I hope i am allowed to post this in this section.Having played Flyordie Snooker since June this year some players i play remind me of the first pro players of the 1970s.So heres a list of whom you would have seen playing in the world championships in the 1970s.Who was your fave and have you any memorys that stand out of that player that you like.So lets start with the overseas pros(non uk nationals)from Austrailia we had Eddie Charlton,from South Africa we had Perrie Manns and Jimmy vann,and who could ever forget the great players from Canada,Cliff Thorburn,Kirk Stevens,Bill Werbinuik,Jim Wych.Rep of Irland was Patsy Fagan and Pat Houlihan,Northern Irland we had Alex Higgins,Dennis Tayler and Tommy Murphy.Wales was Ray Reardon,Terry Grithis,Doug Mountjoy and Cliff Wilson.There was a Scottish pro called Eddie Sinclair.The English pros of the 1970s were as follows:David Taylor,John Spencer,Ray Edmunds,Fred Davis,John Pullman,Willie Thorne,John Virgo,Jim Meadowcroft.Thats 25 players. Have i missed any out?let me know if i have.There was a lot more safety play in those days and the game is much more attacking these days,but the pre mentioned names and characters are what made the game popular,as well as colour tv of course.Remember folks on Flyordie they is more to snooker than potting,safety and tactics are just as important in the game.Well i have had my say i look forward to your comments.
Snooker stars from the past(and they still is more to snooker than potting)
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Snooker stars from the past(and they still is more to snooker than potting)
Posted in
Billiards
Snooker stars from the past(and they still is more to snooker than potting)
The whirlwind Jimmy White was and still is one of the best players I've ever seen. Check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sk9_hWUDZM
for one of the best snooker shots ever played. I love the tactical battles as much as the amazing break building thats done today, but lets not forget, Steve Davis and Cliff Thorburn both made 147s in the early days of televised snooker so they could do it too. Just maybe took them a few more minutes.
Yes for sure but im thinking more the players whom were in the world championships of the 1970s 2 more came to mind today Jack Rae Rep of irland and John pullman of England.Jimmy n Steve and in a way Cliff were more your 1980s n beyond super stars.Alex of course got people talking and watching snooker more when he won the 72 world championships and started playin in BBCs pot black torny in the 1970s.
I wasnt alive in the 70s and barely old enuff to watch snooker in the early 80s so I can only really comment on the mid 80s onwards and what I can see of the old games on re runs youtube ect.
Geoff foulds father of 80s pro Neil was about in the 70s.I believe they was a pro from north England called mark williamson not to be misled by current pro mark williams of Wales.So that makes 30 pros from the 1970s.Just need 2 more to make 32.
Dave martin England and Steve Davis did enter the 1979 championships so that make 32.Going back even furthur Joe Davis won the first ever Worlds in 1927.I suppose theres been lots of great players over the years but i wonder how many pros have entered the world championships from 1927 to the present.Thanks for your responce Jammel.
they used a different type of cloth for a start, it had napp or a direction so balls would move off line especially if played slow, and also it was much slower and less reactive, when splitting the bunch today with just a bit of power they tend to spread all over the table very easily, back then you would whack them from potting the black and you may free up a couple and then have to split them again. it was not as easy as it is today, it needed much more cue power to spin the white meaning more shots would be missed by hitting too hard. many things have changed the game including knowing how the balls react through motion cameras and science. tiz by far a different game. but i preferred the characters of yesteryear, who can also forget the two tony's meo and knowles, or the incomparable cliff wilson. great days and a huge part of my youth.
we also had the two fransisco brothers from south africa, sylvino and peter i believe.again though that may be the eighties, i dunno if they were about in the 70's
David Taylor,the silver fox, was big box office material amongst the housewives brigade in the late 70's and early 80's playing in the 1979 World Championships until 1987 with his best performance a run to the semi-finals in 1980 before being eliminated by eventual winner Cliff Thorburn