1972 World Snooker Championship

October 2025 April 2022 1972 World Snooker Championship March 1971 – 26 February 1972 yes Selly Park British Legion Birmingham England WPBSA £480 Alex Higgins NIR (133) Alex Higgins NIR John Spencer ENG 37–31 1971 1973 The 1972 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between March 1971 and 26 February 1972, as an edition of the World Snooker Championship. The final was played at Selly Park British Legion from 21 to 26 February. Alex Higgins won his first world title, defeating defending champion John Spencer 37–31 in the final. Higgins also made the highest known break of the tournament, 133. In all, he won six matches to secure the title, including a 31–30 deciding frame victory over Rex Williams in the semi-final after Williams had missed an attempt to pot a blue ball. Higgins became the first qualifier to win the World Championship, and, aged 22, the youngest champion until Stephen Hendry in 1990. Higgins' win led to increased interest in snooker from the media and sponsors. The tournament ran from March 1971 to February 1972, with matches at various venues. Spectators at the final were seated on wooden boards placed atop beer barrels. On the first evening of the final, the session was conducted with reduced light provided by a mobile generator, as the normal power supply was interrupted due to the miners' strike. 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 1935,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 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 7 January 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210107025119/https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/ live thumb|upright=0.85|alt=John Spencer at a snooker table|The defending champion was John Spencer (pictured in 1971). In 1952, following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the BACC about the distribution of income from the world championship, the PBPA members established an alternative competition known as the World Professional Match-play Championship, the editions of which are now recognised as world championships, while only Horace Lindrum and Clark McConachy entered for the BACC's 1952 World Snooker Championship.Williams Luke Gadsby Paul 2005 Masters of the Baize Edinburgh Mainstream 978-1-84018-872-1 47Turner 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 World Professional Match-play Championship continued until 1957, after which there were no world championship matches until professional Rex Williams gained agreement from the BACC that the world championship would be staged on a challenge basis, with defending champion Pulman featuring in the first match.Morrison Ian 1989 Snooker: records, facts and champions Guinness Superlatives Ltd 978-0-85112-364-6 8Hale Janice 1991 Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1991–92 Aylesbury Queen Anne Press 978-0-356-19747-0 294–295 Pulman retained the title in several challenges from 1964 to 1968. Pulman had been touring snooker clubs as promotional work for the tobacco brand John Player, and the company had sponsored his 1968 match against Eddie Charlton. The good attendances for the championship match led to John Player deciding to sponsor the 1969 World Snooker Championship as a knock-out format tournament,Everton Clive 2012 Black farce and cue ball wizards Mainstream Edinburgh 978-1-78057-568-1 42 using their "Players No. 6" brand.Players No. 6 sponsor world championship Billiards and Snooker Billiards Association and Control Council November 1968 13 The 1969 championship is regarded as the first of the modern snooker era, and was won by John Spencer, who defeated Gary Owen 37–24 in the final. John Higgins eyes more crucible titles https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/5276218/John-Higgins-eyes-more-Crucible-titles.html The Daily Telegraph London 5 May 2009 13 April 2020 registration "the modern era, which began in 1969 when the World Championship became a knockout event." https://web.archive.org/web/20100430020307/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/5276218/John-Higgins-eyes-more-Crucible-titles.html 30 April 2010 livePitt Nick Snooker: Pocket man O'Sullivan eager to chalk up another title: The champion is in irresistible form as he starts his defence at the Crucible The Sunday Times 20 April 2014 13 "in the modern era since 1969"Hayton Eric Dee John 2004 The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History Rose Villa Publications