsBest of 25 frames Semi-finalsBest of 31 frames FinalBest of 35 frames Best of 31 frames 12 April Steve Davis ENG (1) 10 Neal Foulds ENG 8 12 & 13 April David Taylor ENG (16) 10 Dene O'Kane NZL 4 13 & 14 April Alex Higgins NIR (9) 10 Dean Reynolds ENG 4 13 & 14 April Terry Griffiths WAL (8) 10 Rex Williams ENG 3 14 & 15 April Ray Reardon WAL (5) 10 Eugene Hughes IRL 9 15 & 16 April Willie Thorne ENG (12) 6 Patsy Fagan IRL 10 15 & 16 April John Spencer ENG (13) 3 John Parrott ENG 10 16 & 17 April Kirk Stevens CAN (4) 10 Ray Edmonds ENG 8 16 & 17 April Cliff Thorburn CAN (3) 10 Mike Hallett ENG 8 16 April Bill Werbeniuk CAN (14) 10 Joe Johnson ENG 8 15 April Dennis Taylor NIR (11) 10 Silvino Francisco RSA 1982 2 14 & 15 April Eddie Charlton AUS (6) 10 John Campbell AUS 3 13 & 14 April Jimmy White ENG (7) 10 Wayne Jones WAL 4 13 & 14 April Tony Meo ENG (10) 10 John Virgo ENG 6 12 & 13 April Doug Mountjoy WAL (15) 10 Murdo MacLeod SCO 5 12 April Tony Knowles ENG (2) 10 Tony Jones ENG 8 17 & 18 April ENG Steve Davis (1) 13 ENG David Taylor (16) 4 18 & 19 April NIR Alex Higgins (9) 7 WAL Terry Griffiths (8) 13 19 & 20 April WAL Ray Reardon (5) 13 IRL Patsy Fagan 9 20 & 21 April ENG John Parrott 13 CAN Kirk Stevens (4) 6 20 & 21 April CAN Cliff Thorburn (3) 13 CAN Bill Werbeniuk (14) 3 19 & 20 April NIR Dennis Taylor (11) 13 AUS Eddie Charlton (6) 6 18 & 19 April ENG Jimmy White (7) 13 ENG Tony Meo (10) 11 17, 18 & 19 April WAL Doug Mountjoy (15) 6 ENG Tony Knowles (2) 13 22 & 23 April ENG Steve Davis (1) 13 WAL Terry Griffiths (8) 6 22 & 23 April WAL Ray Reardon (5) 13 ENG John Parrott 12 22 & 23 April CAN Cliff Thorburn (3) 5 NIR Dennis Taylor (11) 13 22 & 23 April ENG Jimmy White (7) 10 ENG Tony Knowles (2) 13 24 & 25 April ENG Steve Davis (1) 16 WAL Ray Reardon (5) 5 24, 25 & 26 April NIR Dennis Taylor (11) 16 ENG Tony Knowles (2) 5 27 & 28 April ENG Steve Davis (1) 17 NIR Dennis Taylor (11) 18 (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 27 & 28 April. Referee: John Williams Steve Davis (1) 17–18 Dennis Taylor (11) 7–0 2–7 (9–7) 4–4 (13–11) 4–7 (17–18) 87 98 0 0 12 10 Davis Taylor 88frame winner 93frame winner (87) 49frame winner 65frame winner 95frame winner (55) 85frame winner (66) 83frame winner (58) 121frame winner (64, 57) 49 76frame winner (57) 48 27 19 1 0 48 25 72frame winner 66frame winner 45 2 1 64frame winner 58frame winner 86frame winner (86) 43 78frame winner (66) 29 4 29 66frame winner 81frame winner 47 24 62 50 (50) 0 2 38 1 6 20 0 59frame winner 27 63frame winner 75frame winner (61) 99frame winner (98) 71frame winner (70) 100frame winner (56) 77frame winner 68frame winner (53) 43 58 80frame winner 73frame winner (57) 80frame winner (55) 56 46 13 82frame winner (61) 17 84frame winner (70) 72frame winner (57) 83frame winner (79) 6 0 75frame winner 71frame winner (57) 66frame winner NIR Dennis Taylor wins the 1985 Embassy World Snooker Championship Qualifying Five rounds of qualifying were played for the event from 29 March to 5 April at the Preston Guildhall. Round 1 PlayerScorePlayer Gino Rigitano CAN 10–9 Dessie Sheehan IRL Dene O'Kane NZL w.o.–w/d withdrawal Jack McLaughlin NIR Steve Longworth ENG 10–1 James Giannaros AUS Bob Chaperon CAN 10–7 Roger Bales ENG Dennis Hughes ENG 10–5 Doug French ENG Mike Hines RSA 1982 10–8 Tony Chappel WAL Danny Fowler ENG 10–0 John Hargreaves ENG Round 2Best of 19 frames Round 3Best of 19 frames Round 4Best of 19 frames Round 5Best of 19 frames 175 Bob Harris ENG 4 Gino Rigitano CAN 10 Vic Harris ENG 5 Dene O'Kane NZL 10 Graham Cripsey ENG 8 Steve Longworth ENG 10 Leon Heywood AUS 1 Bob Chaperon CAN 10 Steve Newbury WAL 10 Dennis Hughes ENG 9 Paul Watchorn IRL 4 Mike Hines RSA 1982 10 Gerry Watson CAN w/d withdrawal Danny Fowler ENG w.o. Robby Foldvari AUS w.o. Paul Thornley CAN w/d withdrawal Dave Chalmers ENG 10 