1972 Men of the Midlands

Professional invitational snooker tournament August 2020 August 2020 1972 Men of the Midlands 1972 01 3 1972 03 20 y various England Non-ranking event £1,000 £300 Alex Higgins NIR John Spencer ENG 4–2 First 1973 The 1972 Men of the Midlands was a professional invitational snooker tournament, that took place from 3 January Snooker clash Birmingham Daily Post Birmingham 1 January 1972 16 to 20 March 1972. The tournament was won by Alex Higgins, who defeated John Spencer 4–2 in the final. The competition featured a round-robin group stage, with four players progressing into the semi-finals. Higgins in 'semi-final' Belfast Telegraph Belfast 10 February 1972 17 Higgins won 4–0 against Ray Reardon in one semi final, Higgins too hot for Reardon Belfast Telegraph Belfast 7 March 1972 19 and Spencer defeated Graham Miles 4–0 in the other. Spencer plays Higgins again Birmingham Daily Post Birmingham 15 March 1972 18 Higgins won the first frame of the final, after Spencer missed an easy pink ball pink, and Spencer won the second frame. In the third, Higgins made break breaks of 37 and 28 to win. The fourth frame saw both players miss changes to win, with Higgins eventually taking it with a break of 48. Spencer compiled a 58 break in winning the fifth frame, before Higgins won the sixth, with breaks of 24, 20 and 27, to win the match 4–2. Higgins in repeat win Belfast Telegraph Belfast 21 March 1972 17 The tournament was sponsored by Mitchells and Butlers, who provided a prize fund of £1,000. Higgins received £300 as winner, and Spencer took £225 as runner-up. Round-robin The players were divided into two groups, each of four players.Men of the Midlands World Snooker January 1972 16 DatePlayerScorePlayerVenue 3 January John Spencer ENG 4–1 John Pulman ENG Austin British Legion Spencer beats Pulman 4–1 Birmingham Daily Post 4 January 1972 38 10 January Jackie Rea NIR 4–3 Graham Miles ENG North Walsall Working Men's Club Men of the Midlands World Snooker February 1972 14 17 January David Taylor ENG 4–2 Geoff Thompson ENG Redditch Liberal Club 20 January Ray Reardon WAL 4–0 David Taylor ENG Standard Triumph Club, Coventry 24 January John Spencer ENG 4–2 Jackie Rea NIR Parkinson Cowan 25 January John Spencer ENG 4–3 Graham Miles ENG Wilenhall Social, Coventry 31 January Alex Higgins NIR 4–1 David Taylor ENG Hinckley Liberal Club Men of the Midlands World Snooker March 1972 8–91 February Graham Miles ENG w.o. John Pulman ENG Whitmore Reans Conservative Club, Wolverhampton Pulman fails to turn up Birmingham Daily Post 2 February 1972 25 3 February Jackie Rea NIR w.o. John Pulman ENG Stewarts and Lloyds Club, Corby Townsend Gordon Rugby Coventry Evening Telegraph 15 January 1972 16 7 February Geoff Thompson ENG 4–1 Ray Reardon WAL Saffron Lane Working Men's Club 9 February Alex Higgins NIR 4–1 Ray Reardon WAL Quarry Bank Labour Club 14 February Alex Higgins NIR 4–0 Geoff Thompson ENG Lower Gornal Miners' Welfare Playoff Due to "confusion over dates", Pulman was unable to play his scheduled matches against Miles and Rea. They faced each other in two playoff matches, which Miles won to progress to the semi-finals. DatePlayerScorePlayerVenue unknown Graham Miles ENG 4–1 Jackie Rea NIR Whitmore Reans Conservative Club, Wolverhampton unknown Graham Miles ENG 4–3 Jackie Rea NIR British Steel, Corby Knockout results The match between Spencer and Miles was staged at Longbridge Social Club, and Higgins played Reardon at British Steel, Halesowen. The final was at Smethwick Working Men's Club.Men of the Midlands Snooker Scene April 1972 15 Semi-finalsBest-of-seven frames FinalBest-of-seven frames 150 25 Alex Higgins NIR 4 Ray Reardon WAL 1 John Spencer ENG 4 Graham Miles ENG 0 Alex Higgins NIR 4 John Spencer ENG 2 References Men of the Midlands Men of the Midlands