Lowestoft 978-0-9548549-0-4 7 "the world championship ... took on the modern day look during the 1968–69 season"8 The 1972 championship was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, which was the renamed PBPA. The draw for players entering the competition was made in February 1971. There was an entry fee of £100 per player, with the intention that the winner would receive 60% of the combined entry fees, and the runner-up 40%, with gate receipts after expenses also going to players. There was no sponsor for the tournament,47 and the prize money was by arrangement with individual promoters;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 11 May 2012 The defending champion was Spencer, who had won the 1971 World Snooker Championship (which was actually held in 1970) in Australia.Spencer is snooker champion Belfast Telegraph 7 November 1970 14 The tournament ran from March 1971 to February 1972.Everton Clive 1981 The Guinness Book of Snooker Guinness Superlatives Ltd Enfield 978-0-85112-230-4 90 Tournament summary Qualifying and first round The qualifying competition contained eight players of which two qualifiers joined other entrants in the competition proper. Those in the qualifying section included Alex Higgins, and four former amateur champions, Ron Gross, Maurice Parkin, Pat Houlihan and Geoff Thompson. In the first qualifying round, over 21 frames, two matches were played at the Brentham Club, Ealing.Everton Clive 1993 The Embassy Book of World Snooker Bloomsbury London 978-0-7475-1610-1 31–35 John Dunning led Houlihan 9-5 but won only by a single frame, 11–10.Haseldine Norman John Dunning 11 – Pat Houlihan 10 World Snooker April 1971 5 Higgins compiled a 103 break in the seventh frame against Gross, and reached a winning score at 11–4. It ended 16–5 after dead frames.Haseldine Norman Alex Higgins 16 – Ronald Gross 5 World Snooker April 1971 6 Graham Miles eliminated Bernard Bennett at the Castle Club, Southampton, and made a 115 break in the 21st frame, making it 15–6. Parkin won in a deciding frame against Thompson at Barnsley Conservative Club.Miles and Parkin come through World Snooker May 1971 5 In the second qualifying round, playing at Ecclesfield Ex-Servicemen's Club, Sheffield, Higgins took ten consecutive frames while defeating Parkin 11–3.Higgins wins – now for Jack Rea Belfast Telegraph 9 September 1971 9 Dunning eliminated Miles 11–5 at the Selly Park British Legion.Alex Higgins 11 – Maurice Parkin 3; John Dunning 11 – Graham Miles 5 World Snooker October 1971 2 There were two matches played in the first round of the main competition. Higgins eliminated Jackie Rea 19–11 at the Ecclesfield Ex-Servicemen's Club. He compiled a 103 break in the third session and a 133 during the fourth session.World professional snooker championship World Snooker December 1971 1 Rea complimented Higgins on the performance, saying that "He does everything wrong. And yet he knocks such a lot in".84 John Pulman took a 6–2 lead against Dunning, and went on to win 19–7. Fred Davis was due to play Kingsley Kennerley, but proceeded by walkover when Kennerley withdrew due to illness. Quarter-finals and semi-finals Spencer eliminated Davis 31–21. Williams defeated the 1970 champion Reardon 25–23 in a match held across five different venues in Scotland. Reardon trailed 20–22 before winning the following three frames, after which Williams won three frames in succession to secure victory.Rex Williams 25 Ray Reardon 23 World Snooker December 1971 2 Owen was expected to face Taylor, but withdrew after emigrating to Australia. His place in the draw was given to Charlton by the WPBSA.Charlton in for Owen World Snooker June 1971 5 Charlton, who arrived from Australia on the first morning of his match against Taylor, won 31–25.Eddie Charlton 31, David Taylor 25 World Snooker January 1972 7 Pulman took a 2–0 lead against Higgins, but was 2–3 behind before finishing their first day the odd frame ahead at 4–3. Higgins led 12–8 after the second day, and 19–14 at the close of day three. The penultimate day ended with Higgins 28–19 up, and although Pulman won the first two frames on the concluding day, Higgins secured victory at 31–23.Alex Higgins 31, John Pulman 23 World Snooker January 1972 6 Spencer had embarked on a tour of Canada between the quarter-finals and semi-finals. He won 37–32 against Charlton, in the semi-final played at the Co-op Hall, Bolton, from 10 to 14 January.Where it's at World Snooker January 1972 5 The players agreed on a £750 side bet to be paid by the losing player to the winner.Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 978-1-85225-013-3 97 Williams took nine consecutive frames to establish a 12–6 lead against Higgins. Higgins next took the lead at 26–25. The match went to a deciding frame, and Williams was 28 points to 14 ahead when he missed an attempt to pot a blue ball from its spot into a middle pocket. Higgins compiled a break of 32, and then, following some safety play, potted the green ball to clinch victory, 31–30.Charlton clears table for 124 The Sydney Morning Herald 12 January 1972 21 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sydney-morning-herald-charlton-clear/161960652/ Newspapers.com Williams later commented "That blue could have changed the direction of both our careers."84 On the day before the start of the Championship final, Spencer and Higgins contested the final of the Spring Park Drive 2000 event, which Spencer won 4–3. Final The final was played at the Selly Park British Legion, Birmingham, from 21 to 26 February, refereed by Jim Thorpe. Historian Dominic Sandbrook wrote in 2019 that the tournament had been "organized in conditions of laughable amateurishness" and that the final was played under "risibly ramshackle conditions".Sandbrook Dominic Who Dares Wins: Britain, 1979–1982 2019 Allen Lane London 978-1-846-14737-1 394 Spectators at the final were seated on wooden boards placed atop beer barrels.84 There was a miners' strike in progress at the same time as the final, and on the second evening of play, without normal power, the session was conducted with reduced light provided by a mobile generator. Before the match started, Spencer was generally expected to win. The first session finished with the players tied at 3–3. In the eighth frame, Higgins made a break of 35, but Spencer then compiled a 101 break to take the frame. The first day ended with the score 6–6.Everton Clive Spencer 13–11 ahead in snooker final The Birmingham Post 23 February 1972 22Everton Clive How Alexander the great toppled king John Snooker Scene April 1972 4–8 Spencer made his second century break of the match, 109, in the 16th frame, and the third session concluded with the players again level, at 9–9,85 while the fourth session saw Spencer go 13–11 ahead. Day three closed with the score 18–18 at the half-way point of the match, and the players were still tied, now at 21–21, following the next session.85 Higgins then won six consecutive frames to make it 27–21.85 On day five, Spencer was stuck in a lift due to a power cut, and the match started ten minutes late. Higgins took the first frame of the ninth session, but lost four of the next five, leaving him 29–25 ahead. Both players won three frames in the tenth session. On the last day, Higgins clinched the 61st frame with a break of 40. Spencer then produced his third century break of the match, 123, in the 62nd frame, and added the next two frames to his tally with breaks over 50 in each. Higgins made a break of 82 in the 66th frame, which left him leading at 35–31.Everton Clive Spencer-Higgins lands title at first attempt Birmingham Daily Post 28 February 1972 18 He took the opening frame of the concluding session by 62 points to 38, then compiled breaks of 94 and 46 to win the last frame he needed by 140 points to 0 to secure a 37–31 victory.Snooker: Higgins makes final flourish The Times 28 February 1972 7Some sources give the score as 37–32. The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History (2004) says "Higgins triumphed 37–31 (not 37–32 as so many publications have wrongly printed)".8 Spencer made three century breaks during the final, while the highest break by Higgins was the 94 in the decisive frame.85 The trophy was presented to Higgins by Pulman.(Picture caption) Snooker Scene April 1972 1 Higgins, who was required to win two qualifying matches to reach the tournament proper, became the first qualifier to win the world snooker championship. The win made him the youngest champion, at the age of 1949 03 18 1972 02 26, until Stephen Hendry won the title in 1990. He received £480 prize money for the match, while Spencer received £320, in addition to their earnings from previous rounds.Everton Clive Spencer-Higgins world snooker final is a hit with the fans The Birmingham Post 17 February 1972 17 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-post-shws/173806743/ Newspapers.com Higgins also received 6,000 