1952 World Snooker Championship

The 1952 World Snooker Championship was a snooker tournament held between Monday 25 February and Saturday 8 March 1952 at Houldsworth Hall in Manchester, England.[1][2][3]

World Snooker Championship
Tournament information
Dates25 February – 8 March 1952
VenueHouldsworth Hall
CityManchester
CountryEngland
Organisation(s)BACC
Highest breakNot known
Final
Champion Horace Lindrum
Runner-up Clark McConachy
Score94–49
← 1951
1952 →
Manchester
Venues

There were only two entrants, Australian Horace Lindrum and New Zealander Clark McConachy, following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC).[4] The BACC thought the championship was primarily about honour, and financial consideration should come second.[1] The PBPA established an alternative 'world championship' called the PBPA Snooker Championship. Lindrum won the 145-frame match comfortably, taking a winning 73–37 lead early on the 10th day.

Background

McConachy had played in the 1951/1952 News of the World Snooker Tournament from September 1951 to January 1952. This was the annual round-robin handicap tournament played by the leading professionals. McConachy had performed badly, losing all eight matches and winning an average of 11 frames in each 37-frame match. He lost all three matches he played on level terms, 10–27 to Albert Brown, 8–29 to John Pulman, and 11–26 to Sidney Smith. He lost 11–26 to Joe Davis, despite receiving a 21-point start in each frame.

On 19 February, the Tuesday before the final, McConachy had scored one of the early snooker maximum breaks in a practice frame at the Beaufort Club in London. An official of the BACC later examined the table and found it slightly over the standard size and so the break was not accepted as official. At the time, Joe Davis held the record for the highest official break of 146.[5][6]

Lindrum did not play in the 1951/1952 News of the World Snooker Tournament. His last competitive tournament was the 1951 World Snooker Championship, in which he had lost to Walter Donaldson in the semi-final, Donaldson taking a winning 36–25 lead on the final day.[7] Lindrum had played in the 1950/1951 News of the World Snooker Tournament, beating Fred Davis on level terms but losing his other six matches. He had lost 13–24 to Joe Davis, receiving a 25-point start in each frame.

Summary

Lindrum and McConachy met in the 145-frame match.[8] The score was 6–6 after the first day[8] but Lindrum pulled ahead, leading 14–10 after the second day[9] and 22–14 after three days.[10] The 12 frames were shared on day four but Lindrum still led 28–20,[11] extending his lead to 38–22 after day five.[12] Lindrum led 44–28 at the end of the first week after another level day.[13]

Lindrum won eight frames on the second Monday, to lead 52–32[14] and then nine frames on the second Tuesday to leave him 61–35 ahead.[15] After another good day, in which he won 10 frames, Lindrum led 71–37, needing just two of the remaining 37 for victory.[16] On the Thursday, Lindrum won the first two frames to reach a winning 73–37 position.[2][17] The remaining 35 "dead" frames were due to be played, although in the end only a total of 143 frames were played, Lindrum winning 94–49.[2] Lindrum became the first non-British player to win the World Championship.[18]

Main draw

Sources:[3][19][20]

Final
145 frames[18][21][22]
   
Horace Lindrum 94
Clark McConachy 49

References
  1. Everton, Clive (30 April 2009). "Neil Robertson set to rewrite history as first genuine Australian world champion". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. "Horace Lindrum's Snooker Win Easy". The Mercury. 10 March 1952. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  4. "World Snooker Title". The Glasgow Herald. 19 February 1952. p. 2.
  5. "Great Snooker Break - The Maximum Score". The Times. 20 February 1952. p. 2.
  6. "Mr Clark McConachy". The Times. 19 April 1980. p. 14.
  7. "Donaldson in snooker final". Aberdeen Evening Express. 27 January 1951. Retrieved 20 January 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 26 February 1952. p. 3.
  9. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 27 February 1952. p. 9.
  10. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 28 February 1952. p. 6.
  11. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 29 February 1952. p. 7.
  12. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 1 March 1952. p. 2.
  13. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 3 March 1952. p. 7.
  14. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 4 March 1952. p. 2.
  15. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 5 March 1952. p. 9.
  16. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 6 March 1952. p. 9.
  17. "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 7 March 1952. p. 7.
  18. "Lindrum Gains Snooker Title". The Mercury. 8 March 1952. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  19. "World Championship – Roll of Honour". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  20. Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. p. 144. ISBN 0-9548549-0-X.
  21. "Lindrum Leading In Snooker". Morning Bulletin. 8 March 1952. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  22. "Horace Lindrum In Lead". The West Australian. 8 March 1952. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
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