News of the World Championship

News of the World Championship
Tournament information
Venue Burroughes Hall
Location London
Country England
Established 1950
Organisation(s) World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
Format Non-ranking event
Final Year 1959
Final champion(s) England Joe Davis

The News of the World Championship was the premium snooker tournament of the 1950s and widely considered as being more important than the world championship due to the involvement of Joe Davis.

History

One of the leading professional tournaments after World War II, the event was sponsored by the Sunday newspaper News of the World and carried a £1,500 prize money. The event was first held at the Leicester Square Hall in London, where it remained until 1958. The event was played on a round-robin basis. All tournaments used a handicap system, as Joe Davis was deemed superior and his opponents were given points per frame.[1]

All matches were best of 37 frames, and they were played over three days. During the 1950 tournament Walter Donaldson was the only player starting without extra points, while Horace Lindrum, Sidney Smith and George Chenier received 13, John Pulman 14, Peter Mans 16 and Albert Brown 30 points per frame.[2] The highest break of the tournament was four times higher than 140, which was unusual at that time.[1]

The 1959 event was played under the snooker plus format, a variant with two additional colour (8pt orange and 10pt purple), allowing a maximum break of 210.[3] which was introduced to the public by Joe Davis on 26 October at the Burroughes Hall in London.[4]

Winners

[1]

Year Winner Runner-up Season
1950 England Joe Davis England Sidney Smith n/a
1951 England Alec Brown England John Pulman n/a
1952 England Sidney Smith England Albert Brown n/a
1953 England Joe Davis Northern Ireland Jackie Rea n/a
1954 England John Pulman England Joe Davis n/a
1955 Northern Ireland Jackie Rea England Joe Davis n/a
1956 England Joe Davis England Fred Davis n/a
1957 England John Pulman England Fred Davis n/a
1958[5] England Fred Davis England John Pulman n/a
1959[6] England Fred Davis England Joe Davis n/a
1959*[7][8] England Joe Davis England Fred Davis n/a

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Turner, Chris. "News Of The World Tournament". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  2. ↑ Davis, Joe (1976). "Chapter 20 : The elusive 147". The Breaks Came My Way – Autobiography. W. H. Allen Ltd. ISBN 0-491-01686-7. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  3. ↑ "Definitions of terms used in Snooker and English Billiards (search for snooker plus)". snookergames.co.uk. Snooker Games. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "Snooker Plus". The Glasgow Herald: p. 10. 27 October 1959. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  5. ↑ "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald: p. 4. 17 March 1958. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  6. ↑ "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald: p. 4. 17 November 1958. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "Snooker Plus". The Glasgow Herald: p. 6. 20 November 1959. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Snooker Plus". The Glasgow Herald: p. 10. 23 November 1959. Retrieved 8 April 2014.