1984–85 snooker world rankings

Last updated

Steve Davis (pictured in 2018) retained his top place in the rankings from the previous list. Steve Davis at a snooker exhibition in Commodore Hotel (2018).jpg
Steve Davis (pictured in 2018) retained his top place in the rankings from the previous list.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the governing body for professional snooker, first introduced a ranking system for professional players in 1976, with the aim of seeding players for the World Snooker Championship. The reigning champion would be automatically seeded first, the losing finalist from the previous year seeded second, and the other seedings based on the ranking list. Initially the rankings were based on performances in the preceding three world championships, with five points for the winner, four for the runner-up, three for losing semi-finalists, two for losing quarter-finalists, and one for losers in the last 16 round. [2]

Contents

After the 1982 World Snooker Championship, two other tournaments – the International Open and the Professional Players Tournament – which were open to all members of the WPBSA carried points as per the previous system. Points for world championship finishes from 1983 became worth double the previous tariff, with ten points for the winner, eight for the runner up, and so on. [3] In the 1983/84 snooker season, the Lada Classic was added as a ranking tournament. [3] Merit points were awarded to players who were required to compete in qualifying rounds of ranking tournaments and reached the last 32, with a full merit point awarded if this was achieved in the world championship, and half a merit point otherwise. [2] [3] No points were awarded to a player who did not win any matches in a given tournament: for example, a top 16 player seeded into the last 32 of the world championship would not win any merit points if they lost their first match. [4]

The tournaments that counted towards the 1984/1985 rankings were those which were open to all professional players, over three seasons. [4] These were the Jameson International Open 1982 and 1983, the Professional Players Tournament 1982 and 1983, the 1984 Lada Classic, and the 1982, 1983 and 1984 Embassy World Championships. [5] The list was published after the 1984 World Championship. [6]

Steve Davis was ranked first with 32 points, ahead of Tony Knowles in second place with 21 points. [7] Cliff Thorburn was third, with 20 points, a point ahead of Kirk Stevens in fourth. [7] Ray Reardon dropped from second to fifth place. [6] The top 16 players in the rankings were seeded into the main event of the 1985 World Snooker Championship, while all other players would need to enter the qualifying rounds. [4] John Virgo, who did not win any ranking points in the 1983/1984 season, was the only player to lose their place in the top 16 from the previous year. [4] Willie Thorne joined the top 16. [4]

After the initial ranking list was published, the board of the WPBSA voted to award merit points, as well as ranking points, to players who had won qualifying groups and then progressed in the main tournament; the initial list had not included merit points for those players. [8] Three pairs of players exchanged positions as a result: Tony Meo moved from eleventh to tenth place, ahead of Dennis Taylor; Dean Reynolds took 22nd place from Cliff Wilson who moved to 23rd; and Patsy Fagan overtook George Scott to be ranked 37th rather than 38th. [8]

Points tariff

Points tariff contributing to the Snooker world rankings 1984/1985 [8]
Position1982 World Championship1983 and 1984 World ChampionshipsOther ranking tournaments
Champion5105
Runner-up484
Losing semi-finalist363
Losing Quarter-finalist242
Last 16 Loser121
Last 32 Loser1 merit point1 merit point0.5 merit point

Rankings

The world rankings for the professional snooker players in the 1984/85 season are listed below. [4] [8] In the table, numbers in parentheses indicate that the player earned merit points. [lower-alpha 1]

