Dennis Taylor

Last updated

Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor, 2004.jpg
Taylor in 2004
Born (1949-01-19) 19 January 1949 (age 75)
Coalisland, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Sport countryUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland
Professional1972–2000
Highest ranking 2 (1979/1980)
Tournament wins
Ranking 2
World Champion 1985

Dennis Taylor (born 19 January 1949) is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. He turned professional in 1972 and is best known for winning the 1985 World Snooker Championship, in which he lost the first eight frames of the final to defending champion Steve Davis but recovered to win 18–17 in a 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.

Contents

Taylor had previously been runner-up at the 1979 World Snooker Championship, where he lost the final 16–24 to Terry Griffiths. He attained his highest world ranking in 1979–1980, when he was second. He won one other ranking title at the 1984 Grand Prix, where he defeated Cliff Thorburn 10–2 in the final. He reached two other Grand Prix finals but lost 9–10 to Davis in 1985 and 7–10 to Stephen Hendry in 1987. He won the invitational 1987 Masters, defeating Alex Higgins 9–8 in the final. He made the highest break of his career at the 1987 Carling Challenge, a 141.

Beginning in 1983, Taylor became known for wearing distinctive glasses during his matches. Designed by Jack Karnehm specifically for playing snooker, they were often described as looking upside-down. Taylor began commentating on the sport in the 1980s and has been a regular commentator on BBC snooker broadcasts since his retirement from the professional tour in 2000. He competed on the World Seniors Tour until he announced the end of his competitive playing career in 2021, aged 72. Outside snooker, he appeared on the third series of Strictly Come Dancing , finishing eighth alongside dance partner Izabela Hannah.

Career

Early career

Born on 19 January 1949 in Coalisland, Northern Ireland, Taylor was the son of a lorry driver, and had six siblings. [1] [2] As an amateur, he won the 1968 British Junior Billiards Championship. [3] Taylor turned professional in 1972. [4] That season he made his debut in the World Snooker Championship at the 1973 event, losing 8–9 to Cliff Thorburn in the first round. [5] Over the next few years, Taylor reached the semi-finals at the event in 1975 where he lost 12–19 to Eddie Charlton, [6] and 1977, losing to Thorburn 18–16. [7] Two years later he reached the 1979 final, but lost 16–24 to qualifier Terry Griffiths. [5] [8] He reached his highest world ranking for the following season, second behind Steve Davis. [9] [10]

He reached the semi-final for a third time in 1984, losing to Davis. [11] His mother died of a heart attack as he was beginning the new season at the 1984 Jameson International. He retired from the event before his quarter-final match against Silvino Francisco. [12] [13] However, he won the first ranking event of his career at the 1984 Grand Prix later that year defeating Thorburn 10–2 in the final. [14]

World Snooker Champion

Following his first ranking tournament victory, Taylor played in the 1985 World Championship. Seeded 11th for the tournament, he defeated Francisco in the opening round 10–2, [15] Eddie Charlton 13–6 in the second round, [16] Cliff Thorburn 13–5, [17] and Tony Knowles 16–5 to reach the final. [18] In the final, he played three-time winner and world number one Steve Davis. In the four session match, he trailed 0–7 after the first, [19] but bounced back to trail 7–9 overnight after the second. [20] Never being ahead, he took the match to a deciding frame with the scores tied at 17–17. [21] Trailing at 62–44 to Davis in the deciding frame with four coloured balls remaining. He potted a long brown ball , which he says was one of his best ever shots under pressure. [22] He also potted the blue and pink to bring the score to 62–59 with one ball, worth seven points, remaining. [23] Both players missed a shot on the black , but it was finally potted by Taylor to win the championship. [24] [25]

The final is considered by many to be the greatest snooker match in history [26] and was broadcast to a peak audience of 18 million viewers in the United Kingdom. As of 2020 this is the highest viewership of any broadcast after midnight in the country, and a record for any programme shown on BBC2. [27] [28] [29] On his return to Northern Ireland, Taylor was awarded the key to the city of Coalisland. [30] He also received a victory parade that 10,000 attended. [31]

Later career

Taylor's oversized glasses were designed to be used whilst playing snooker. Dennis Taylor and his glasses (cropped).jpg
Taylor's oversized glasses were designed to be used whilst playing snooker.

