John Spencer (snooker player)

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John Spencer
Born June 18, 1935
Radcliffe, Lancashire
Died July 11, 2006
Bolton
Nationality English
Professional 1968-1991
Highest ranking 2 (1977/78)
Highest break 147
Tournament wins
Ranking events 1
Non-ranking events 7
World Champion 1969, 1971, 1977

John Spencer (18 June 1935 - 11 July 2006) was an English snooker player who dominated the game in the 1970s along with Ray Reardon.

Spencer was born in Radcliffe, Lancashire (now in Greater Manchester), England. He started his snooker career at the age of 15. Snooker was in decline during Spencer's youth, and he did not turn professional until his early 30s, when interest in the game started to revive. He first won the World Championship in 1969 after being loaned £100 by his bank to raise the entry fee. He went on to win two further world titles, the last of which was the historic inaugural event at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 1977. He never reached the top of the world rankings, always being eclipsed by his friend and rival Ray Reardon.

In January 1982, Spencer was Steve Davis's opponent when Davis made the first televised 147 at the Lada Classic tournament at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham. Ironically, Spencer had himself made a 147 at a televised event three years earlier, but the cameramen were on their tea break at the time and the table and ball set were not at the correct standard.

Spencer was the first player to use a two-piece cue which he used to win the 1977 title.

Spencer was the owner of Spencer's snooker club in Bolton in the 1980s, when Snooker was at its peak poularity.

Spencer was also a commentator on snooker for BBC television for many years, and was chairman of the WPBSA for six years.

His first world title came in 1969 and he battled for supremacy throughout the 1970s with Ray Reardon and Alex Higgins as snooker emerged from a phase of obscurity to become one of Britain’s most popular sports.

He won his second world title in 1970 and completed his hat-trick in 1977, beating Cliff Thorburn 25-21 in the final of the first championship to be staged at the Crucible. Spencer won many other titles including Pot Black three times and the Masters once.

He was very nearly the first player to make a televised 147 - unfortunately TV cameramen were on a tea break when he made his maximum in the quarter-finals of the 1979 Holsten International - an event which gave him his last major title.

His cue action included an unusually long backswing which gave him immense cue power, and allowed him to develop new shots using screw and side spin which aided the progression to modern break-building.

Spencer was also a commentator for BBC Sport for many years and had a keen interest in snooker’s administration.

He became a director of the WPBSA and was made chairman in 1990, where he remained for six years.

Spencer retired from snooker suffering from myasthenia gravis (with symptoms including double vision) in 1991. In 2003 he was diagnosed with stomach cancer but he later refused treatment for it in order to enjoy the rest of his life free from the effects of chemotherophy.

Even in later years he remained a dedicated fundraiser and despite his illness in 2005, took part in sponsored parachute jump. His biography was published in April 2005, entitled Out Of The Blue And Into The Black.

Spencer's battle with stomach cancer ended on 11 July 2006 when he died in a hospice in Bolton at the age of 71.

[edit] Tournament wins

[edit] Ranking wins

[edit] Other wins

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