1976 Masters (snooker)

Professional non-ranking snooker tournament, Jan 1976 April 2022 1976 Benson & Hedges Masters 1976 01 26 1976 01 30 y New London Theatre London England Single elimination; non-Ranking event £5,200 £2,000 Eddie Charlton AUS (97) Ray Reardon WAL Graham Miles ENG 7–3 1975 1977 The 1976 Masters (officially the 1976 Benson & Hedges Masters) was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 26 to 30 January 1976 at the New London Theatre in London, England. It was the second edition of The Masters and was organised and sponsored by the cigarette brand Benson & Hedges with the sanction of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. John Spencer was the defending champion, having defeated Ray Reardon 9–8 on a re-spotted black in the 1975 final. Reardon won the 1976 event, defeating Graham Miles 7–3 in the final. Aged 43 years and three months at the time of his win, Reardon remained the oldest winner of the event until Stuart Bingham won the title in 2020. The highest break of the tournament was 97 by Eddie Charlton. Overview The 1976 Masters was staged at the New London Theatre in Drury Lane, London, with ten invited players and was the second edition of the Masters after its establishment in 1975.Turner Chris The Masters http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/masters.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120107160419/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/masters.html 7 January 2012 Chris Turner's Snooker Archive 1 March 2011 It was organised by representatives of the sponsors, cigarette brand Benson & Hedges, and sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. John Spencer was the defending champion, having defeated Ray Reardon 9–8 on a re-spotted black in the 1975 final.Spencer by a whisker Lancashire Telegraph 18 January 1975 15 https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancashire-telegraph/201818875/ Newspapers.com The 1975 tournament had been held at the West Centre Hotel in Fulham and had not been successful, with relatively high ticket prices, difficult playing conditions caused by the snooker table cloth drying out because of the television lighting, and the tournament being located out of the centre of town.Everton 2012 317–328Morrison 1987 13.Two cheers for Benson and Hedges Snooker Scene February 1975 3–4 Fred Davis commented that the New London Theatre was "just the sort of prestigious venue at which snooker should be presented, particularly in London."Davis 1983 34 Reardon was the bookmakers' pre-tournament favourite to win, with odds of 6/4. The second-favourite was Spencer at 7/4, followed by both Alex Higgins and Eddie Charlton at 6/1.Ward-Smith Paul cue for the old master The Sunday Telegraph 25 January 1976 36 https://www.newspapers.com/article/sunday-telegraph/202269622/ Newspapers.com Highlights were broadcast as part of Grandstand on BBC1, with commentary by Ted Lowe.Grandstand BBC Programme Index BBC https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6ffab332d6f74fe7b1fa1fffb95a1a65 21 July 2026 Prize fund The winner of the event received £2,000 from a total prize fund of £5,200. The breakdown of prize money is shown below: Winner: £2,000 Runner-up: £1,000 Semi-finals: £500 Quarter-finals: £250 First round: £100 Total: £5,200 Summary First round First round matches were played on 26 and 27 January as the best-of-seven frames.Three cheers for Benson and Hedges Snooker Scene March 1976 15–17Advertisment for the Benson and Hedges Masters Evening Standard 26 January 1976 35 https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-standard/202093743/ Newspapers.com Fred Davis made a break of 71 to win the opening frame against Cliff Thorburn but lost the second frame on a re-spotted black after having led by 46 points to 0. Davis won frame three, and added frame four when he fluked the final black ball.Veteran Davis has to work hard Northern Echo 27 January 1976 4 https://www.newspapers.com/article/northern-echo/202270733/ Newspapers.com A break of 54 by Thorburn saw him win frame five, but Davis won the sixth frame on the final pink to prevail 4–2. The highest break of the match between John Pulman and Dennis Taylor was a 33 by Pulman in the second frame. Pulman had won the first frame but lost the second frame on the final black. Pulman won the third frame, and added the fourth on the final black after Taylor had made a break of 32. Taylor had a break of 30 and won frame five, then Pulman, also with a break of 30, sealed