1978 World Snooker Championship

November 2019 1978 Embassy World Snooker Championship 1978 04 17 1978 04 29 y Crucible Theatre Sheffield England WPBSA Ranking event £24,000 £7,500 John Spencer ENG (138) Ray Reardon WAL Perrie Mans RSA 1928 25–18 1977 1979 The 1978 World Snooker Championship (officially known as the 1978 Embassy World Snooker Championship) was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 17 and 29 April 1978 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, the second consecutive year the tournament had been held at the venue. A qualifying competition was held at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7April. The tournament was promoted by Mike Watterson on behalf of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. It had a total prize fund of £24,000, of which £7,500 went to the champion. John Spencer was the defending champion, having won the 1977 event by defeating Cliff Thorburn 25–21 in the final. Spencer lost 8–13 in the first round to Perrie Mans. The final was contested by Mans and Ray Reardon. Reardon led 5–2 after the first session, before Mans levelled the match at 8–8 after the first day's play. After the third interval Reardon led 12–11 and won the 24th frame with a 64 break to lead 13–11. After the second day, Reardon led 18–14, and eventually won the match 25–18 to secure his sixth and last world title. Aged 45 years and 203 days, Reardon became the oldest world champion in the sport's history, a record that stood for 44 years until Ronnie O'Sullivan won his seventh world title at the 2022 event, aged 46 years and 148 days. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette company Embassy. It was the first snooker world championship tournament to be broadcast in depth by the BBC. Background The cue sport of snooker was founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India.Williams 2015 286 Joe Davis won the first World Championship in 1927, hosted by the Billiards Association and Control Council, the final match being held at Camkin's Hall in Birmingham, England.Everton 2012 23History of Snooker – a Timeline https://www.wpbsa.com/about/history/ World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association 21 October 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190418140049/https://www.wpbsa.com/about/history/ 18 April 2019 live Since 1977, the event has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England'Clarke 2008 36 The sport's popularity in the United Kingdom grew after this.Hector Nunns David Hendon History of Snooker https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ 19 May 2023 15 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200815075857/https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ dead The 1978 championship featured sixteen professional players competing in one-on-one snooker matches in a single-elimination format, each match played over several frames. These competitors in the main tournament were selected using a combination of the top players in the snooker world rankings and the winners of a pre-tournament qualification stage.World championship prospects... Snooker Scene Birmingham April 1979 3 The tournament was promoted by Mike Watterson on behalf of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.Everton Clive All but two must qualify https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-all-but-two-must-qualify/124052937/ The Guardian 1 May 1979 26 It was sponsored by cigarette brand Embassy for the third consecutive year.Everton Clive Old order changes Snooker Scene June 1979 Birmingham 3 It was the first championship to have daily BBC coverage throughout the main event.1978: Reardon makes it six https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953755.stm BBC 18 April 2003 17 May 2023 3 May 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20040503200332/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953755.stm live Format The 1978 World Snooker Championship main tournament took place between 17 and 20April 1978 at the Crucible Theatre. The top eight players from that season's world rankings, calculated from performances at the championship in the previous three years, were seeded into the first round, where they each faced an opponent from the qualifying competition, which was held across two rounds at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7April.Everton Clive Virgo's chance to join the