World Snooker Championship

History Of World Snooker Championship

Timeline of World Snooker Championship:

In  1927 - The first championship was held in 1927 and Joe Davis helped to organise the event. Matches were held at various venues, and the final took place at Camkin's Hall, Birmingham. Joe Davis won the event, beating Tom Dennis 20–11. His prize money was £6.10s.The highest break of the tournament was 60 by Albert Cope.

In 1931 - In subsequent years, finals were held at various venues. Joe Davis won every year until 1940. Despite an upsurge in interest in snooker there were only two entrants for the 1931 professional championship. The event was staged in the back room of a Nottingham pub, owned by Tom Dennis.The fact that he was playing on his own table didn't help as Joe Davis ran out a 25–21 winner for his fifth consecutive victory.

In 1940 - In 1940, Joe Davis just beat his younger brother Fred 37–36. No tournaments were organised during the remaining years of World War II and it only resumed in 1946 when Joe Davis won again for the 15th time, a record that still stands. Joe Davis never contested the World Championship again, though he continued to play professional snooker.

In  1948, 1949 and 1951 - Walter Donaldson won in 1947, but it was Fred Davis who dominated the next few years, winning it three times in 1948, 1949 and 1951.

In 1952 - In 1952, as a result of a disagreement between some of the players and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC), two tournaments were held. The Professional Matchplay Championship, organised by the players and widely viewed as the "real" world championship, continued until 1957. The BACC event only lasted one more year. Meanwhile the 'official' World Championship did attract only two entrants, Horace Lindrum from Australia beating New Zealand's Clark McConachy – and Lindrum's name is inscribed on the familiar trophy.

In 1958 to 1968 - Snooker then went into a period of decline, and no tournament was held between 1958 and 1963. In 1964, with the approval of the BACC, Rex Williams revived the championship on a challenge basis, a format which lasted until 1968.This meant that matches took place on an irregular basis, sometimes more than once a year. John Pulman completely dominated during this period, overcoming all challengers in a total of seven matches.

In 1969 - Following the formation of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association which took over regulation of the professional game from the BACC, the championship has been staged as a knockout tournament since 1969 on an annual basis, with all the seeded players coming in at the same round. That year it was won by John Spencer, but it was Ray Reardon who was to dominate over the coming years, winning six times between 1970 and 1978.

World Snooker Championship Archieve

1927 - England Joe Davis

1928 - England Joe Davis

1929 - England Joe Davis

1930 - England Joe Davis

1931 - England Joe Davis

1932 - England Joe Davis

1933 - England Joe Davis

1934 - England Joe Davis

1935 - England Joe Davis

1936 - England Joe Davis

1937 - England Joe Davis

1938 - England Joe Davis

1939 - England Joe Davis

1940 - England Joe Davis

1946 - England Joe Davis

1947 - Scotland Walter Donaldson

1948 - England Fred Davis

1949 - England Fred Davis

1950 - Scotland Walter Donaldson

1951 - England Fred Davis

1952 - Australia Horace Lindrum

1952 - England Fred Davis

1953 - England Fred Davis

1954 - England Fred Davis

1955 - England Fred Davis

1956 - England Fred Davis

1957 - England John Pulman

1964 - England John Pulman

1964 - England John Pulman

1965 - England John Pulman

1965 - England John Pulman

1965 - England John Pulman

1966 - England John Pulman

1968 - England John Pulman

1969 - England John Spencer

1970 - Wales Ray Reardon

1971 - England John Spencer

1972 - Northern Ireland Alex Higgins

1973 - Wales Ray Reardon

1974 - Wales Ray Reardon

1975 - Wales Ray Reardon

1976 - Wales Ray Reardon

1977 - England John Spencer

1978 - Wales Ray Reardon

1979 - Wales Terry Griffiths

1980 - Canada Cliff Thorburn

1981 - England Steve Davis

1982 - Northern Ireland Alex Higgins

1983 - England Steve Davis

1984 - England Steve Davis

1985 - Northern Ireland Dennis Taylor

1986 - England Joe Johnson

1987 - England Steve Davis

1988 - England Steve Davis

1989 - England Steve Davis

1990 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1991 - England John Parrott

1992 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1993 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1994 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1995 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1996 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

1997 - Republic of Ireland Ken Doherty

1998 - Scotland John Higgins

1999 - Scotland Stephen Hendry

2000 - Wales Mark Williams

2001 - England Ronnie O'Sullivan

2002 - England Peter Ebdon

2003 - Wales Mark Williams

2004 - England Ronnie O'Sullivan

2005 - England Shaun Murphy

2006 - Scotland Graeme Dott

2007 - Scotland John Higgins

2008 - England Ronnie O'Sullivan

2009 - Scotland John Higgins

2010 - Australia Neil Robertson

2011 - Scotland John Higgins

2012 - England Ronnie O'Sullivan

2013 - England Ronnie O'Sullivan

2014 - England Mark Selby

2015 - England Stuart Bingham