David Greaves ENG 3 Geoff Foulds ENG 10 Maurice Parkin ENG 6 Paul Medati ENG 10 Bernard Bennett ENG 4 Ian Anderson AUS 10 Tony Kearney IRL 8 Wayne Jones WAL 10 John Rea SCO 3 Malcolm Bradley ENG 10 Derek Mienie RSA 1982 4 Peter Francisco RSA 1982 10 Bert Demarco SCO 4 Tony Jones ENG 10 Mike Darrington ENG 2 Billy Kelly IRL 6 Gino Rigitano CAN 10 Frank Jonik CAN 5 Dene O'Kane NZL 10 Jimmy van Rensberg RSA 1982 10 Steve Longworth ENG 7 Paddy Morgan AUS 3 Bob Chaperon CAN 10 Pascal Burke IRL 3 Steve Newbury WAL 10 Matt Gibson SCO 10 Mike Hines RSA 1982 7 Joe Caggianello CAN w/d withdrawal Danny Fowler ENG w.o. Bill Oliver ENG 3 Robby Foldvari AUS 10 Eddie McLauglin SCO 9 Dave Chalmers ENG 10 Clive Everton WAL 2 Geoff Foulds ENG 10 Ian Williamson ENG 8 Paul Medati ENG 10 Paddy Browne IRL 10 Ian Anderson AUS 5 John Dunning ENG 6 Wayne Jones WAL 10 Bernie Mikkelsen CAN 9 Malcolm Bradley ENG 10 Tommy Murphy CAN 4 Peter Francisco RSA 1982 10 Steve Duggan ENG 8 Tony Jones ENG 10 Mick Fisher ENG 2 Gino Rigitano CAN 10 Les Dodd ENG 7 Dene O'Kane NZL 10 Marcel Gauvreau CAN 10 Jimmy van Rensberg RSA 1982 9 Fred Davis ENG 10 Bob Chaperon CAN 9 George Scott ENG 2 Steve Newbury WAL 10 Patsy Fagan IRL 10 Matt Gibson SCO 8 Jim Donnelly SCO 0 Danny Fowler ENG 10 Ray Edmonds ENG 10 Robby Foldvari AUS 3 Ian Black SCO 4 Dave Chalmers ENG 10 Colin Roscoe WAL 7 Geoff Foulds ENG 10 Warren King AUS 9 Paul Medati ENG 10 Mario Morra CAN 10 Paddy Browne IRL 6 Mike Watterson ENG 5 Wayne Jones WAL 10 Jim Wych CAN 10 Malcolm Bradley ENG 7 Jim Meadowcroft ENG 5 Peter Francisco RSA 1982 10 Jack Fitzmaurice ENG 4 Tony Jones ENG 10 Neal Foulds ENG 10 Gino Rigitano CAN 8 Dave Martin ENG 8 Dene O'Kane NZL 10 Dean Reynolds ENG 10 Marcel Gauvreau CAN 1 Rex Williams ENG 10 Fred Davis ENG 6 Eugene Hughes IRL 10 Steve Newbury WAL 6 Cliff Wilson WAL 9 Patsy Fagan IRL 10 John Parrott ENG 10 Danny Fowler ENG 2 Mark Wildman ENG 7 Ray Edmonds ENG 10 Mike Hallett ENG 10 Dave Chalmers ENG 1 Joe Johnson ENG 10 Geoff Foulds ENG 6 Silvino Francisco RSA 1982 10 Paul Medati ENG 7 John Campbell AUS 10 Mario Morra CAN 9 Graham Miles ENG 8 Wayne Jones WAL 10 John Virgo ENG 10 Jim Wych CAN 4 Murdo MacLeod SCO 10 Peter Francisco RSA 1982 7 Eddie Sinclair SCO 2 Tony Jones ENG 10 Legacy On his return to Northern Ireland, Taylor received a victory parade in a Land Rover across his home town of Coalisland in front of 10,000 people.Snooker ace's triumph The Times London 7 May 1985 1 The Times Digital Archive http://tinyurl.gale.com/tinyurl/Bdt5D1 6 September 2019 subscription He was loaned mayoral robes on the day of the parade, and was accompanied by his wife and three children. He later signed a five-year contract with promoter Barry Hearn as his manager.Friskin, Sydney Snooker The Times London 7 May 1985 26 The Times Digital Archive http://tinyurl.gale.com/tinyurl/Bdt3v6 6 September 2019 subscription Media covering the tournament called Steve Davis a "bad loser" for his silence and one-word responses to questions from David Vine at a press conference after the event. The press conference was later used as the basis for a Spitting Image skit on Davis. Taylor's victory is the most-viewed sporting event in the United Kingdom to date, and remains the most-viewed BBC2 program of all time. The tournament final was recreated and redistributed by the BBC in various forms. Four months later, in August 1985, BBC Video released a highlights video of the 1985 final which was one of the biggest selling videos of 1985.http://www.pre-cert.co.uk/display.php?vId=UK00442 The Final - 1985 Embassy World Professional Snooker Championship (1985) on BBC At the 2010 World Snooker Championship, to celebrate the 25th anniversary, Taylor and Davis replayed the final frame with commentary by John Virgo. The frame was played as an exhibition, with both players attempting