stars https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-virgos-chance-to-join-the/124850429/ The Guardian 13 January 1978 17Embassy World Professional Snooker Championship Snooker Scene June 1978 7–17 It was the second time that the event was staged at the Crucible, which as of 2023 has remained the venue for the annual tournament.Connolly Dec Sheffield's Crucible Theatre To Host World Snooker Championship Final Drama https://theyorkshirepress.co.uk/sheffield/sheffields-crucible-theatre-to-host-world-snooker-championship-final-drama/ Yorkshire Press 3 May 2023 18 May 2023 26 February 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240226033126/https://theyorkshirepress.co.uk/sheffield/sheffields-crucible-theatre-to-host-world-snooker-championship-final-drama/ dead Defending champion John Spencer, who had defeated Cliff Thorburn 25–21 in the 1977 final, was the top seed, and top-ranked Ray Reardon was the second seed.Everton 1993 50New professional rankings Snooker Scene July 1977 17 Prize fund The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:Downer 2012 130 Winner: £7,500 Runner-up: £3,500 Third place: £2,500 Fourth place: £2,000 Quarter-final: £1,000 Last 16: £500 Highest break: £500 Maximum break: £10,000 Total: £24,000 Tournament summary Qualifying The qualifying competition was held across two rounds at Romiley Forum, Stockport, from 27 March to 7April. Matches were played as the best of 17 frames, across two sessions. In the preliminary round, Maurice Parkin defeated Bernard Bennett 9–4, in a match where the highest break was just 31. The report in Snooker Scene magazine concluded that "the standard of play was not really appropriate to a world championship".5 Jack Karnehm was whitewashed 9–0 by Roy Andrewartha. It was the third time that Karnehm had entered the championship, and each time he failed to win a frame. He did not enter again.Kobylecky 2019 126 David Greaves was 12 minutes late to his match against John Barrie, and so, for the first time in the tournament's history, a frame was awarded to a player because of their opponent's late arrival. Barrie had not played in the championship since 1955; he had last won a championship match in 1951.Hayton Dee 2004 209 Barrie won 9–3. Pat Houlihan, who had defeated both Reardon and Spencer to win the 1965 English Amateur Championship, took an 8–0 lead against Chris Ross, and won 9–1. In the qualifying round, Doug Mountjoy defeated Andrewartha 9–3 after losing the opening two frames.Everton Clive Breaking into the big time https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-breaking-into-the-big-time/124855646/ The Guardian 12 April 1978 21 In the other qualifying matches, Houlihan won 9–7 against Jim Meadowcroft, Patsy Fagan eliminated John Dunning 9–5, Willie Thorne defeated Rex Williams 9–3, Parkin lost 2–9 to Bill Werbeniuk, and David Taylor won 9–7 against Paddy Morgan First round The first round took place from 17 to 21April, each match played over three sessions as the best of 25 frames.Downer 2019 6–7 Defending champion Spencer became the first player to experience the so-called "Crucible curse", a superstition that says every first-time world champion at the Crucible will fail to retain the title the following year.Dee John O'Sullivan must combat curse of the Crucible https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/3026266/OSullivan-must-combat-curse-of-the-Crucible.html The Daily Telegraph 19 April 2002 15 May 2012 29 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160229032152/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/3026266/OSullivan-must-combat-curse-of-the-Crucible.html live He lost 8–13 to Perrie Mans in the first round, despite making breaks of 138 and 118.Everton 1986 119 David Taylor won the first three frames against Graham Miles. The pair were level at 8–8 before Miles went on to win 13–10. Fagan was 10–12 behind Alex Higgins but won three close frames – on a re-spotted black, then the final black ball and, in the deciding frame, on the final pink ball – to complete a 13–12 victory. The first session between Fred Davis and Dennis Taylor saw them each win four frames; in the second session Davis moved into an 11–6 lead, and he eventually won 13–9. Thorne missed at an attempt to pot the black ball when leading Eddie Charlton 12–9, and lost the match 12–13. Houlihan made his only appearance in the World Championship at the Crucible, aged 48. He lost 