World Snooker Championship 1927 (The First One!) – Throwback

The year 1927 was significant for a few reasons. It was witness to the formation of Pan American Airlines; the start of Mount Rushmore; the birth of Sir Roger Moore; and the world’s population was just over 2 billion. It also happened to be the year of the inaugural World Snooker Championship, or as it was known then, Professional Snooker Championship.

Many are aware of Joe Davis and his impact on the table with his commanding 15 WSC victories, however his contribution off the table is what led to the development of the first professional snooker championship. Having shifted his interest laterally from English Billiards to Snooker, Davis was the key figurehead in the arranging of this first snooker tournament.

Davis partnered with billiard club owner, Bill Camkin, whose hall would host a majority of the matches that took place for this WSC. Davis formulated the draw and format which was then approved by the governing body at the time, BACC (Billiards Association and Control Council). Although their focus was primarily on billiards, public interest was slowing due to its repetitive nature, while snooker became increasingly popular as the years followed.

The thing I found most interesting about this tournament was that even though there were only nine matches, the entire WSC spanned the duration of around 6 months – from end of November through to May. Matches took place in halls across Birmingham, Liverpool, London and Nottingham. The venues had to be arranged by the players involved which is likely the main reason for the length of the whole tournament.

This tournament involved stars that mainly transitioned from being proficient billiards players, such as the three Tom’s (Newman, Carpenter and Dennis, who reached the final against Davis on many occasions). Other players included 1928 finalist, Fred Lawrence; seasoned professional, Albert Cope, who made the tournament high break of 60; World Billiards Champion, Melbourne Inman; and Joe Brady.

Unlike the decades that followed, this initial iteration of the WSC were contested over what we would consider, a shorter format. The most that matches were played up to (including the final) were a best-of-31 (first to 16). And Davis had a comfortable voyage to victory as he secured the first World Championship with scores of 16-7 in both the semi’s and final.

The players had to pay entry fees for the tournament, which were partly used by the BACC to purchase a trophy. Entry fees were 5 guineas per player – guinea being a currency made of a small ounce of gold which had an equivalent value of just over £1. Davis’ notable winnings of £6 and 10 shillings which encompassed the gate receipts is roughly equivalent to £6 and 120p or £15.60 as the conversions of pounds to pence were different back then.

It was a very different time, played under different circumstances and conditions nevertheless, the Professional Snooker Championship in 1927 paved the way for the snooker events that followed. It was also the beginning of the rising popularity that snooker experienced as well as the unbeatable force that was Joe Davis. If this wasn’t arranged, who knows how the landscape of snooker would look like today?

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Best Snooker Counter Clearance of All Time?

This will be highly subjective as I’m sure a majority would select between Alex Higgins’ 69 break, one of Stephen Hendry’s many counter attacks or most recently, Judd Trumps’ spectacular 70 at the Players semi-final. However, personally, I find that this counter clearance had the perfect balance of pressure, shots, atmosphere and a player in top form, which I find myself re-watching time and time again.

Firstly, allow me to tell you my definition of a counter clearance. For my consideration, it is when a player has made a substantial break to the frame and his opponent is required to pot the rest of the balls to steal (likely from an unfavourable position, but not necessarily). This counter clearance must be a one-visit contribution.

If you haven’t garnered from the thumbnail already, in my opinion the best counter clearance of all time was Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 73 break against Mark Selby in the 2016 Masters quarter-finals. O’Sullivan was 5-3 up and Selby had just made a 70 break consisting of pinks and blacks meaning there were still 6 reds on the table with a possible 75 remaining. This included an extremely impressive ‘get out of jail’ double to keep his break going. Very rarely can players actually clear a table with this many points left in one visit due to the amount of work involved. Enter O’Sullivan.

Though it wasn’t immediately after Selby’s misjudged cannon, after a good safety from O’Sullivan with a poor follow up by his opponent, the table was set. Now, it wasn’t the most adverse table; there weren’t any balls on the cushion however, the blue was up in baulk and the reds were relatively close to each other to cause concern.

