Sidney Smith (snooker player)

Sidney Smith (1908–1990) was a professional billiards and snooker player from the 1930s to the 1950s. He was born on 26 March 1908 in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, England.[1]

He was the first player to make a total clearance in snooker competition, a break of 136 in 1939 in the Daily Mail Gold Cup,[2][3] and had previously made a world record high break of 133 on 11 December 1936 at the Thurston's Snooker Handicap tournament.[1]

Smith's most notable tournament wins were the 1948 United Kingdom Professional Billiards Championship (beating John Barrie 7000-6428)[1] and the News of the World Snooker Championship in 1952.[3][4]

Smith was the runner-up to Joe Davis in the World Snooker Championships of 1938 (having beaten Joe's brother Fred 18–13 in the semi-final)[5] and 1939,[6] and he was a semi-finalist on four occasions (1937,[7] 1940,[8] 1947,[9] 1949[10]).

Smith was the runner-up to Joe Davis in the 1950 News of the World Snooker Championship,[3] and was twice runner-up to Alec Brown in a prestigious tournament of the late 1930s, the Daily Mail Gold Cup.[11]

Smith made three 1000+ billiard breaks in his career, with his highest being a break of 1292.[1]

Smith died in 1990 aged 82.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Andy Hunter on the Cue Collector website http://www.thecuecollector.com/files/CueCollectorArticles/Hunter_Article_16__Sidney_Smith_.pdf Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  2. ↑ David Smith on the Cues n Views website http://www.cuesnviews.co.uk/Snooker/collectsidneysmith.htm Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chris Turner's Snooker Archive http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/tourn.html Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Billiards Quarterly Review : October 1990 quoted at http://www.eaba.co.uk/mags/bqr/1990/10/sydneySmith.html Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  5. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1938.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  6. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1939.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  7. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1937.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  8. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1940.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  9. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1947.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  10. ↑ Global Snooker website http://www.global-snooker.com/professional-snooker-tournaments-archive-world-championship-1949.asp Retrieved 2011-Dec-7
  11. ↑ Chris, Turner. "Other Non-Ranking and Invition Events: First held before 1980". Chris Turners Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-30.

External links