1953/1954 News of the World Snooker Tournament

The 1953/1954 News of the World Snooker Tournament was a professional snooker tournament sponsored by the News of the World. The tournament was won by John Pulman who won 7 of his 8 matches and finished ahead of Joe Davis who won 5 matches. The News of the World Snooker Tournament ran from 1949/50 to 1959.

News of the World Tournament
Tournament information
Dates7 September 1953–16 January 1954
VenueLeicester Square Hall
CityLondon
CountryUnited Kingdom
FormatNon-Ranking event
Total prize fund£1500
Winner's share£500
Final
Champion John Pulman
Runner-up Joe Davis
← 1952/53
1954/55 →

Format

The 1953/54 event was a round-robin snooker tournament and was played from 7 September 1953 to 16 January 1954. All matches were played at Leicester Square Hall in London. There were 9 competitors and a total of 36 matches. The competitors were Joe Davis, Fred Davis, Walter Donaldson, John Barrie, Albert Brown, Alec Brown, John Pulman, Jackie Rea and Rex Williams.[1] Sidney Smith was due to participate, but withdrew before the tournament started.[1] Each match lasted three days and was the best of 37 frames.

Each match was separately handicapped. Joe Davis played level with Fred Davis and gave Walter Donaldson 14, John Barrie, Albert Brown, Alec Brown and John Pulman 21 and Jackie Rea and Rex Williams 25. Fred Davis gave Walter Donaldson 7, Albert Brown 10, John Pulman 12, John Barrie 14, Alec Brown 16 and Jackie Rea and Rex Williams 18. Walter Donaldson gave Albert Brown 7, Alec Brown and John Pulman 12, John Barrie 14 and Jackie Rea and Rex Williams 18. Albert Brown gave Alec Brown and John Pulman 5, John Barrie 8 and Jackie Rea and Rex Williams 14. John Pulman played level with Alec Brown and gave John Barrie 7 and Jackie Rea and Rex Williams 14. John Barrie played level with Alec Brown and gave Jackie Rea 7. Alec Brown gave Jackie Rea 5 and Rex Williams 9. Jackie Rea played level with Rex Williams.

Nineteen century breaks were made during the tournament, ten of them by Joe Davis.[2]

Results

John Pulman made certain of winning the tournament by beating John Barrie on 30 December[3]

Fred Davis beat his brother Joe 21–16 in the final match of the tournament. Joe was already assured of second place but the win gave Fred third place.[4]

Fred Davis scored the first century of the tournament, a break of 102, on the second day of his match against Walter Donaldson.[5] Donaldson made a break of 120 the following day.[6] In the next match Joe Davis made a break of 131 against Donaldson.[7]

WinnerScoreLoserDateRef
Alec Brown19–18Rex Williams7–9 September[8]
Rex Williams20–17Albert Brown10–12 September[9]
John Barrie25–12Albert Brown14–16 September[10]
John Barrie19–18Walter Donaldson17–19 September[11]
Jackie Rea19–18Alec Brown21–23 September[12]
John Pulman20–17Jackie Rea24–26 September[13]
Alec Brown20–17Fred Davis28–30 September[14]
Fred Davis25–12Walter Donaldson1–3 October[6]
Joe Davis22–15Walter Donaldson5–7 October[15]
John Pulman20–17Joe Davis8–10 October[16]
Albert Brown23–14Jackie Rea12–14 October[17]
Fred Davis22–15Albert Brown15–17 October[18]
Joe Davis20–17Jackie Rea19–21 October[19]
John Barriew/o–w/dRex Williams22–24 October[20]
John Pulman22–15Rex Williams26–28 October[21]
John Pulman25–12Fred Davis29–31 October[22]
Joe Davis22–15Alec Brown2–4 November[23]
Alec Brown20–17John Barrie5–7 November[24]
Jackie Rea20–17Walter Donaldson9–11 November[25]
Rex Williams23–14Walter Donaldson12–14 November[26]
John Pulman24–13Albert Brown16–18 November[27]
Joe Davis23–14John Barrie19–21 November[28]
John Barrie19–18Fred Davis23–25 November[29]
Fred Davis19–18Jackie Rea26–28 November[30]
John Pulman25–12Alec Brown30 November–2 December[31]
Joe Davis22–15Rex Williams3–5 December[32]
Albert Brown23–14Joe Davis7–9 December[33]
Walter Donaldson24–13Alec Brown10–12 December[34]
Jackie Rea20–17John Barrie14–16 December[35]
Jackie Rea25–12Rex Williams17–19 December[36]
John Pulman24–13John Barrie28–30 December[3]
Walter Donaldson31–6Albert Brown31 December–2 January[37]
Rex Williams19–18Fred Davis4–6 January[38]
Alec Brown23–14Albert Brown7–9 January[39]
Walter Donaldson20–17John Pulman11–13 January[40]
Fred Davis21–16Joe Davis14–16 January[4]