8–13 to Thorburn, who later described him as "a smooth player... I had to be very careful against Patsy because if the balls were open he could get to you. A very dangerous player."Williams Luke The greatest snooker player you never saw https://wst.tv/the-greatest-snooker-player-you-never-saw/ World Snooker Tour 9 May 2023 17 May 2023 10 May 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230510035502/https://wst.tv/the-greatest-snooker-player-you-never-saw/ dead Reardon trailed Mountjoy 2–7, but went on to win 13–9.Everton 1986 119 Werbeniuk defeated John Pulman 13–4. Quarter-finals The quarter-finals took place from 20 to 22April, each match played over three sessions as the best of 25 frames.Downer 2019 6–7 Mans took a lead of 9–7 into the last session against Miles, and went on to win 13–7. Davis made a 105 break in the fifth frame, and held a one-frame lead after the nine frames of their first session. Fagan levelled at 7–7 with a break of 105 in the 14th frame, and the pair were again tied at 8–8. Davis took the first three frames of the concluding session for 11–8, and secured his passage into the semi-finals at 13–10. Charlton won five successive frames to recover from 8–12 and win 13–12 against Thorburn. He compiled a 108 break in the 16th frame.Charlton's snooker 'charge' https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-charltons-sno/124901915/ The Sydney Morning Herald 24 April 1978 31 Reardon's four frame advantage in the initial session was maintained during the second session as he went from 6–2 to 10–6. In the third session he won three successive frames, to defeat Werbeniuk 13–6, and compiled a break of 119 in the 18th frame. Semi-finals The semi-finals took place from 23 to 26April, both matches played over five sessions as the best of 35 frames.Downer 2019 6–7 Davis became the oldest championship semi-finalist, at the age of 64 years and 251 days.Downer 2012 134 He lost 16–18 to Mans. Davis reflected afterwards that, "If I left him anything at all in the open, no matter how far away, he invariably potted it".Everton 1986 119 Fred's brother Joe Davis, aged 77, who was watching in the audience, was taken ill during the match. According to snooker historian Clive Everton, Joe had been "swinging in his seat this way and that as he mentally played each shot for his brother". Joe collapsed two days later and required surgery; he died several weeks after from a chest infection.Everton 1986 121 Reardon won four of the seven frames in each of the first two sessions against Charlton. Charlton took six of seven frames in the next session to lead 12–9, but then lost all seven frames in the fourth session.'Impossible dream' eludes Charlton https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-impossible-dre/124912640/ The Sydney Morning Herald 27 April 1978 18 This was the only time in the main tournament that year in which a player won all the frames in a complete session. Reardon said afterwards that "The previous day I'd felt wonderful and couldn't hit a ball. This time I felt tired and listless and played marvellous."16 Reardon won 18–14. A third-place playoff was over two sessions on 27 and 28April as the best of 13 frames. Charlton won 7–3 against Davis.Downer 2019 6–7 Final The final took place from 27 to 29April, played over six sessions as the best of 49 frames,Downer 2019 6–7 with John Williams as referee.Downer 2012 143 Reardon and Mans were level at 2–2 but Reardon finished the first session 5–2 ahead.Morrison 1989 34 Mans levelled by taking the first three frames of the second session; Reardon later led 7–5, but the session finished with the score at 8–8.Morrison 1989 34 During the third session, they were level again at 10–10; the session finished with Reardon one frame ahead at 12–11.Morrison 1989 34 He increased his advantage by taking the first three frames in the next session.Morrison 1989 34 Sports historian Ian Morrison later wrote that at 15–11, "for the first time since the opening session, the scoreboard reflected the true difference between the two players."Morrison 1989 34 With each player winning three of the next six frames, Reardon was still four frames up, at 18–14.Morrison 1989 34 On the third day, Mans narrowed the gap to a single frame, but a 100 break by Reardon in the 36th frame doubled that deficit, and the session finished with Reardon four frames in front again, at 22–18.Morrison 1989 34 In the concluding session, Reardon