The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, also known as the black ball final, was played on the weekend of 27–28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The final of the 1985 World Snooker Championship was between defending world champion Steve Davis and 1979 runner-up Dennis Taylor. It was Davis's fourth appearance in a final and Taylor's second. The best-of-35-frame match was split into four sessions. Davis won every frame in the first session to lead 7–0 but only led 9–7 and 13–11 after the second and third sessions. Until the final frame, Taylor was never ahead in frames but he tied the match three times at 11–11, 15–15 and 17–17. The deciding frame culminated over several shots on the final black ball. After both players failed to pot the ball several times, Taylor potted it to win his only world championship. Media outlets reported this as a major shock - Davis had been widely predicted to win the match having won three of the previous four world championships.
Raymond Reardon, is a Welsh retired professional snooker player. He turned professional in 1967 before going on to dominate the sport in the 1970s, winning the World Snooker Championship on six occasions, and more than a dozen other tournaments. He was world champion in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1978, and runner-up in the 1982 event. He won the inaugural Pot Black tournament in 1969, the 1976 Masters and the 1982 Professional Players Tournament.
Clifford Charles DevlinThorburn is a Canadian retired professional snooker player. Nicknamed "The Grinder" because of his slow, determined style of play, he won the World Snooker Championship in 1980, defeating Alex Higgins 18–16 in the final to become the first world champion in the sport's modern era from outside the United Kingdom.
Anthony Knowles is an English former professional snooker player. He won the 1982 International Open and the 1983 Professional Players Tournament, and was a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s. His highest world ranking was second, in the 1984/85 season.
The 1986 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 19 April and 5 May 1986 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the sixth and final ranking event of the 1985–86 snooker season and the 1986 edition of the World Snooker Championship, first held in 1927. The total prize fund was £350,000 with £70,000 awarded to the winner and was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.
The 1985 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place from 12 to 28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the event was the ninth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament having taken place in 1977. A five-round qualifying event for the championship was held at the Preston Guild Hall from 27 to 31 March for 87 players, 16 of whom reached the main stage, where they met the 16 invited seeded players. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC, and was sponsored by the Embassy cigarette company. The winner received £60,000, which was the highest amount ever received by the winner of a snooker event at that time.
The 1988 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 April to 2 May 1988 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), it was the sixth and final ranking event of the 1987–88 snooker season and the twelfth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament there having taken place in 1977.
The 1983 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament that took place between 16 April and 2 May 1983 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. This was the third and final world ranking event of the 1982–83 snooker season following the 1982 Professional Players Tournament. Sixteen seeded players qualified directly for the event, with an additional sixteen players progressing through a two-round qualification round held at the Romiley Forum in Stockport, and Redwood Lodge in Bristol. The winner of the event received £30,000, and the tournament was sponsored by cigarette company Embassy.
The 1981 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place between 7 April and 20 April 1981 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The championship was the 1981 edition of the World Snooker Championship, first held in 1927. It was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), and was the fifth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible since the event was first held there in 1977. The total prize fund for the event was £75,000; the winner received £20,000.
The 1980 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place from 22 April to 5 May 1980 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), it was the fourth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament having taken place in 1977.
The 2004 Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament held in February 2004. It was the 30th staging of the Masters tournament, one of three Triple Crown events on the Snooker Tour, the eighth of fifteen World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) events in the 2003/2004 season, and was held at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, United Kingdom from 1 to 8 February 2004. The tournament was broadcast in the United Kingdom by the BBC.
Dennis Taylor is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He is best known for winning the 1985 World Snooker Championship, where he defeated the defending champion Steve Davis in a final widely recognised as one of the most famous matches in professional snooker history. Despite losing the first eight frames, Taylor recovered to win 18–17 in a dramatic duel on the last black ball. The final's conclusion attracted 18.5 million viewers, setting UK viewership records for any post-midnight broadcast and for any broadcast on BBC Two that still stand to this day.
The 2017 Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place from 15 to 22 January 2017 at Alexandra Palace in London, England. It was the 43rd staging of the Masters and the second Triple Crown event of the 2016/17 snooker season following the 2016 UK Championship.
The 2017 World Seniors Championship was an invitational senior snooker tournament, that took place at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe, England, from 22 to 24 March 2017. Qualifying for the tournament was open to non-tour players, who were aged 40 and over on 1 January 2017.
The 2017 UK Seniors Championship was a senior snooker tournament, that took place at the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill, England, from 24 to 26 October 2017. It was a first stage of the newly created World Seniors Tour.
The 2018 Seniors Irish Masters was a senior snooker tournament which took place at Goffs in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland, from 6 to 7 January 2018. It was the second event on the newly created World Seniors Tour. The tournament was won by Steve Davis, who became the oldest winner of a World Seniors title at the age of 60.
The 2018 World Seniors Championship was an invitational senior snooker tournament, taking place at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe, England, from 21 to 24 March 2018. Qualifying for the tournament was open to non-tour players, aged 40 and over on 1 January 2018.
The 2018 UK Seniors Championship was a senior snooker tournament, that took place at the Bonus Arena in Hull, England, from 24 to 25 October 2018. It was the first event of the 2018/2019 World Seniors Tour.
The 2019 Seniors Irish Masters was a senior snooker tournament that took place from 5 to 6 January 2019 at Goffs in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland. It was the second event on the 2018/2019 World Seniors Tour.
The 2019 Seniors Masters was a senior snooker tournament, that took place on 11 April 2019 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was the fourth event on the 2018/2019 World Seniors Tour.
John Parrott (85)
Cliff Thorburn 