Jimmy White (pictured in 2016) was the losing finalist at the 1984 World Snooker Championship; he advanced from eleventh to seventh place in the rankings. Jimmy White PHC 2016-4.JPG
Jimmy White (pictured in 2016) was the losing finalist at the 1984 World Snooker Championship; he advanced from eleventh to seventh place in the rankings.
John Virgo (pictured in 2008) did not gain any ranking points in the 1983/84 snooker season, and dropped out of the top 16. John Virgo crop.jpg
John Virgo (pictured in 2008) did not gain any ranking points in the 1983/84 snooker season, and dropped out of the top 16.
Snooker world rankings 1984/1985
RankingName 1982 1982/83 season 1983/84 season Ranking pointsMerit points
WC IO PPT WC IO PPT Cl WC
1Flag of England.svg  Steve Davis  (ENG)02105(0.5)51032(0.5)
2Flag of England.svg  Tony Knowles  (ENG)2+(1)5(0.5)615+(0.5)2021(2)
3Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Cliff Thorburn  (CAN)011+(0.5)842+(0.5)0420(1)
4Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Kirk Stevens  (CAN)23(0.5)42+(0.5)2619(1)
5Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Ray Reardon  (WAL)415+(0.5)211+(0.5)0418(1)
6Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Eddie Charlton  (AUS)303+(0.5)431+(0.5)2218(1)
7Flag of England.svg  Jimmy White  (ENG)3+(1)14+(0.5)00(0.5)1817(2)
8Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Terry Griffiths  (WAL)022+(0.5)231+(0.5)2416(1)
9Ulster Banner.svg  Alex Higgins  (NIR)51(0.5)6001013(0.5)
10Flag of England.svg  Tony Meo  (ENG)(1)01+(0.5)4+(0.5)03+(0.5)4012(3)
11Ulster Banner.svg  Dennis Taylor  (NIR)021+(0.5)2100612(0.5)
12Flag of England.svg  Willie Thorne  (ENG)2+(1)0(0.5)22+(0.5)3+(0.5)02+(1)11(3.5)
13Flag of England.svg  John Spencer  (ENG)111+(0.5)22(0.5)1210(1)
14Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Bill Werbeniuk  (CAN)112+(0.5)40(0.5)0210(1)
15Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Doug Mountjoy  (WAL)100220049(0)
16Flag of England.svg  David Taylor  (ENG)04(0.5)20(0.5)028(1)
17Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Silvino Francisco  (RSA)2+(1)(1)2+(0.5)1+(0.5)1+(0.5)2+(1)8(4.5)
18Flag of England.svg  John Virgo  (ENG)13+(0.5)3+(0.5)(1)0(0.5)007(2.5) [lower-alpha 2]
19Flag of England.svg  Joe Johnson  (ENG)002+(0.5)0(0.5)4+(0.5)(0.5)(1)6(3)
20Flag of England.svg  John Parrott  (ENG)(0.5)3+(0.5)2+(1)5(2)
21Flag of England.svg  Mark Wildman  (ENG)0(0.5)1+(0.5)(1)(0.5)1+(0.5)3+(0.5)05(3.5)
22Flag of England.svg  Dean Reynolds  (ENG)1+(1)1+(0.5)2+(0.5)(1)(0.5)(0.5)(0.5)04(4.5)
23Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Cliff Wilson  (WAL)(1)2+(0.5)1+(0.5)(1)01+(0.5)(0.5)04(4)
24Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  Perrie Mans  (RSA)11(0.5)2004(0.5)
25Flag of England.svg  Mike Hallett  (ENG)(1)0(0.5)(1)01+(0.5)1+(0.5)(1)2(4.5) [lower-alpha 3]
26Flag of England.svg  Dave Martin  (ENG)(1)0(0.5)(1)1+(0.5)1+(0.5)002(3.5)
27Flag of Ireland.svg  Eugene Hughes  (IRL)0(0.5)0(1)(0.5)2+(0.5)(0.5)02(3)
28Flag of Australia (converted).svg  John Campbell  (AUS)(1)02+(0.5)(0.5)02(2)
29Flag of Scotland.svg  Murdo MacLeod  (SCO)001+(0.5)0(0.5)01+(0.5)02(1.5)
30Flag of England.svg  Neal Foulds  (ENG)002+(1)2(1)
31Flag of England.svg  Rex Williams  (ENG)(1)(0.5)(0.5)(1)0(0.5)1+(0.5)(1)1(5)
32Flag of England.svg  Graham Miles  (ENG)100(1)(0.5)(0.5)0(1)1(3)
33Flag of Scotland.svg  Eddie Sinclair  (SCO)0(0.5)1+(0.5)0(0.5)0(0.5)(1)1(3)
34Flag of England.svg  Mike Watterson  (ENG)0(0.5)(0.5)01+(0.5)(0.5)001(2)
35Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Mario Morra  (CAN)00001+(0.5)00(1)1(1.5)
36Flag of Scotland.svg  Jim Donnelly  (SCO)(1)0001+(0.5)0001(1.5)
37Flag of Ireland.svg  Patsy Fagan  (IRL)(1)00000(0.5)01(1.5)
38Flag of England.svg  George Scott  (ENG)(0.5)1+(0.5)(0.5)001(1.5)
39Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Colin Roscoe  (WAL)0(0.5)00001+(0.5)01(1)
40Flag of England.svg  Jim Meadowcroft  (ENG)(1)(0.5)(0.5)(1)(0.5)(0.5)00(4)
41Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Jim Wych  (CAN)0(0.5)(0.5)(1)0(2)
42Flag of England.svg  Mick Fisher  (ENG)(0.5)(1)0(0.5)000(2)
43Flag of England.svg  Les Dodd  (ENG)(0.5)(1)00000(1.5)
44Flag of England.svg  Jack Fitzmaurice  (ENG)(1)0(0.5)000000(1.5)
45Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Marcel Gauvreau  (CAN)00(1)0(1)
46Flag of England.svg  Fred Davis  (ENG)0000000(1)0(1)
47Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Roy Andrewartha  (WAL)0000(1)0(1)
48Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Warren King  (AUS)0000(1)0(1)
49Flag of Malta.svg  Paul Mifsud  (MLT)(1)0(1)
50Flag of England.svg  Ray Edmonds  (ENG)0(0.5)00(0.5)0000(1)
51Flag of Scotland.svg  Ian Black  (SCO)000(1)00000(1)
52Flag of England.svg  John Dunning  (ENG)(1)0000000(1)
53Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  John Bear  (CAN)(1)0(1)
54Flag of Scotland.svg Eddie McLaughlin (SCO)000000(0.5)00(0.5)
55Ulster Banner.svg  Tommy Murphy  (NIR)00000(0.5)000(0.5)
56Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Frank Jonik  (CAN)00(0.5)00000(0.5)
57Flag of England.svg  Steve Duggan  (ENG)(0.5)000(0.5)
58Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Paddy Morgan  (AUS)000(0.5)0000(0.5)
59Flag of Ireland.svg  Billy Kelly  (IRL)0(0.5)0000000(0.5)
60Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Clive Everton  (WAL)00(0.5)000000(0.5)
61Ulster Banner.svg  Jackie Rea  (NIR)(0.5)000(0.5)
Preceded by
1983/1984
1984/1985Succeeded by
1985/1986

