Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. Its highest point is Coity Mountain at 1,896 feet (578 m).
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River in Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough. The Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr conurbation has a population of roughly 33,000. It has direct access to the dualled A465 Heads of the Valleys trunk road and borders the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Mark James Williams is a Welsh professional snooker player who is a three-time World Champion, winning in 2000, 2003 and 2018. Often noted for his long potting ability, Williams has earned the nickname "The Welsh Potting Machine".
Raymond Reardon is a retired Welsh professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1967 and dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning the World Snooker Championship six times and more than a dozen other tournaments. Reardon was World Champion in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1978, and runner-up in 1982. He won the inaugural Pot Black tournament in 1969, the 1976 Masters, and the 1982 Professional Players Tournament.
Terence Martin Griffiths is a Welsh retired professional snooker player and current coach and pundit. After winning several amateur titles, including the Welsh Amateur Championship in 1975 and back-to-back English Amateur Championships in 1977 and 1978, Griffiths turned professional in June 1978 at the age of 30. In his second professional tournament, he qualified for the 1979 World Snooker Championship. He reached the final of the event where he defeated Dennis Taylor by 24 frames to 16. This was only the second time a qualifier had won the World Snooker Championship, after Alex Higgins in 1972; only Shaun Murphy in 2005 has since emulated the achievement. In 1988, Griffiths again reached the final of the competition. He was tied with Steve Davis, 8–8, but lost the match 11–18.
Doug Mountjoy was a Welsh snooker player from Tir-y-Berth, Gelligaer, Wales. He was a member of the professional snooker circuit from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, and remained within the top 16 of the world rankings for 11 consecutive years. He began his professional snooker career by taking the 1977 Masters, which he entered as a reserve player. He won both the 1978 UK Championship and the 1979 Irish Masters. Mountjoy reached the final of the 1981 World Snooker Championship where he was defeated by Steve Davis. He was also runner-up at the 1985 Masters losing to Cliff Thorburn, but by 1988 he had dropped out of the top 16.
Clifford Wilson was a Welsh professional snooker player who reached the highest ranking of 16, in 1988-89. He was the 1978 World Amateur Champion and won the 1991 World Seniors Championship. He was a successful junior player, known for his fast attacking snooker and potting ability, and won the British Under-19 Championship in 1951 and 1952. In the early 1950s both Wilson and future six-times World Professional Champion Ray Reardon lived in Tredegar, where they played a succession of money matches that attracted large enthusiastic crowds.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Pontypool RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC and Newport RFC.
The Ebbw Valley Railway is a branch line of the South Wales Main Line in South Wales. Transport for Wales Rail provides an hourly passenger service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Cardiff Central, and an hourly service each way between Ebbw Vale Town and Newport.
The Welsh Professional Championship was a professional snooker tournament which was open only for Welsh players. It was the first of the four home countries to revive its national professional championship on a regular basis.
Roy Andrewartha was a Welsh professional snooker player.
The 1980 Woodpecker Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 27 and 29 January 1980 at the Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
The 1981 Woodpecker Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 5 and 8 February 1981 at the Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
The 1982 Woodpecker Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 24 and 28 February 1982 at the Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
The 1983 Woodpecker Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 16 and 20 February 1983 at the Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre in Ebbw Vale, Wales.
The 1986 Zetters Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 10 and 14 February 1986 at the Abertillery Leisure Centre in Abertillery, Wales.
The 1987 Matchroom Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 9 and 13 February 1987 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.
The 1988 Senator Windows Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 8 and 12 February 1988 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.
The 1989 Senator Windows Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 13 and 18 February 1989 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.
The 1990 Senator Windows Welsh Professional Championship was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament, which took place between 12 and 17 February 1990 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales.
Ray Reardon (WAL) (104) [2] 