Table [2]

PosPlayerPldMYFWFLPrize
1 John Pulman87177119£500
2 Joe Davis85156140?
3 Fred Davis84152144?
4 Jackie Rea84150146?
5 John Barrie84143153
6 Alec Brown84140156
7 Walter Donaldson83151145
8 Rex Williams83140156?
9 Albert Brown82123173

The positions were determined firstly by the number of matches won (MW) and, in the event of a tie, the number of frames won (FW). Rex Williams was ill for his match against John Barrie from 22 to 24 October. Barrie played an exhibition match against Kingsley Kennerley instead,[20] and was awarded a 19–18 win against Williams.[2]

Qualifying

The qualifying tournament was played from 25 May to 13 June 1953. These matches were also played at Leicester Square Hall in London. There were 3 competitors: Sydney Lee, Jim Lees and Rex Williams. Matches were over 71 frames, except that there was no play in the match between Lee and Williams on 2 June, the day of the Coronation of Elizabeth II, and the match was reduced to 59 frames. The qualifying was won by Rex Williams who advanced to the main event.[41]

Qualifying results
WinnerScoreLoserDateRef
Rex Williams50–21Jim Lees25 – 30 May[1][42][43]
Rex Williams40–19Sydney Lee1 – 6 June[1][44][45]
Sydney Lee41–30Jim Lees8 – 13 June[1][46][47]

Broadcasting

The BBC showed two short TV programmes during the matches between John Barrie and Albert Brown on 16 September,[48] and between Walter Donaldson and Alec Brown on 12 December.[49] The commentator on both occasions was Sidney Smith.

References
  1. "Professional matches". The Billiard Player. The Billiards Association and Control Club. July 1953. p. 16.
  2. "Professional play". The Billiard Player. The Billiards Association and Control Club. February 1954. p. 9.
  3. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 31 December 1953. p. 2.
  4. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 18 January 1954. p. 9.
  5. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 3 October 1953. p. 4.
  6. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 5 October 1953. p. 3.
  7. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 7 October 1953. p. 9.
  8. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 10 September 1953. p. 9.
  9. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 14 September 1953. p. 3.
  10. "John Barrie". Dundee Courier. 17 September 1953. Retrieved 10 January 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 21 September 1953. p. 9.
  12. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 24 September 1953. p. 9.
  13. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 28 September 1953. p. 9.
  14. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 1 October 1953. p. 9.
  15. "Joe Davis beats Donaldson". The Glasgow Herald. 8 October 1953. p. 9.
  16. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 12 October 1953. p. 3.
  17. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 15 October 1953. p. 9.
  18. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 19 October 1953. p. 9.
  19. "Billiards and Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 22 October 1953. p. 9.
  20. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 23 October 1953. p. 3.
  21. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 29 October 1953. p. 11.
  22. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 2 November 1953. p. 9.
  23. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 5 November 1953. p. 9.
  24. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 9 November 1953. p. 9.
  25. "Other Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 12 November 1953. p. 9.
  26. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 16 November 1953. p. 5.
  27. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 19 November 1953. p. 9.
  28. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 23 November 1953. p. 11.
  29. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 26 November 1953. p. 2.
  30. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 30 November 1953. p. 9.
  31. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 3 December 1953. p. 11.
  32. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 7 December 1953. p. 9.
  33. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 10 December 1953. p. 2.
  34. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 14 December 1953. p. 7.
  35. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 17 December 1953. p. 2.
  36. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 21 December 1953. p. 9.
  37. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 4 January 1954. p. 9.
  38. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 7 January 1954. p. 2.
  39. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 11 January 1954. p. 2.
  40. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 14 January 1954. p. 9.
  41. "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 2 June 1953. p. 2.
  42. "Rex Williams leads 10–2". Birmingham Gazette. 26 May 1953. p. 5.
  43. "Rex Williams wins his qualifying heat". Birmingham Gazette. 1 June 1953. p. 6.
  44. "Snooker". Daily Herald. 2 June 1953. p. 8.
  45. "Rex Williams qualifies". Birmingham Gazette. 8 June 1953. p. 6.
  46. "Snooker". Northern Whig. 9 June 1953. p. 6.
  47. "Snooker". Northern Whig. 15 June 1953. p. 6.
  48. "BBC Television – 16 September – Snooker: John Barrie v. Albert Brown". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  49. "BBC Television – 12 December – Snooker: John Pulman v. John Barrie". BBC Genome Project. BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
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