Taylor reached his fourth ranking event final at the 1985 Grand Prix, later that year. He faced Davis again and went to a deciding frame, but this time was beaten 9–10. As of 2020 this was the longest one-day final in history with a playing time of over 10 hours. [32] Defending his world title at the 1986 World Snooker Championship, Taylor lost 6–10 in the opening round to Mike Hallett. [33] In 1987, Taylor reached the final of the Masters for the only time in his career, where he played countryman Alex Higgins. Despite trailing 5–8, Taylor won the match 9–8. [34] This would be the last time a Northern Irish player won a Triple Crown event until Mark Allen won the 2018 Masters. [35] Taylor made the highest break of his career, a 141, [36] [37] at the 1987 Carling Challenge, which he won, defeating Joe Johnson in the final. [38]

At the 1990 World Cup, Taylor, Higgins, and Tommy Murphy formed a Northern Irish team. [39] After failing to win the tournament, Higgins threatened Taylor, telling him "if you ever come back to Northern Ireland I’ll have you shot". [40] [41] [42] Shortly afterwards they met in the quarter-finals of the Irish Masters, and a determined Taylor won 5–2. [39] [40] In the next decade, his form dropped, and he fell out of the top 16 in the world rankings in 1995. Taylor retired as a professional in 2000. [8]

Alongside other players managed by Barry Hearn (known as the Matchroom mob) and Chas & Dave, Taylor featured on the music single called "Snooker Loopy". [43] The song spent 11 weeks in the UK Singles Chart in 1986, reaching a peak of sixth. [44] Taylor was known for the distinctive glasses he wore during matches, which had large frames and an unusual 'upside-down' structure that enabled a player to look through the lenses even when down on a shot. [45] The spectacles were a joke in the song, [46] and also commented on by John Virgo in other media. [47] [48] During his career, Taylor won the Irish Professional Championship on six occasions. [49]

After retiring from the Tour, Taylor played matches on the World Seniors Tour and has been a snooker commentator and analyst for the BBC. [50] In May 2021 after losing his match with Barry Pinches at the 2021 World Seniors Championship, Taylor announced that the match was his last competitive game. [51]

On 27 April 2022, it was announced by fellow co-commentator John Virgo that they had been axed by the BBC and that the 2022-23 snooker season would be their last as commentators for the broadcaster. [52] However, in late 2022 the BBC production team informed Virgo that they will be commentating for the "foreseeable future". [53]

Personal life

Taylor made regular guest appearances on snooker television game show Big Break . [54] In 2005 he took part in the third series of Strictly Come Dancing , reaching eighth place with his partner Izabela Hannah. [55] [56] In February 1990, Taylor opened the Royal Mail sorting office in Blackburn, Lancashire before playing a single-frame challenge match. [57] Taylor currently lives in Llay near Wrexham. [58] His son Damien is a professional golf coach. [59] Taylor supports Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United. [60]