made an 81 break in winning the opening frame, and added the next two frames to secure victory at 25–18.Morrison 1989 34 Reardon became the oldest ever World Champion at the age of 45 years and 203 days,http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Records.html Various Snooker Records Turner Chris 2008 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130210111343/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Records.html Chris Turner's Snooker Archive 10 February 2013 27 July 2021 a record that lasted until 2022 when Ronnie O'Sullivan won the title aged 46 years and 148 days.World Snooker Championship 2022: Ronnie O'Sullivan claims record-equalling seventh world title Sutcliffe Steve 2 May 2022 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/61294622 BBC Sport 2 May 2022 live 3 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220503143632/https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/61294622Ronnie O'Sullivan's career statistics and records as he equals Stephen Hendry's tally of seven World Championship titles https://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/ronnie-osullivans-career-statistics-and-records-as-he-equals-stephen-hendrys-tally-of-seven-world-championship-titles/200458 Hammer Chris 3 May 2022 4 May 2022 Sporting Life live 8 May 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220508225332/https://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/ronnie-osullivans-career-statistics-and-records-as-he-equals-stephen-hendrys-tally-of-seven-world-championship-titles/200458 It was Reardon's sixth and last world championship title.Ray Reardon https://wst.tv/players/ray-reardon/ World Snooker Tour 18 May 2022 14 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210114232239/https://wst.tv/players/ray-reardon/ dead In a post-match interview, Reardon stated that he felt he had "played well throughout", and praised Mans's ability to pot balls, commenting that "He makes shots that I would not even dream of attempting."AAP-Reuter Reardon wins title https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-reardon-wins-t/124901637/ The Sydney Morning Herald 1 May 1978 21 Mans said that "I felt good when I won the first three frames. But then Ray made a century. He found his rhythm and I just couldn't do anything about it."16 John Hennessy of The Times felt that the pair were generally evenly matched, but "temperament, allied to superlative technique, seemed always on Reardon's side. Whereas Mans seemed in just too much of a hurry between strokes Reardon took a measured tread round the table, gathering his thoughts and concentration on the way." He speculated that Mans had lost his nerve towards the end of the match, as shown in him playing more safety shots and attempting fewer of the audacious pots that he had been playing throughout the tournament. Television critic Clive James, television critic for The Observer, praised how Reardon "embodies in its highest form snooker's heady combination of requirements: he has uncanny physical skill and a subtle mind to go with it."James Clive Mere mortal Mans https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-mere-mortal-mans/124849945/ The Observer 7 May 1978 31 During the final, Peter Fiddick of The Guardian commented on how "this nation has been taking an extraordinary interest... in snooker",Fiddick Peter Top of the Pots, the new television spectacular https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-top-of-the-pots/124847733/ The Guardian 29 April 1978 17 and how the players were "very conscious of their new audience and its implications." A few days later, in the same newspaper, Frank Keating wrote that "snooker finally managed its coming out party at the grand old age of 103."Keating Frank Giant fan appeal https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-giant-fan-appeal/124848312/ The Guardian 2 May 1978 16 Hennessy felt that the substitution of snooker in place of the scheduled coverage of horse racing in the BBC's Grandstand was "a remarkable testimony to the grip that the world professional championship took on the British public during the preceding fortnight."Hennessy John Fortnight of top table manners The Times 3 May 1978 12 He predicted that "One way and another the game is not likely to be the same again." Everton, who made his BBC commentary debut for the match between Charlton and Thorne,Everton 2012 57 suggested in 1993 that the BBC's decision to screen daily coverage of the tournament was "the single most influential decision ever made in the history of snooker, broadening its commercial horizons forever."Everton 1993 52 Main draw Numbers in parentheses indicate seedings. Players in bold are match winners.