to re-create the shots on the final black ball. The 1985 championship was examined in the BBC documentary, When Snooker Ruled the World, with particular emphasis on the final. Another one-hour BBC documentary on the final, Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final, which featured interviews with Taylor's friends and family in Northern Ireland, was presented by Colin Murray. During the 2015 World Snooker Championship, Davis presented Celebrity Black Ball Final on the BBC in which celebrities played the final two shots of the match; guests included Rebecca Adlington, Joey Essex, Russell Watson, Richard Osman and Josh Widdicombe. A 2017 BBC poll found the final to be the Crucible's "most memorable" moment, with the match receiving more than half the votes. Ronnie O'Sullivan's 1997 maximum break finished second. Davis also lost the following year's final, this time to Joe Johnson, but won another three world titles, in 1987, 1988 and 1989.1986: Johnson stuns snooker world BBC Sport 18 April 2003 8 September 2019 https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953941.stm live https://web.archive.org/web/20040502075930/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953941.stm 2 May 2004 Taylor never reached the final again, falling to the "Crucible curse" at the 1986 championship with a first-round loss to Mike Hallett.Baxter Trevor Dott falls to the 'Crucible curse' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/2311594/Dott-falls-to-the-Crucible-curse.html The Daily Telegraph London 10 June 2012 21 April 2007 Taylor's distinctive glasses worn during the tournament were designed specifically for him by Jack Karnehm. Many commentators commented that they looked like upside-down ladies' glasses, however after Taylor's win the style exploded in popularity amongst snooker players. Due to the tournament's popularity the glasses have been called 'one of the most distinctive pieces of eyewear in sporting history.'Snooker Legend Dennis Taylor Launches Frame Changing Specs https://www.selectspecs.com/fashion-lifestyle/snooker-legend-dennis-taylor-launches-frame-changing-specs-2/ Simon (SelectSpecs) 2016-03-16 live 2026-08-30 SelectSpecs Century breaks There were 14 century breaks in the championship. Bill Werbeniuk's 143 against Joe Johnson in the first round was the joint third-highest break in the championship's history, tied with Willie Thorne's in 1982. Only Cliff Thorburn's maximum break in 1983 and Doug Mountjoy's 145 in 1981 were higher.Morrison Ian 1987 The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker Twickenham Hamlyn Publishing Group 978-0-60055604-6 164 Tony Knowles missed the black on a break of 137 that would have scored a 144 in his quarter-final with Jimmy White. 143 Bill Werbeniuk 137, 117 Tony Knowles 128, 117 Dennis Taylor 123 Tony Meo 114, 108 Jimmy White 114 John Parrott 106, 105, 100 Steve Davis 103 Cliff Thorburn 101 Neal Foulds There were ten century breaks in the qualifying stages; the highest was made by Danny Fowler in his 10–0 whitewash of Jim Donnelly in the fourth round of qualifying. 137 Danny Fowler 134 Steve Newbury 132 Bernie Mikkelsen 119 John Virgo 110, 101 Bob Chaperon 109 Neal Foulds 107 Dave Chalmers 104 Tony Jones 100 Steve Longworth Notes References Crucible Diary Snooker Scene 20 June 1985 Hale, Janice World Championship: 1985 black-ball final voted most memorable Crucible moment BBC Sport May 2017 8 September 2019 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39772632 https://web.archive.org/web/20170629065355/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39772632 29 June 2017 1986: Johnson stuns snooker world BBC Sport 18 April 2003 8 September 2019 https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953941.stm live https://web.archive.org/web/20040502075930/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953941.stm 