Performance and rankings timeline

Tournament 1972/
73 		1973/
74 		1974/
75 		1975/
76 		1976/
77 		1977/
78 		1978/
79 		1979/
80 		1980/
81 		1981/
82 		1982/
83 		1983/
84 		1984/
85 		1985/
86 		1986/
87 		1987/
88 		1988/
89 		1989/
90 		1990/
91 		1991/
92 		1992/
93 		1993/
94 		1994/
95 		1995/
96 		1996/
97 		1997/
98 		1998/
99 		1999/
00
Ranking [61] No ranking system 9 4 8 2 6 5 13 13 11 4 3 8 10 8 10 9 11 15 24 32 26 34 52 88
Ranking tournaments
British Open [nb 1] Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking Event QF 1R QF 2R 1R 3R QF 2R 1R 2R 2R 2R 2R LQLQLQ
Grand Prix Tournament Not Held 3R 1R W F 3R F SF QF 2R 1R 3R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R LQLQ
UK Championship Non-Ranking Event 2R SF 2R 2R 3R 3R 1R 2R 2R 2R 2R 3R 2R 2R LQLQ
China Open [nb 2] Tournament Not HeldNRLQLQ
Welsh Open Tournament Not Held 2R 1R 1R 2R 3R 2R LQLQLQ
Malta Grand Prix Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventLQ
Thailand Masters [nb 3] Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventNot Held 1R F 3R 2R 1R 1R LQLQLQLQLQ
Scottish Open [nb 4] Tournament Not HeldNR QF 2R WD SF 3R 2R QF 3R Not Held 1R 2R 2R 2R 2R LQLQLQ
World Championship NRLQ SF QF SF 1R F 2R QF 1R 2R SF W 1R 2R 2R 2R 1R QF 1R QF 1R LQLQLQLQLQLQ
Non-ranking tournaments
Champions Cup [nb 5] Tournament Not Held F 1R AA 1R AA
Scottish Masters Tournament Not HeldA SF AA QF A QF NH 1R A 1R A 1R ALQALQAA
The Masters Not HeldA 1R 1R QF A QF 1R 1R A 1R 1R QF W 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R QF AAAAAA
Irish Masters [nb 6] Not HeldA SF RR 1R A RR QF QF 1R SF 1R QF SF 1R 1R F SF QF 1R AAAAAAA
Premier League [nb 7] Tournament Not Held F Not Held RR RR A RR RR AAAAAAAAA
Pontins Professional NHA QF QF RR RR AA QF QF SF AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Former ranking tournaments
Canadian Masters [nb 8] Not HeldNon-RankingTournament Not HeldNon-Ranking QF Tournament Not Held
Hong Kong Open [nb 9] Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventNH QF Tournament Not HeldNRNRTournament Not Held
Classic Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking Event 1R 1R 3R 1R QF 2R 2R 2R 2R Tournament Not Held
Strachan Open Tournament Not Held 2R MRNRTournament Not Held
Asian Classic [nb 10] Tournament Not HeldNRA 1R QF 3R 1R 1R 1R LQNot Held
European Open [nb 11] Tournament Not Held 2R 1R QF 3R 3R 2R LQ 1R LQNHLQNH
German Open Tournament Not HeldLQLQLQNRNH
Former non-ranking tournaments
World Championship 1R Ranking Event
Norwich Union Open NH 2R 1R Tournament Not Held
Watney Open Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
World Matchplay Championship Tournament Not Held 1R Tournament Not Held
Holsten Lager International Tournament Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
Golden Masters Tournament Not Held SF SF Tournament Not Held
Bombay International Tournament Not Held RR RR Tournament Not Held
Pontins Camber Sands Tournament Not Held F Tournament Not Held
Champion of Champions Tournament Not HeldANH RR Tournament Not Held
Scottish Open [nb 4] Tournament Not Held F Ranking EventNot HeldRanking Event
Northern Ireland Classic Tournament Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
Classic Tournament Not Held QF F QF 1R Ranking EventTournament Not Held
Tolly Cobbold Classic Tournament Not HeldA F A F SF ATournament Not Held
UK Championship Tournament Not Held 2R 2R SF QF 2R 2R 2R Ranking Event
British Open [nb 1] Tournament Not Held SF SF 2R LQLQRanking Event
Costa Del Sol Classic Tournament Not Held W Tournament Not Held
Singapore Masters Tournament Not HeldA RR Tournament Not Held
Kit Kat Break for World Champions Tournament Not Held W Tournament Not Held
Belgian Classic Tournament Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
Thailand Masters [nb 3] Tournament Not HeldAA W QF Not HeldRanking Tournament
Malaysian Masters Tournament Not HeldANH F Tournament Not HeldATournament Not Held
China Masters Tournament Not Held F SF Tournament Not HeldATournament Not Held
Hong Kong Open [nb 9] Tournament Not HeldAAAA 1R 1R AWANHRTournament Not HeldAATournament Not Held
Carling Challenge [nb 12] Tournament Not HeldAA W W ATournament Not Held
Tokyo Masters Tournament Not Held W Tournament Not Held
Canadian Masters [nb 8] Not Held F QF A SF A QF ATournament Not Held W QF W RTournament Not Held
Asian Classic [nb 13] Tournament Not Held QF Ranking EventNot Held
Matchroom Professional Championship Tournament Not Held SF W F Tournament Not Held
New Zealand Masters Tournament Not HeldNot Held 1R A QF Tournament Not Held
London Masters Tournament Not Held QF QF ATournament Not Held
Shoot-Out Tournament Not Held 1R Tournament Not Held
Norwich Union Grand Prix Tournament Not Held SF A QF Tournament Not Held
World Masters Tournament Not Held 2R Tournament Not Held
Hong Kong Challenge [nb 14] Tournament Not HeldAA QF F SF SF NHA QF Tournament Not Held
Indian Challenge Tournament Not Held 1R Tournament Not Held
World Seniors Championship Tournament Not Held SF Tournament Not Held
World Matchplay Tournament Not Held QF QF A QF ATournament Not Held
Belgian Challenge Tournament Not Held 1R Tournament Not Held
Irish Professional Championship Not HeldSFSFFAAWW W F NH W W W F ANot Held SF ATournament Not Held
Kent Classic [nb 15] Tournament Not Held QF AAAANH QF Tournament Not Held
European Challenge Tournament Not Held QF QF SF Tournament Not Held
Pot Black AA F F RR RR A SF A RR A QF SF SF Tournament Not Held QF 1R QF Tournament Not Held
Seniors Pot Black Tournament Not Held SF Not Held
Performance Table Legend
LQlost in the qualifying draw#Rlost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)		QFlost in the quarter-finals
SFlost in the semi-finalsFlost in the finalWwon the tournament
DNQdid not qualify for the tournamentAdid not participate in the tournamentWDwithdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Heldmeans an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Eventmeans an event is/was a ranking event.
  1. 1 2 The event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)
  2. ↑ The event was also called the China International(1998/1999)
  3. 1 2 The event was also called the Asian Open (1989/1990–1992/1993) and the Thailand Open (1993/1994–1996/1997)
  4. 1 2 The event was also called the International Open (1982/1983–1984/1985 & 1986/1987–1996/1997) and the Matchroom Trophy (1985/1986)
  5. ↑ The event ran under a different name as the Charity Challenge (1994/1995–1998/1999)
  6. ↑ The event was also called the Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament (1974/1975–1976/1977)
  7. ↑ The event was also called the Professional Snooker League (1983/1984), Matchroom League (1986/1987 to 1991/1992) and the European League (1992/1993 to 1996/1997)
  8. 1 2 The event was also called the Canadian Open (1978/1979–1980/1981)
  9. 1 2 The event ran under different names such as the Australian Masters (1983/1984 to 1987/1988 and 1995/1996) and Australian Open (1994/1995).
  10. ↑ The event was also called the Dubai Masters (1988/1989), Dubai Classic (1989/90–1994/1995) and Thailand Classic (1995/1996)
  11. ↑ The event was also called the Irish Open (1998/1999)
  12. ↑ The event was also called the Carlsberg Challenge (1984/1985–1986/1987)
  13. ↑ The event was also called the Dubai Masters (1988/1989)
  14. ↑ The event was also called the Hong Kong Masters (1983/1984–1988/1989)
  15. ↑ The event was also called the Kent Cup (1986/1987–1987/1988 & 1989/1990–1990/1991)