the match at 4–2 in the next frame. Quarter-finals The quarter-finals were played from 26 to 28 January as the best-of-nine frames. Davis led John Spencer by 40 points to 0 in frame one and by 35 to 0 in frame two, but lost both frames. Spencer went on to complete a whitewash, with breaks of 77 in frame three and 60 in frame four. Graham Miles won the first three frames against Alex Higgins with what Snooker Scene magazine described as "cue ball control of the highest quality."16 Miles produced an 86 break in the third frame and followed it with a 56 in frame four. Higgins had an opportunity to win the third frame, but missed when attempting to pot the yellow ball. Higgins did take the fourth frame, but Miles won the match 4–1. Eddie Charlton faced Rex Williams, who was the reigning world billiards champion, having successfully seen off Charlton's challenge for that title in September 1974,Everton 1986 88 Charlton made a break of 97 in the first frame of which turned out to be the highest of the tournament.Charlton crushes Williams The Guardian 28 January 1976 2 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian/202134730/ Newspapers.com After Charlton had compiled a break of 38 in frame two, Williams responded with a break of 21 that ended when he accidentally jump shot jumped the cue ball over the black during a break. Charlton won that frame, and added frame three which he won by double doubling the final black. A break of 48 helped Williams win the fourth frame, but Charlton secured a win at 4–1 after making a break of 55 in frame five. Ray Reardon defeated Pulman 4–1 in what Snooker Scene magazine described as "a match for connoisseurs of the ghastly."16 Reardon later described it as "a dreadful match."Reardon Buxton 1982 117 Both players made a number of mistakes, and the highest break of the match was a 22 by Pulman. At the end of frame four, Pulman missed the final black, which would have put him level at 2–2. Reardon potted the black to win the frame and then won frame five for what Snooker Scene called "one of the most undistinguished wins of his career."16 Tickets for the match were priced at £1.50 but ticket touts had been reselling them for up to £12.50.Corbett Ted Touts cash in as Reardon heads to final Daily Mirror 29 January 1976 28 https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror/202095307/ Newspapers.com Semi-finals thumb|alt=Ray Rardon wearing a waistcoat|Ray Reardon (pictured circa 1983) won the title. The semi-finals were held on 29 January as the best-of-nine frames. Both matches went to a deciding frame. Miles won the first frame against Spencer, capitalising after Spencer had missed an attempt at a long pot on a green ball. Spencer won the next two frames comfortably, and made breaks of 44 and 45 in frame three. He led Miles in frame four, but Miles made a break of 42, and twice snookered him. Miles won the frame on the green ball. Spencer fluked the re-spotted black to win frame five. Miles levelled the match at 3–3, and again at 4–4 after Spencer had won frame seven with a break of 74. Miles won the deciding frame 61–9. Charlton, despite not missing any straightforward pots, lost the first three frames to Reardon, who recorded a 65 break in the first frame. A 52 break earnt Charlton the fourth frame, to which he added the next frame, and then frame 6 by a 110 points to 0. Reardon took the lead again with a 43 break in frame seven. In the eighth frame, Charlton went in-off the penultimate red ball and again off the last red ball. Reardon cleared to the pink, but failed to pot it; Charlton did pot it, to level again at 4–4.Charlton led by 28-point to 0 in the deciding frame, but was later 33–44 behind after a 35 break by Reardon.Reardon failed to pot the final red ball, but fluked a snooker, and after Charlton played and left the last red pottable, Reardon completed a clearance to win 5–4. Final The final between Reardon and Miles was played on 30 January as the best-of-13 frames across two sessions. Gus Lillygreen was the referee. The match was sold out, and tickets exchanged hands for as much as £50, against a face value of £2. Reardon took the first three frames, with breaks of 40, 46 and 57; Miles conceded the third frame at 1–63 with two reds remaining.I aim to be in there at finish says Miles Birmingham Evening Mail 30 January 1976 22 https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail/202095712/ Newspapers.com A break of 32 contributed to Miles winning frame four. Reardon re-established