1951/1952 News of the World Snooker Tournament

News of the World Tournament
Tournament information
Dates 10 September 1951 – 19 January 1952
Venue Leicester Square Hall
City London
Country United Kingdom
Format Non-Ranking event
Total prize fund £1500
Winner's share £500
Highest break England Albert Brown (140)
Final
Champion England Sidney Smith
Runner-up England Albert Brown
← 1950/51
1952/53 →

The 1951/1952 News of the World Snooker Tournament was a professional snooker tournament sponsored by the News of the World. The tournament was won by Sidney Smith who won 6 of his 8 matches. He finished ahead of Albert Brown who also won 6 matches but won one fewer frame overall. The News of the World Snooker Tournament ran from 1949/50 to 1959.

Format

The 1951/52 event was a round-robin snooker tournament and was played from 10 September 1951 to 19 January 1952. All matches were played at Leicester Square Hall in London. There were 9 competitors, one more than previous years, and a total of 36 matches. The competitors were the 8 who had played in the previous years's event, Joe Davis, Fred Davis, Walter Donaldson, John Barrie, Albert Brown, Alec Brown, John Pulman, Jackie Rea, Sidney Smith, plus New Zealander Clark McConachy. 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 7, John Pulman 18, Albert Brown, Alec Brown and Clark McConachy 21, Sidney Smith 24 and John Barrie 25. Fred Davis played level with Walter Donaldson and gave Sidney Smith 12, Albert Brown and Alec Brown and John Pulman 14, Clark McConachy 16 and John Barrie 18. Walter Donaldson gave Albert Brown and Sidney Smith 7, John Pulman 8, Clark McConachy 10, Alec Brown 14 and John Barrie 15. John Pulman played level with Alec Brown, Albert Brown, Sidney Smith and Clark McConachy and gave John Barrie 10. Sidney Smith played level with Albert Brown and Clark McConachy and gave Alec Brown 4 and John Barrie 10. Albert Brown played level with Albert Brown and Clark McConachy and gave John Barrie 10. Clark McConachy gave Alec Brown 7 and John Barrie 10. Alec Brown gave John Barrie 9.

Results

With three matches to be played there were three players with 5 wins. John Barrie had played all his matches and won 161 frames. Albert Brown and Sidney Smith each had one match left. Brown had won 149 frames while Smith had won 148. Albert Brown played Alec Brown in his last match.Alec Brown led 16–12 after the final afternoon session but Albert Brown won all 7 frames in the evening session to win 19–18.[1]

After Albert Brown's 19–18 win, Sidney Smith needed to beat Walter Donaldson 21–16 to win the tournament. Smith led 16–14 after the final afternoon session but Donaldson won the first two frames on the final evening to tie the match at 16–16. Smith then won the last 5 frames to win the match 21–16 and take the tournament by a single frame, 169 to Brown's 168.[2]

In the last match of the tournament Fred Davis beat brother Joe 20–17, playing on level terms.[3] Fred had breaks of 108 and 101 on the second day.[4]

Albert Brown had met Walter Donaldson earlier in January. Donaldson led 9–3 after the first day, scoring a break of 104 in the last frame of the day.[5] Brown made a break of 140 on the second evening but Donaldson increased his lead to 17–7 at the end of the day.[6] On the final day Brown staged a come-back and won the first 7 frames of the day. Donaldson, however, held on and won the match 18–17.[7]

Winner Score Loser Date
John Pulman 21–16 Alec Brown 10–12 September
Albert Brown 23–14 John Pulman 13–15 September
Albert Brown 27–10 Clark McConachy 17–19 September
Walter Donaldson 24–13 Clark McConachy 20–22 September
John Barrie 22–15 Joe Davis 24–26 September
Sidney Smith 23–14 John Barrie 27–29 September
Alec Brown 23–14 Fred Davis 1–3 October
Fred Davis 22–15 Walter Donaldson 4–6 October
Joe Davis 26–11 Walter Donaldson 8–10 October
Sidney Smith 20–17 Joe Davis 11–13 October
Albert Brown 20–17 John Barrie 15–17 October
Albert Brown 22–15 Fred Davis 18–20 October
John Barrie 25–12 Alec Brown 22–24 October
John Pulman 29–8 Clark McConachy 25–27 October
John Pulman 20–17 Sidney Smith 29–31 October
Sidney Smith 26–11 Fred Davis 1–3 November
Alec Brown 19–18 Joe Davis 5–7 November
Alec Brown 27–10 Clark McConachy 8–10 November
John Barrie 20–17 Walter Donaldson 12–14 November
Walter Donaldson 21–16 John Pulman 15–17 November
Albert Brown 23–14 Sidney Smith 19–21 November
Joe Davis 26–11 Clark McConachy 22–24 November
Fred Davis 20–17 Clark McConachy 26–28 November
Fred Davis 22–15 John Barrie 29 November–1 December
Sidney Smith 22–15 Alec Brown 3–5 December
John Pulman 21–16 Joe Davis 6–8 December
Joe Davis 21–16 Albert Brown 10–12 December
Walter Donaldson 20–17 Alec Brown 13–15 December
John Barrie 27–10 Clark McConachy 17–19 December
John Barrie 21–16 John Pulman 20–22 December
Sidney Smith 26–11 Clark McConachy 31 December–2 January
Walter Donaldson 19–18 Albert Brown 3–5 January
Fred Davis 21–16 John Pulman 7–9 January
Albert Brown 19–18 Alec Brown 10–12 January
Sidney Smith 21–16 Walter Donaldson 14–16 January
Fred Davis 20–17 Joe Davis 17–19 January

Table [8]

Pos Player Pld MW FW Prize
1 England Sidney Smith 8 6 169 £500
2 England Albert Brown 8 6 168 ?
3 England John Barrie 8 5 161 ?
4 England Fred Davis 8 5 145 ?
5 England John Pulman 8 4 153 ?
6 Scotland Walter Donaldson 8 4 143 ?
7 England Joe Davis 8 3 156 ?
8 England Alec Brown 8 3 147 ?
9 New Zealand Clark McConachy 8 0 90 ?

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).

Qualifying

With the main event starting earlier than in previous years, the qualifying tournament was also earlier and was held from 28 May to 16 June 1951. These matches were also played at Leicester Square Hall in London. There were 3 competitors: John Barrie, Kingsley Kennerley and Sydney Lee. Unlike the main event, each match lasted six days and was the best of 73 frames. Barrie won both his matches to qualify. Kennerley beat Lee in the other match.

References

  1. ↑ "Remarkable snooker win". The Glasgow Herald. 14 January 1952. p. 6.
  2. ↑ "Smith wins snooker prize of £500 – Handicap tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 17 January 1952. p. 2.
  3. ↑ "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 21 January 1952. p. 6.
  4. ↑ "Two snooker centuries". The Glasgow Herald. 20 January 1952. p. 2.
  5. ↑ "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 4 January 1952. p. 6.
  6. ↑ "Snooker and billiards". The Glasgow Herald. 5 January 1952. p. 2.
  7. ↑ "Snooker". The Glasgow Herald. 7 January 1952. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "Professional Snooker". The Times. 21 January 1952. p. 4.
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