Career finals

Ranking finals: 6 (2 titles)

Legend
World Championship (1–1)
Other (1–3)
OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScoreRef
Runner-up1. 1979 World Championship Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Terry Griffiths 16–24 [62]
Winner1. 1984 Grand Prix Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cliff Thorburn 10–2 [62]
Winner2. 1985 World Championship Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 18–17 [62]
Runner-up2. 1985 Grand Prix Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 9–10 [62]
Runner-up3. 1987 Grand Prix (2) Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry 7–10 [62]
Runner-up4. 1990 Asian Open Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry 3–9 [62]

Non-ranking finals: 41 (21 titles)

Legend
The Masters (1–0)
Other (20–20)
OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScoreRef
Runner-up1. 1974 Canadian Open Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cliff Thorburn 6–8 [62]
Runner-up2. 1975 Pot Black Flag of England.svg Graham Miles 0–1 [63]
Winner1.1975Ford/Riley Burwat Tournament Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 4–2 [64]
Runner-up3. 1976 Pot Black (2) Flag of England.svg John Spencer 0–1 [63]
Winner2.1976Suffolk Invitation Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cliff Thorburn 7–4 [65]
Winner3.1976Southsea Invitational Flag of England.svg Willie Thorne 4–1 [66]
Winner4.1976Ashton Club Jubliee Snooker Tournament Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 5–2 [67]
Runner-up4.1978 Irish Professional Championship Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 7–21 [62]
Runner-up5. 1979 Bombay International Flag of England.svg John Spencer Round-Robin [68]
Runner-up6. 1980 Tolly Cobbold Classic Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 4–5 [62]
Winner5.1980 Irish Professional Championship Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 21–15 [62]
Runner-up7. 1980 Pontins Camber Sands Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 7–9 [62]
Runner-up8. 1980 The Classic Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 1–4 [62]
Runner-up9.1980 Australian Masters Flag of England.svg John Spencer Aggregate Score [68]
Winner6.1981 Irish Professional Championship (2) Flag of Ireland.svg Patsy Fagan 22–21 [62]
Runner-up10. 1981 International Open Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 0–9 [62]
Runner-up11. 1982 Tolly Cobbold Classic (2) Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 3–8 [62]
Winner7. 1982 Irish Professional Championship (3) Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 16–13 [62]
Runner-up12. 1983 Irish Professional Championship (2) Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 11–16 [62]
Winner8. 1984 Costa Del Sol Classic Flag of England.svg Mike Hallett 5–2 [62]
Runner-up13. 1984 Professional Snooker League Flag of England.svg John Virgo Round-Robin [69]
Winner9. 1985 Irish Professional Championship (4) Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 10–5 [62]
Winner10. 1985 Thailand Masters Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Terry Griffiths 4–0 [70]
Runner-up14. 1985 China Masters Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 1–2 [71]
Winner11. 1985 Canadian Masters Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 9–5 [62]
Winner12. 1985 Kit Kat Break for World Champions Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 9–5 [62]
Winner13. 1986 Irish Professional Championship (5) Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 10–7 [62]
Winner14.1986 Australian Masters Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 3–2 [68]
Runner-up15. 1986 Malaysian Masters Flag of England.svg Jimmy White 1–2 [62]
Runner-up16. 1986 Hong Kong Masters Flag of England.svg Willie Thorne 3–8 [62]
Winner15. 1986 Carlsberg Challenge Flag of England.svg Jimmy White 8–3 [62]
Winner16. 1987 The Masters Ulster Banner.svg Alex Higgins 9–8 [62]
Winner17. 1987 Irish Professional Championship (6) Flag of Ireland.svg Joe O'Boye 9–2 [62]
Winner18. 1987 Tokyo Masters Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Terry Griffiths 6–3 [62]
Winner19. 1987 Carling Challenge (2) Flag of England.svg Joe Johnson 8–5 [62]
Winner20. 1987 Matchroom Professional Championship Flag of England.svg Willie Thorne 10–3 [72]
Winner21. 1987 Canadian Masters (2) Flag of England.svg Jimmy White 9–7 [62]
Runner-up17. 1988 Irish Professional Championship (3) Ulster Banner.svg Jack McLaughlin 4–9 [62]
Runner-up18. 1988 Matchroom Professional Championship Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 7–10 [62]
Runner-up19. 1990 Irish Masters Flag of England.svg Steve Davis 4–9 [62]
Runner-up20. 1995 Charity Challenge Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry 1–9 [73]