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 9 May 2012Downer 2012 6–7 200 yes 18, 19 & 20 April John Spencer ENG (1) 8 Perrie Mans RSA 1928 13 19 & 20 April Graham Miles ENG (8) 13 David Taylor ENG 10 18 & 19 April Alex Higgins NIR (5) 12 Patsy Fagan IRL 13 20 & 21 April Dennis Taylor NIR (4) 9 Fred Davis ENG 13 17, 18 & 19 April Eddie Charlton AUS (3) 13 Willie Thorne ENG 12 17 & 18 April Cliff Thorburn CAN (6) 13 Pat Houlihan ENG 8 17, 18 & 19 April John Pulman ENG (7) 4 Bill Werbeniuk CAN 13 17 & 18 April Ray Reardon WAL (2) 13 Doug Mountjoy WAL 9 21 & 22 April RSA 1928 Perrie Mans 13 England Graham Miles (8) 7 21 & 22 April Ireland Patsy Fagan 10 England Fred Davis 13 20, 21 & 22 April Australia Eddie Charlton (3) 13 Canada Cliff Thorburn (6) 12 21 & 22 April Canada Bill Werbeniuk 6 Wales Ray Reardon (2) 13 24, 25 & 26 April RSA 1928 Perrie Mans 18 England Fred Davis 16 23, 24 & 25 April Australia Eddie Charlton (3) 14 Wales Ray Reardon (2) 18 27, 28 & 29 April RSA 1928 Perrie Mans 18 Wales Ray Reardon (2) 25 27 & 28 April England Fred Davis 3 Australia Eddie Charlton (3) 7 Last 16Best of 25 frames Quarter-finalsBest of 25 frames Semi-finalsBest of 35 frames FinalBest of 49 frames Third place Best of 13 frames yes Qualifying The results of the qualifying competition are shown below. Winning players are denoted in bold.Embassy World Professional Snooker Championship: qualifying section, at Romiley Forum, Stockport Snooker Scene May 1978 5–9 +Preliminary round (Best of 17 frames)+Venue: Romiley Forum, StockportPlayerScorePlayer Maurice Parkin ENG 9–4 Bernard Bennett ENG Roy Andrewartha WAL 9–0 Jack Karnehm ENG John Barrie ENG 9–3 David Greaves ENG Pat Houlihan ENG 9–1 Chris Ross SCO +Qualifying round (Best of 17 frames)+Venue: Romiley Forum, StockportPlayerScorePlayer Doug Mountjoy WAL 9–3 Roy Andrewartha WAL Patsy Fagan IRL 9–5 John Dunning ENG Willie Thorne ENG 9–3 Rex Williams ENG Bill Werbeniuk CAN 9–2 Maurice Parkin ENG Perrie Mans RSA 1928 9–6 John Barrie ENG David Taylor ENG 9–7 Paddy Morgan AUS Pat Houlihan ENG 9–6 Jim Meadowcroft ENG Fred Davis ENG 9–8 John Virgo ENG Century breaks There were seven century breaks at the championship, the highest being 138 by John Spencer.Downer 2012 146Crucible Centuries http://www.snooker.org/Plr/wc_centuries.shtml Snooker.org 3 April 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110523045039/http://www.snooker.org/plr/wc_centuries.shtml 23 May 2011 138, 118 John Spencer 119, 100 Ray Reardon 108 Eddie Charlton 105 Fred Davis 105 Patsy Fagan References Citations Bibliography Gary Clarke A Billiards and Snooker Compendium Rothersthorpe https://books.google.com/books?id=-1gXfvMbyJAC&pg=PA36 2008 Paragon Publishing 978-1-899820-46-7 36 3 September 2020 5 September 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200905220524/https://books.google.com/books?id=-1gXfvMbyJAC&pg=PA36 live Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2012 Bournemouth Downer Chris Crucible Almanac 2019 Bournemouth Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 978-1-85225-013-3 Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 978-0-7475-1610-1 Everton Clive 2012 Black Farce and Cue Ball Wizards Mainstream Edinburgh 978-1-78057-568-1 Hayton Eric Dee John 2004 The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History Rose Villa Publications Lowestoft 978-0-9548549-0-4 Kobylecky John 2019 The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018 Kobyhadrian Books 978-0-9931433-1-1 Morrison Ian 1989 Snooker: records, facts and champions Guinness Superlatives Ltd Enfield 978-0-85112-364-6 Victoria R. Williams Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing https://books.google.com/books?id=lpDdBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA286 2015 ABC-CLIO Santa Barbara 978-1-61069-639-5 286 3 September 2020 5 September 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200905220523/https://books.google.com/books?id=lpDdBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA286 live 1978 1978 World Championship World Snooker Championship Category:Sports competitions in Sheffield World Snooker Championship