2 May 2004 Baxter Trevor Dott falls to the 'Crucible curse' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/2311594/Dott-falls-to-the-Crucible-curse.html The Daily Telegraph London 10 June 2012 21 April 2007 Nicholson-Lord David 10 April 1985 Top snooker players face tests for drugs The Times London 1 The Times Digital Archive Snooker championship Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 11 May 1927 12 March 2019 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19270511/425/0020 British Newspaper Archive subscription Hayton Eric Dee John 2004 The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History Rose Villa Publications 978-0954854904 1 The Rise Of China World Snooker 26 February 2018 13 March 2019 http://www.worldsnooker.com/the-rise-of-china/ https://web.archive.org/web/20180419145915/http://www.worldsnooker.com/the-rise-of-china/ 19 April 2018 live 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 2011 1927 World Professional Championship http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/27world.htm Global Snooker Centre 29 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20041010103752/http://www.globalsnookercentre.co.uk/files/Results/27world.htm 10 October 2004 1392311 The Crucible Theatre 3 December 2013 World Championship – Roll of Honour http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-tournaments-archive-world-championship-roll-of-honour.asp global-snooker.com 18 March 2013 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120222034318/http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-tournaments-archive-world-championship-roll-of-honour.asp 22 February 2012 1984: Davis outshines White BBC Sport 18 April 2003 26 April 2019 https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953919.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20030924004951/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953919.stm 24 September 2003 live Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 130 Interesting: My Autobiography Davis, Steve 9 April 2015 Random House 4 September 2019 https://books.google.com/books?id=VwTIBQAAQBAJ&q=dennis+taylor+autobiography 9781473502482 The Black Ball Final – Thirty Years On Culture Northern Ireland 30 April 2015 4 September 2019 https://www.culturenorthernireland.org/features/sport/black-ball-final-%E2%80%93-thirty-years Out of the Blue, Into the Black Spencer, John 4 September 2019 https://books.google.com/books?id=nkqyAAAACAAJ&q=Out+of+the+Blue+into+the+Black+john+spencer 9781903158630 2005 Parrs Wood Great Sporting Moments: Dennis Taylor defeats Steve Davis 18–17 at the Crucible The Independent London 12 July 2009 4 September 2019 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/great-sporting-moments-dennis-taylor-defeats-steve-davis-18-17-at-the-crucible-1741225.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/great-sporting-moments-dennis-taylor-defeats-steve-davis-18-17-at-the-crucible-1741225.html 1 May 2022 subscription live World Championship 1985 http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1985.asp global-snooker.com 11 December 2011 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20120306014440/http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1985.asp 6 March 2012 Embassy 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 6 March 2012 1985 Snooker Rewind BBC Sport 9 January 2020 30 April 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/snooker/32236103 John Spencer The Independent 12 July 2006 London 4 September 2019 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-spencer-6095532.