Pro-am finals: 1 (1 title)

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScoreRef
Winner1.1980Pontins Camber Sands Open Flag of England.svg Geoff Foulds 7–5 [74]

Team finals: 5 (3 titles)

OutcomeNo.YearChampionshipTeam/partnerOpponent(s) in the finalScoreRef
Winner1. 1985 World Cup Ireland Flag of England.svg  England 9–7 [75]
Winner2. 1986 World Cup (2) Ireland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 9–7 [75]
Winner3. 1987 World Cup (3) Ireland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 9–2 [75]
Runner-up1. 1987 World Doubles Championship Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cliff Thorburn Flag of England.svg Mike Hallett
Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Hendry 		8–12 [76]
Runner-up2. 1990 World Cup Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 5–9 [77]

Other wins

Bibliography

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The 1988 World Snooker Championship, also known as the 1988 Embassy World Snooker Championship for sponsorship reasons, 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 1984 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place between 21 April and 7 May 1984 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The event was organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, and was the eighth consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible since the 1977 event. The event featured 94 participants, of which 78 players competed in a qualifying event held at the Redwood Lodge in Bristol from 1 to 13 April. Of these, 16 players qualified for the main stage in Sheffield, where they met 16 invited seeds. The total prize fund for the event was £200,000, the highest total pool for any snooker tournament at that time; the winner received £44,000.

The 1981 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament which took place from 7 April to 20 April 1981 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament was the 1981 edition of the World Snooker Championship, and was the fifth consecutive world championship to take place at the Crucible Theatre since 1977. It was sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. The total prize fund for the tournament was £75,000, of which £20,000 went to the winner.

The 1980 World Snooker Championship, officially known as the 1980 Embassy World Snooker Championship for sponsorship reasons, was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place from 22 April to 5 May 1980 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The tournament was the 1980 edition of the World Snooker Championship and was the fourth consecutive world championship to take place at the Crucible Theatre since 1977. It was authorised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. The total prize fund for the tournament was £60,000, of which £15,000 went to the winner.

The 1979 World Snooker Championship was a ranking professional snooker tournament that took place from 16 to 28 April 1979 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. Promoted by Mike Watterson for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, it was the third consecutive World Snooker Championship to be held at the Crucible, the first tournament having taken place in 1977.

The 1977 World Snooker Championship is a professional snooker tournament that took place from 18 to 30 April 1977 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. John Spencer won his third World Snooker Championship title by defeating Cliff Thorburn by 25 frames to 21 in the final. It was the first time the championship was held at the Crucible, which has remained as the venue for the Championship. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Embassy.

The 1982 International Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 27 September to 10 October 1982 at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, England. This was the first tournament outside of the World Snooker Championship to be given ranking status. Tony Knowles won the tournament, defeating David Taylor 9–6 in the final.

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