Shot 1. Definitely one of the best of the whole break. When your opponent has just made a 70 break, it’s fair that a player would feel resigned in that frame and chances to win it are unlikely. Granted, not impossible, and there was clearly enough on the table. However, O’Sullivan was probably preparing himself for the patented Selby comeback, and taking on this first shot of the counter would be a shot-to-nothing. So, he put everything into that shot, including possible position. Because there was no reason not to. Miss it; he moves to the next frame with a 5-4 lead. Sink it; let’s see how far we can make it. And it couldn’t have worked out any better.

The reason his first shot was immaculate was because of the cannon he had to get from it. Miss the cannon on the red left of the pink, and he likely would have been left with a significantly harder colour and who knows what the break would have been. But he got the cannon, knocking the red closer to the cushion and was perfect on the pink. Also, the shot didn’t touch the jaws. Not even close. If the pockets were half the size, it still would have been the perfect pot. You know what, I’m changing my mind as I’m writing this. This was the best shot of the break.

And the rest of the break was masterfully manoeuvred. Like a grandmaster moving his pieces on a chessboard while backed into a corner. O’Sullivan demonstrating his cool skill and demeanour as if he wasn’t 70 behind and required every single ball with high value colour to win the frame and match. He was able to position the cue ball so he could access the reds he needed to pot and by doing so, he was making the other reds available.

A few other key shots that were a treat to watch included a steep black to right middle and a tricky red along the cushion down to bottom left. Two shots that I thought were even more thrilling was the brown he had to pot and go all around the table to get to the blue up in baulk; and then the blue itself. What I enjoyed about the blue was that O’Sullivan could pot it to either right centre or corner due to where he landed. I reckon the easier shot would have been to right corner but for the sake of landing on the pink, O’Sullivan took the blue to right centre perfectly as he cleared up pink and black to win with a 73 break. He continued on to win the Masters that year.

One of the most extraordinary feats of this counter clearance was that it only took O’Sullivan around 5 minutes to do this. Any other player would have taken at least double this time as they would undoubtedly spend more time thinking per shot. Even more impressively was the ease at which O’Sullivan accomplished this. It’s universally agreed that no one makes snooker look easier than O’Sullivan and this break was a prime example. There were so many tricky shots throughout the counter which most players would have broken down on but O’Sullivan potted as if they were hanging over the pockets.

All coupled with the fantastic crowd support as the break was being strung together as well as astonishment in the commentary box as O’Sullivan just kept potting. Dennis Taylor’s words will always echo in memory when thinking of this break: ‘surely Mark Selby can’t make a 70 break and lose the frame…’ And I’m sure many remember the camera pan to Selby’s face as O’Sullivan potted the yellow. I honestly don’t think a single other player past or present would have been able to complete that counter clearance in the way that O’Sullivan did.

If you haven’t watched this break, click here to be redirected to YouTube and watch what I consider the best counter clearance of all time.

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The Importance of Snooker Cues

Much like the clubs a golfer uses, the racket a tennis player wields or even the shoes a runner wears, these performers rarely ever swap out their equipment when they’ve found something that they are comfortable with and serves them well. Snooker players take things to the next level as they generally use one or two cues throughout the course of their multi-decade long careers. Why is this the case?

Similar to the aforementioned sports but perhaps more importantly, the snooker cue is an extension of a players arm. And in a sport such as snooker which relies heavily on precision and technique, it is paramount that players use a cue that enables them to perform the shots that they require. Since snooker cues are made with sturdy materials and construction that allow them to last a significant period of time, it’s understandable that players rely on these pieces for this length of time and prefer not to change it unless necessary.

Dominic Dale discussed in an interview once about the importance of snooker cues and how professionals often use the same cue for their whole careers. Dale stated when players use their own cues that they are familiar with, they can envisage exactly how they want the cue ball to move, particularly when applying spin and playing over distance.