a three-frame lead with a break of 70 in the fifth frame; the break ended when he went in-off the final brown ball. Reardon added the sixth frame, then Miles won the final frame of the first session, coming from behind with a break of 34. Reardon compiled a clearance of 90 in the first frame of the second session. Miles made it 3–6 with breaks of 24 and 39 in frame nine, but Reardon won frame ten, including a 35 break, to claim victory at 7–3. He said afterwards that "I began the tournament out of form because I had not handled a cue for four days. I really can't see anyone around who can beat me for my world title in April."Corbett Ted Ray is still the master Daily Mirror 31 January 1976 26 https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-mirror/202100700/ Newspapers.com Miles commented that "Ray was terrific. He left nothing for me." The match report in Snooker Scene magazine commented that "A capacity crowd, a magnificent arena and a sense of occasion always seems to inspire Reardon's best".17 The report also said that Miles had "emerged as a fully fledged member of the very top group of players after spending quite a few years on the immediate fringe."17 Reardon was 43 years and three months old when he won, and would remain the oldest player to win the Masters until Stuart Bingham won the 2020 edition at 43 years and eight months old.Masters 2020: Stuart Bingham fights back to beat Ali Carter and win title https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/51168579 live https://web.archive.org/web/20200121084014/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/51168579 21 January 2020 19 January 2020 25 November 2020 BBC Sport The Snooker Scene editorial also stated that the event was free from the issues that had adversely affected the inaugural event, and was "thoroughly well presented" and a suitable showcase for the sport in London, "attracting as it did not only the hardcore enthusiasts but a more general public".15 Clive Everton wrote in 2012 that "There was a new sense of prestige and occasion to which the public responded."Everton 2012 318 All 1,500 tickets were sold for the final and semi-finals, and some of the other matches attracted near-capacity audiences.15 Tournament draw The draw of the tournament is shown below. The match winners are shown in bold.The Masters http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=60 https://web.archive.org/web/20130124071627/http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=60 24 January 2013 Snooker Scene 8 August 2012Benson & Hedges Masters https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=1725 snooker.org 23 July 2026 16 May 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260516030555/https://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=1725 live high auto no First roundBest of 7 frames Quarter-finalsBest of 7 frames Semi-finalsBest of 9 frames FinalBest of 13 frames y Fred Davis ENG 4 Cliff Thorburn CAN 2 John Pulman ENG 4 Dennis Taylor NIR 2 John Spencer ENG 4 Fred Davis ENG 0 Alex Higgins NIR 1 Graham Miles ENG 4 Rex Williams ENG 1 Eddie Charlton AUS 4 Ray Reardon WAL 4 John Pulman ENG 1 John Spencer ENG 4 Graham Miles ENG 5 Eddie Charlton AUS 4 Ray Reardon WAL 5 Graham Miles ENG 3 Ray Reardon WAL 7 Final: details and frame scores + FinalTriple Crown Final Referees World Snooker Tour https://www.wst.tv/referees/triplecrownfinalreferees/ 17 July 2026 5 April 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250405113327/https://www.wst.tv/referees/triplecrownfinalreferees/ live Best of 13 frames. Referee: Gus LillygreenNew London Theatre, London, England, 30 January 1976.Numbers in parentheses are breaks of 50 or more. Ray Reardon WAL 7–3 Graham Miles ENG First session: 79–34, 88–11, 63–1 (57), 42–68, 73–18 (70), 61–22, 41–95Second session: 104–17 (90), 11–85, 57–16 90 Highest break 39 3 50+ breaks 0 References Books Davis Fred Talking Snooker A&C Black London 1983 1979 978-0-7136-2409-0 Everton Clive 1986 The History of Snooker and Billiards Partridge Press Haywards Heath 978-1-85225-013-3 Everton Clive 2012 A History of Billiards englishbilliards.org Malmesbury 978-0-9564054-5-6 Morrison Ian 1987 The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker Revised Twickenham Hamlyn Publishing Group 978-0-600-55604-6 Reardon Ray Ray Reardon Buxton Peter Ray Reardon 1982 David & Charles Newton Abbott 978-0-7153-8262-2 Category:Masters (snooker) Masters Masters (snooker) Masters (snooker) Category:Sport in the London Borough of Camden