1948 Sunday Empire News Tournament

Professional snooker tournament April 2022 Sunday Empire News Tournament 1948 10 11 1948 12 18 y Leicester Square Hall London England Non-Ranking event £1000 £450 ENG Fred Davis (139) ENG Joe Davis ENG John Pulman The 1948 Sunday Empire News Tournament was a professional snooker tournament sponsored by the Sunday Empire News newspaper. Joe Davis won the event, with John Pulman finishing in second place. The tournament saw the re-introduction of the popular round-robin handicap format that had been used for the Daily Mail Gold Cup tournament before World War II. The home of the Daily Mail Gold Cup, Thurston's Hall, had re-opened in late 1947 when it was renamed the Leicester Square Hall. This was the only edition of the Sunday Empire News Tournament, although the same format was used for the News of the World Snooker Tournament from 1949 onwards. In the final match of the tournament, Fred Davis, who was playing without a points handicap, beat his brother Joe 36–35. This was the first time that Joe had lost a competitive match when playing on level terms; however, under the "sealed handicap" aspect of the event, he received two frames and won the match 37–36. Format The tournament was conceived by Ted Lowe, the manager of Leicester Square Hall.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/may/01/ted-lowe-obituary Ted Lowe obituary Everton Clive 1 May 2011 The Guardian 22 September 2020 He suggested that Fred Davis, who was writing for the Empire News at the time approach the paper with the idea, and they agreed to sponsor the tournament with £1,000 prize money. The event was a round-robin snooker tournament and was played from 11 October to 18 December 1948. All matches were played at Leicester Square Hall in London. The competitors were Joe Davis, Fred Davis, Walter Donaldson, Sidney Smith and John Pulman. Each match lasted six days and was the best of 71 frames. There was a qualifying competition prior to the main event. This involved 5 players in a round-robin tournament with the winner, John Pulman, advancing to the main event.The Times 26 August 1948 2 Snooker – Professional tournament The event had two handicapping aspects. In each match a handicap could be given to one of the players, a given number of points start in each frame. In addition there was a sealed handicap for each match. This was an additional adjustment to be made after each match (a specific number of frames) which was kept secret until the end of the match. For the points aspect of the handicapping, Joe Davis, Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson didn't give or receive points when they played each other but gave points to the other two players. Joe and Fred gave 7 points to Sidney Smith and 16 points to John Pulman. Donaldson gave 14 points to Pulman while Smith gave 10 points to Pulman. Results Joe Davis beat Sidney Smith 49–25 in the opening match.The Billiard Player Nov 1948 Fred Davis beat John Pulman 39–32 in their match, having won 8 of the 11 frames on the final day, but Pulman received 9 frames in the sealed handicap and won the match 41–39.Pulman defeats Fred Davis Western Daily Press 15 November 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481115/063/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription Pulman received 8 frames in the sealed handicap in his next match against Joe Davis but Joe, aware that a substantial handicap was likely to be given, had beaten Pulman 51–20.Joe Davis undefeated Western Daily Press 29 November 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481129/061/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription Fred and Joe Davis met In the final match. Fred won all six frames on the third evening to lead 20–16. Fred still led 31–29 at the start of the final day and eventually won the match 36–35. When the sealed handicap was opened it revealed that Joe received 2 frames and that he had won 37–36.J Davis and Pulman in the money Western Daily Press 20 December 1948 26 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481220/076/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription Joe Davis scored his 300th century break in the first match against Sidney Smith, making 119 on 14 October.300th snooker break cost Davis £1 Western Daily Press 15 October 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481015/009/0002 British Newspaper Archive subscription On 10 November Fred Davis in his match against John Pulman made a break of 139, just one short of the record of 140 made by Joe Davis on 9 February 1948. Fred had been unable to get on the black off the 14th red and had taken the pink instead.300th snooker break cost Davis £1 Aberdeen Journal 11 November 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19481111/042/0003 British Newspaper Archive subscription On 15 December, during the final match, Fred Davis made a break of 138, winning the frame 138–0, and then, in the next frame made a break of 84, winning that frame 129–0.Fred Davis spoils his brother's record Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 16 December 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19481216/088/0003 British Newspaper Archive subscription Two days later Joe Davis almost beat his own record of 140. On 123, he missed the blue when a 141 break was possible.Joe Davis missed record Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 18 December 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481218/008/0002 British Newspaper Archive subscription Winner Score Score beforehandicapMorrison Ian History of a tournament ... the Empire News tournament Pot Black December 1985 40 Mirus (UK) Henley-on-Thames Loser DatesJoe Davis 49–25 49–22 Sidney Smith (7) 11–16 OctoberJohn Pulman (14) 44–33 38–33 Walter Donaldson 18–23 OctoberFred Davis 40–35 40–31 Sidney Smith (7) 25–30 OctoberJoe Davis 44–32 44–27 Walter Donaldson 1–6 NovemberJohn Pulman (16) 41–39 32–39 Fred Davis 8–13 NovemberWalter Donaldson w/o–w/d Sidney Smith 15–20 NovemberJoe Davis 51–28 51–20 John Pulman (16) 22–27 NovemberFred Davis 40–34 40–31Walter Donaldson 29 November–4 DecemberJohn Pulman (10) 52–21 50–21 Sidney Smith 6–11 DecemberJoe Davis 37–36 35–36 Fred Davis 13–18 December The "Score" column include frames received in the sealed handicap. Figures in brackets are the points handicap received per frame. Smith conceded his match against Donaldson before the start. He was suffering from tonsillitis.Walk-over for Donaldson Dundee Evening Telegraph 15 November 1948 26 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19481115/063/0008 British Newspaper Archive subscription Table Position Pos Player Played Pld Points Pts Frames for F Frames against A Prize 1 ENG Joe Davis 4 8 181 121 £450 2 ENG John Pulman 4 6 165 144 £250 3 ENG Fred Davis 4 4 155 147 £150 4 SCO Walter Donaldson 4 2 99 128 ? 5 ENG Sidney Smith 4 0 81 141 ? John Pulman won an additional £150 for winning the qualifying competition. Qualifying The qualifying tournament was played from 30 August to 2 October 1948. These matches were also played at Leicester Square Hall in London but each match only lasted three days and was the best of 35 frames. 5 players competed with the winner advancing to the final stages, The 5 players were: John Barrie, Albert Brown, Kingsley Kennerley, Sydney Lee and John Pulman. Players received points handicaps and sealed frame handicaps in the same way as in the main event. John Pulman won the qualifying with 6 points from his 4 matches ahead of Kingsley Kennerley with 5 points. Sydney Lee needed to win the last match against Albert Brown but he lost 22–15.Pulman wins £150 Western Daily Press 4 October 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19481004/062/0004 British Newspaper Archive subscription Lee had beaten Pulman in the first match of the tournament. Lee received a 5-point lead in each frame but Pulman had won the match 18–17. Lee, however, had been given 2 frames in the sealed handicap to win 19–18.Handicap beats Pulman Western Daily Press 2 September 1948 27 December 2015 http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000513/19480902/029/0003 British Newspaper Archive subscription References 2 Sunday Empire News Tournament Category:1948 in snooker Category:1948 in sport in London Category:October 1948 sports events in the United Kingdom Category:November 1948 sports events in the United Kingdom Category:December 1948 sports events in the United Kingdom