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-spencer-6095532.html 1 May 2022 subscription live myasthenia gravis Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 161 1985: The black ball final https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953933.stm BBC Sport 18 April 2003 9 January 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20030430091705/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953933.stm 30 April 2003 live Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 20–21 Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 143 Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 146 Then and Now: Terry Griffiths http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04022010/58/terry-griffiths.html Eurosport UK 10 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121007052303/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/04022010/58/terry-griffiths.html 7 October 2012 dead April 29 down the years: The greatest Crucible final http://www.espn.co.uk/onthisday/sport/story/135.html ESPN 23 May 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20131201013949/http://www.espn.co.uk/onthisday/sport/story/135.html 1 December 2013 Frame by Frame: My Autobiography Taylor, Dennis 1985 978-0356121796 Queen Anne Press; 1st edition (24 Oct 1985) Drug tests imposed: Snooker Everton, Clive The Guardian London 10 April 1985 25 Phillips-Knight Rob Taylor snatches the 'black-ball final' http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/story/19916.html ESPN 4 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002149/http://www.espn.co.uk/espn/sport/story/19916.html 3 December 2013 live 1985 World Snooker Championship – Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor Black Ball Final YouTube 4 September 2019 BBC Two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZSky37NGno https://web.archive.org/web/20190823225647/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZSky37NGno&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1&bpctr=9999999999 23 August 2019 live Drug snooker tests can't detect Foster, Jonathan Hale, Janice The Observer 14 April 1985 3 Everton Clive 17 January 1985 Crucible of gold: Snooker The Guardian London 24 Sport in brief The Guardian London 1 April 1985 27 186550100 Parrott fashions overnight lead Everton, Clive The Guardian London 23 April 1985 26 http://www.worldsnooker.com/news-139970.htm Taylor And Davis Set For Crucible Rematch World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 17 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100504204559/http://www.worldsnooker.com/news-139970.htm 4 May 2010 dead https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/8587581.stm Steve Davis & Dennis Taylor stage rematch of 1985 final BBC Sport 30 April 2010 29 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100328170651/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8587581.stm 28 March 2010 live BBC When Snooker Ruled the World BBC 5 September 2019 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0389wrj https://web.archive.org/web/20171003163232/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0389wrj 3 October 2017 live BBC Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final BBC 5 September 2019 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s9dg4 Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final https://web.archive.org/web/20140606060134/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s9dg4 6 June 2014 live BBC Celebrity Black Ball Final with Steve Davis 4 May 2015 BBC 5 September 2019 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03bv3t8 Rebecca Adlington, Joey Essex, Russell Watson, Richard Osman and Josh Widdicombe https://web.archive.org/web/20190906031947/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03bv3t8 6 September 2019 live Category:World Snooker Championships Category:1980s in Sheffield World Championship Category:Sports competitions 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