If a player were to frequently change cues they wouldn’t be able to play consistently due to the factors that can affect it such as the tip size/type, weight of the cue and the material used for construction. Obviously, professionals will still be able to pot a ball with any cue however, at the top level they will need to be able to play precise positional shots which they can only comfortably perform with a cue that they have been consistently using. It is common knowledge how Stephen Hendry used a ‘cheap’, off-the-shelf cue for the majority of his career. Other players would have detested at using this cue but Hendry’s familiarity with it was one of his fundamentals that led him to win the 1990s.

Most people will have driven their cars for a long length of time and will have gotten used to the nuances and quirks that come with the car. If you were to change car, you wouldn’t be able to do exactly what you were able to in your former vehicle, as you would have to get used to the characteristics and experience of this new drive.

One of the most noticeable differences between various snooker cues can be their weight. If a player were to experiment with a cue of a differing weight or centre of gravity, this can affect their strike and possibly even slip out of their hand on occasion. It can also lead to deflecting the cue ball a little more or less than the player would prefer.

It’s quite simple at the end of the day. Professional snooker players rely on their cues being able to perform the shots they need and they are in the best position to do this by using the cue that they are always practicing with. Since the cue is an extension of their playing arm, professionals would shy away from experimenting with multiple cues as they need things to be second nature when competing. Given the frequency of tournaments in a season, there wouldn’t be enough time for player to get used to a new cue and would add to the mental pressure that the game already comes with.

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Neil Robertson’s 100th Century – Instant Classic

It was the first time ever achieved; and it seems imminent that we will be seeing this historic feat accomplished once again. In 2013/14, two players broke the single season century record however, one of these individuals ran away with the margin so significantly that he crossed a line many thought wasn’t possible. This is Neil Robertson and his momentous 100th century at the 2014 World Championship.

The stage was set at the WSC quarter-finals as Robertson was in the middle of contesting an epic against long-time rival, Judd Trump. It was towards the business end of the match as Robertson was 10-11 down and had been chasing Trump for some time. At this juncture, the stakes were high and Robertson was just fighting to win the match. And then the break was there.

It wasn’t an easy opening table for Robertson, as evident by the near two minutes spent deciding on his opening shot. However, it was clearly worth the time and thought as Robertson potted an acute long plant that commenced his historic break. The rest of the break was carefully played and judged by the 2010 World Champion and even though Robertson wasn’t necessarily running completely out of position, he wasn’t exactly in prime position throughout, having being saved by a few impressive pots during the contribution. But then the time came as Roberson potted the green that he needed to make 101 and received a deserving uproar from the participating Crucible crowd. Robertson went on to win the match 13-11.

Robertson was on a high-scoring rampage in the 2013/14 season with the UK Championship under his belt as he completed the Triple Crown (and became the first overseas player to achieve this). At the time, the high century record in a single season was held by opponent Trump, with a tally of 61 which was met in 2012/13. The way things seem, it’s like Robertson and Trump are just exchanging the high century record between them.

However, Robertson wasn’t the only one gunning for this record. Ding Junhui managed to beat Trump’s former record of 61 by adding one more to the total during the same season. If Robertson didn’t perform, Ding would have been the record holder until the following seasons. Although, no one was expecting The Thunder from Down Under as he ran away with the centuries with such a considerable distance that he was opening up the fans and pundits to the possibility of a century of centuries – something that was formerly unheard of.

To give an idea of Robertson’s centuries through the season and how extraordinary his scoring was, he eclipsed the previous record of 61 during the Champions League, which takes place from January. In early February, Robertson managed to reach 78 centuries and got this number to almost 90 centuries by the time he was complete with the Welsh Open at the end of the month. He reached 99 centuries thanks to his first two WSC matches before he accomplished the magnificent 100. Robertson then went on to make a further three centuries in his semi-final against Mark Selby to close out the season.

An astonishing moment of history that will always be remembered, particularly as it opened the eyes to other players as to what could be done in a single season. The other high century records after the 103 made by Robertson were all made in the past few seasons following 2013/14. It’s certainly no easy task even with the standards constantly rising, but Robertson has further etched his name in the history books with this Instant Classic.

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