| Born | 3 May 1946 Cape Town, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  South Africa |
| Nickname | The Silver Fish [1] |
| Professional | 1981–1997 |
| Highest ranking | 10 (1987/88) |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
Silvino Francisco (born 3 May 1946) is a South African former professional snooker player who won the 1985 British Open.
Francisco comes from a snooker-playing family. His brother Manuel and nephew Peter both played at a high level, Manuel having been a runner-up in the World Amateur Billiards Championship on several occasions, and Peter having risen to the world ranking of number 14.
Francisco won the 1985 British Open, beating Kirk Stevens 12–9. Prior to the start of the Final match, Francisco accused Stevens of playing under the influence of drugs. Francisco was subsequently fined for the comments. [2] The world governing body of snooker, the WPBSA, accepted that the accusation was false and it is on record that Kirk Stevens has never failed a drugs test in the history of his career. [3] Stevens later admitted to have an addiction to cocaine. [2]
He was involved in another scandal after the 1989 Masters. After losing 5–1 to Terry Griffiths in the last-16, it was discovered that there had been heavy betting on that exact score. Francisco was arrested, but later released without charge.
Francisco suffered with gambling problems towards the end of his professional career, to the extent of being declared bankrupt in 1996 due to income tax arrears, having split up from his second wife who claimed his £350,000 house, and having to pay maintenance for his four children. He later took to working evenings in a friend's fish and chip shop for extra cash.
In 1997, he was arrested for smuggling cannabis, and served three years in prison. [4]
| Tournament | 1979/ 80 | 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking [5] | [nb 1] | [nb 2] | 17 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 33 | 57 | 81 | 125 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian Classic [nb 3] | Tournament Not Held | NR | 1R | 3R | 2R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Prix [nb 4] | Not Held | A | 3R | 3R | QF | SF | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 3R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Open | Tournament Not Held | LQ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 2R | LQ | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Open [nb 5] | NH | NR | A | QF | SF | 1R | QF | 3R | 2R | 2R | Not Held | 3R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Open [nb 6] | Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | Not Held | QF | WD | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open [nb 7] | Non-Ranking Event | W | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | A | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scottish Masters | NH | A | A | A | A | SF | A | A | NH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | A | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | WD | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | A | A | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking | LQ | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong Open [nb 8] | Non-Ranking Event | NH | 1R | Tournament Not Held | NR | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Non-Ranking | 2R | 1R | 1R | QF | 3R | 3R | SF | 1R | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open | Tournament Not Held | 1R | MR | NR | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Limosin International | SF | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Brean Sands | Not Held | F | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pot Black | A | A | A | QF | 1R | A | Tournament Not Held | A | A | A | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Masters [nb 9] | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | A | NH | A | Tournament Not Held | A | A | NH | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South African Professional Championship | SF | Tournament Not Held | W | A | A | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Tournament Not Held | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Seniors Championship | Tournament Not Held | QF | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) | QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1985 | British Open |  Kirk Stevens | 12–9 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1978 | South African Professional Championship |  Perrie Mans | 5–9 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1983 | Pontins Brean Sands |  Tony Meo | 7–9 |
| Winner | 1. | 1986 | South African Professional Championship |  François Ellis | 9–1 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Team/partner | Opponent(s) in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1989 | World Cup | Rest of the World | England | 8–9 |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1968 | South African Amateur Championship | | |
| Winner | 2. | 1969 | South African Amateur Championship (2) | | |
| Winner | 3. | 1974 | South African Amateur Championship (3) | Mike Hines | 7–0 |
| Winner | 4. | 1977 | South African Amateur Championship (4) | Ayoob Majiet |
James Warren White is an English professional snooker player who has won four seniors World titles. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, swift and attacking style of play, White is the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 Six-red World champion, a record four-time World Seniors Champion, 2019 Seniors 6-Red World Champion and 1984 World Doubles champion with Alex Higgins.
Tony Drago is a Maltese former professional snooker and pool player.
Graham Miles was an English snooker player.
Anthony Christian Meo is a retired English snooker player. He won the 1989 British Open by defeating Dean Reynolds 13–6 in the final, and was runner-up to Steve Davis at the 1984 Classic. He won four World Doubles Championship titles, partnering Davis, and the 1983 World Team Classic representing England alongside Davis and Tony Knowles.
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. It was the only ranking event victory of his career. 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.
Pierre "Perrie" Mans was a South African professional snooker player. He first won the South African Professional Championship in 1965 and lifted the title 20 times. Mans won the Benson & Hedges Masters in 1979 and reached the final of the World Championship in 1978.
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn 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. He is generally recognised as the sport's first world champion from outside the United Kingdom—since Australian Horace Lindrum's 1952 title is usually disregarded—and he remains the only world champion from the Americas. He was runner-up in two other world championships, losing 21–25 to John Spencer in the 1977 final and 6–18 to Steve Davis in the 1983 final. At the 1983 tournament, Thorburn became the first player to make a maximum break in a World Championship match, achieving the feat in his second-round encounter with Terry Griffiths.
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.
William Joseph Thorne was an English professional snooker player. He won one ranking title, the 1985 Classic. He also reached the final of the 1985 UK Championship, losing 16–14 to Steve Davis after leading 13–8. He was noted for his break-building, and was among the first players to compile 100 century breaks. He earned the nickname "Mr Maximum". After retiring as a player, Thorne became a snooker commentator, primarily for the BBC.
Edward FrancisCharlton, was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title. He later became a successful marketer of sporting goods launching a popular brand of billiard room equipment bearing his name.
David Taylor is an English former professional snooker player. He won the World and English Amateur Championships in 1968, before the success of those wins encouraged him to turn professional. He was nicknamed "The Silver Fox" because of his prematurely grey hair.
Kirk Stevens is a Canadian former professional snooker player.
Neal Foulds is an English former professional snooker player and six-time tournament winner, including the 1986 International Open, the 1988 Dubai Masters and the 1992 Scottish Masters, as well as the invitational Pot Black in 1992. He was runner-up at the 1986 UK Championship and the 1987 British Open, and reached the semi-finals of three Masters tournaments and the 1987 World Championship. After his retirement, Foulds became a commentator for the BBC and is currently part of the presenting team for ITV and Eurosport.
Mike Hallett is an English former professional snooker player and commentator. He won the 1989 Hong Kong Open.
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.
Dean Reynolds is an English former professional snooker player whose career spanned twenty years from 1981 to 2001.
Dene O'Kane is a former professional snooker player from Auckland, New Zealand.
Peter Francisco is a South African former professional snooker player who won the African Snooker Championship 4 times and South African Snooker Championship 8 times and the South African Billiards Championship 13 times as an amateur and professional.
Warren King is a former professional Australian snooker player who was active during the 1980s and 1990s. He reached his highest ranking position, 35th, for the 1985/1986 season, and was the runner-up in the 1990 Classic, where he lost 6–10 to Steve James.
Dennis Taylor is a Northern Irish retired professional snooker player and current commentator. In the 1985 World Snooker Championship final, against defending champion Steve Davis, Taylor lost the first eight frames, 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.