cigarettes from the sponsors.Bain Mark Alex Higgins and the six days that changed snooker for ever https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/alex-higgins-and-the-six-days-that-changed-snooker-for-ever-41387204.html Belfast Telegraph 26 February 2022 15 August 2022 subscription The final attracted little press attention; the match report in The Times ran to only 90 words. Shortly afterwards, however, there was increasing interest, particularly in Higgins, from news media.Hendon David Alex Higgins: the man who changed snooker https://wst.tv/alex-higgins-the-man-who-changed-snooker/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220516092957/https://wst.tv/alex-higgins-the-man-who-changed-snooker/ dead 16 May 2022 16 May 2022 World Snooker 14 August 2022Kane Desmond Blood on the carpet: how Higgins and Davis made modern snooker https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/world-championship/2016-2017/blood-on-the-carpet-how-bitter-rivals-alex-higgins-and-steve-davis-created-modern-snooker_sto6126816/story.shtml 25 July 2020 Eurosport 14 August 2022 In March he was the subject of a profile in The Sunday People, and a documentary titled Hurricane Higgins was broadcast on ITV in September 1972.Burn Gordon Pocket money 2008 1986 Faber & Faber London 978-0-571-23683-1 121–125 Gordon Burn described Higgins's play on the Thursday evening of the final, during which Higgins won all six frames, as "snooker which, in its insolence, its exuberance, its confidence and its danger, few of those present have ever seen before".123 Journalist Donald Trelford wrote of Higgins that "This thin, pale, hollow-cheeked ex-jockey was something new to the game, cutting through its genteel pretensions like a swordsman."Trelford Donald Snookered 1986 Faber & Faber London 978-0-571-13640-790 Snooker historian Clive Everton told Trelford that after Higgins's victory, "snooker was never the same again".90 Promotions company West and Nally, believing that the emergence of Higgins represented a commercial opportunity, organised a further Park Drive 2000 event. Park Drive sponsored the 1973 World Snooker Championship providing £8,000 in prize money.Everton Clive 1985 Snooker: The Records Guinness Superlatives Ltd Enfield 978-0-85112-448-3 57–58 The 1973 Championship was staged as fortnight-long event rather than a much longer tournament like the 1972 Championship had been, and for the first time, part of the final was televised by the BBC. Main draw Results are shown below. Winning players are denoted in bold.1972 World Championships Results http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=40 Snooker Database 6 March 2012 18 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180618130638/http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=40 deadEmbassy 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 2012 +First round (Best of 37 frames)PlayerScorePlayer Alex Higgins NIR 19–11 Jackie Rea NIR John Pulman ENG 19–7 John Dunning ENGFred Davis ENG w.o. Kingsley Kennerley ENG Best of 61 frames John Spencer ENG 31 Fred Davis ENG 21 Best of 61 frames Eddie Charlton AUS 31 David Taylor ENG 25 Best of 61 frames Alex Higgins NIR 31 John Pulman ENG 23 Best of 49 frames Rex Williams ENG 25 Ray Reardon WAL 23 Best of 73 frames John Spencer ENG 37 Eddie Charlton AUS 32 Best of 61 frames Alex Higgins NIR 31 Rex Williams ENG 30 Best of 73 frames John Spencer ENG 31 Alex Higgins NIR 37 Qualifying Results are shown below. Winning players are denoted in bold. +Round 1 (Best of 21 frames)PlayerScorePlayer Alex Higgins NIR 15–6 Ron Gross ENG Maurice Parkin ENG 11–10 Geoff Thompson ENG John Dunning ENG 11–10 Pat Houlihan ENG Graham Miles ENG 15–6 Bernard Bennett ENG +Round 2 (Best of 21 frames) Alex Higgins NIR 11–3 Maurice Parkin ENG John Dunning ENG 11–5 Graham Miles ENG Known century breaks The known century breaks made at the qualifying and main tournament were as follows.There were no known century breaks by Bennett, Davis, Dunning, Gross, Houlihan, Parkin, Pulman, Rea, Reardon, Thompson, or Williams.12, 47, 66, 92, 114, 189, 200, 201, 203, 238, 264 133, 115, 104, 103, four other century breaks Alex HigginsKobylecky John 2019 The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018 Kobyhadrian Books 978-0-9931433-1-1 108 124 Eddie Charlton34 123, 109, 101 John Spencer226 115 Graham Miles154 Notes References 1972 World Championships World Snooker Championship Category:Sports competitions in Birmingham, West Midlands