Notes

  1. Merit points were awarded in addition to ranking points to players who had won a qualifying-stage group for all of the following tournaments: [8]
    • 1982 World Snooker Championship [9] [10]
    • 1982 International Open [11]
    • 1982 Professional Players Tournament [12]
    • 1983 World Snooker Championship [13]
    • 1983 International Open [14]
    • 1983 Professional Players Tournament [15]
    • 1984 Classic [16]
    • 1984 World Snooker Championship [17]
  2. The July 1984 issue of Snooker Scene has 1.5, [8] but this is presumably a typographical error.
  3. The July 1984 issue of Snooker Scene has 4, [8] but this is presumably a typographical error.

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References

Citations

  1. Hayton & Dee 2004, p. 120.
  2. 1 2 Morrison 1987, p. 107.
  3. 1 2 3 Everton 1985, pp. 14–15.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "How they stand: official world rankings 1985". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. June 1984. pp. 18–19.
  5. Everton 1984a, pp. 6–7.
  6. 1 2 Hale, Janice (9 May 1984). "Rankings illustrate Davis domination". The Daily Telegraph . p. 9.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Everton, Clive (9 May 1984). "White moves up but Davis out on his own". The Guardian . p. 29 via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "All change again". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. July 1984. p. 13.
  9. "Embassy World Professional Championship Qualifying Competition". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. June 1982. pp. 5–8.
  10. "Embassy World Professional Championship". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. June 1982. pp. 9–27.
  11. "Jameson International". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. November 1982. pp. 4–14.
  12. "Professional Players Tournament". Snooker Scene . Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. November 1982. pp. 16–22.
  13. Everton 1985, p. 75.
  14. Everton 1985, p. 76.
  15. Everton 1985, pp. 76–77.
  16. Everton 1985, p. 79.
  17. Everton 1985, p. 80.

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