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1976 World Professional Match-play Championship
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1976 World Professional Match-play Championship
The 1976 World Professional Match-play Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament held from 28 November to 11 December 1976 at the Nunawading Basketball Centre in Burwood East, Melbourne, Australia. Eddie Charlton, the event's promoter, won the title by defeating Ray Reardon by 31 frames to 24 in the final. The Championship was sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, with the event's title causing confusion with the World Snooker Championship in some media reports. The tournament was not repeated.
A World Professional Match-play Championship for professional snooker was staged each year from 1952 to 1957, having been created following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council. The PBPA members established a competition, which became known as the World Professional Match-play Championship, as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship. Although at first these were not deemed to be world championships, they were later recognised as editions of the World Snooker Championship. After 1957, the event was discontinued due to a decline in the popularity of snooker. The World Championship was re-instituted on a challenge basis from 1964 to 1968, and as a knock-out format tournament from 1969.
The 1976 tournament, which is not recognised as an edition of the World Snooker Championship, featured sixteen invited players. Alex Higgins was the only one of the top four seeds not to reach the semi-finals. Higgins was defeated 6–13 by Paddy Morgan, who then lost in the deciding frame of his semi-final match against Charlton. Reardon played Graham Miles in the other semi-final, which he won 19–16 after recovering from five frames behind.
A World Professional Match-play Championship for professional snooker was staged each year from 1952 to 1957, having been created following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council. The PBPA members established a competition, which became known as the World Professional Match-play Championship, as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship. Although at first these were not deemed to be world championships, they were later recognised as editions of the World Snooker Championship. After 1957, the event was discontinued due to a decline in the popularity of snooker.
After this, there were no world championship matches until professional Rex Williams gained agreement from the BACC that the world championship would be staged on a challenge basis, with defending World Professional Match-play Championship Pulman featuring in the first match. Pulman retained the title in several challenges from 1964 to 1968. From 1969, the World Snooker Championship we re-established by the Imperial Tobacco Company as a knock-out format tournament, using their "Players No. 6" brand.
In 1976, Eddie Charlton gained the recognition of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for a World Professional Match-play Championship to be held in Australia, promoted by him. The tournament was staged from 28 November to 11 December 1976, at the Nunawading Basketball Centre in Burwood East, Melbourne, Australia, with 16 invited players participating, as an event distinct from the World Championship. John Spencer declined to participate as he was dissatisfied with how the 1975 World Snooker Championship had been conducted by Charlton's promotions company. Clive Everton, editor of Snooker Scene magazine, criticised the WPBSA's decision to approve a tournament with a name that could be confused with the World Snooker Championship, and the decision to include lower-ranked Australian players rather than higher ranked players. Ray Reardon was the top seed, with Alex Higgins second.
On two further occasions after 1976, the WPBSA sanctioned the staging of the tournament, but it did not take place on either of them due to problems with organising the event. The tournament is recognised in Ian Morrison's Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker (1987) as part of the same series as the World Professional Match-play Championship, whilst snooker statistician Chris Turner views them, and the later World Matchplay events as distinct from each other despite the similar titles.
Prize money was awarded as follows:
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1976 World Professional Match-play Championship AI simulator
(@1976 World Professional Match-play Championship_simulator)
1976 World Professional Match-play Championship
The 1976 World Professional Match-play Championship was a professional invitational snooker tournament held from 28 November to 11 December 1976 at the Nunawading Basketball Centre in Burwood East, Melbourne, Australia. Eddie Charlton, the event's promoter, won the title by defeating Ray Reardon by 31 frames to 24 in the final. The Championship was sanctioned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, with the event's title causing confusion with the World Snooker Championship in some media reports. The tournament was not repeated.
A World Professional Match-play Championship for professional snooker was staged each year from 1952 to 1957, having been created following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council. The PBPA members established a competition, which became known as the World Professional Match-play Championship, as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship. Although at first these were not deemed to be world championships, they were later recognised as editions of the World Snooker Championship. After 1957, the event was discontinued due to a decline in the popularity of snooker. The World Championship was re-instituted on a challenge basis from 1964 to 1968, and as a knock-out format tournament from 1969.
The 1976 tournament, which is not recognised as an edition of the World Snooker Championship, featured sixteen invited players. Alex Higgins was the only one of the top four seeds not to reach the semi-finals. Higgins was defeated 6–13 by Paddy Morgan, who then lost in the deciding frame of his semi-final match against Charlton. Reardon played Graham Miles in the other semi-final, which he won 19–16 after recovering from five frames behind.
A World Professional Match-play Championship for professional snooker was staged each year from 1952 to 1957, having been created following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council. The PBPA members established a competition, which became known as the World Professional Match-play Championship, as an alternative to the World Snooker Championship. Although at first these were not deemed to be world championships, they were later recognised as editions of the World Snooker Championship. After 1957, the event was discontinued due to a decline in the popularity of snooker.
After this, there were no world championship matches until professional Rex Williams gained agreement from the BACC that the world championship would be staged on a challenge basis, with defending World Professional Match-play Championship Pulman featuring in the first match. Pulman retained the title in several challenges from 1964 to 1968. From 1969, the World Snooker Championship we re-established by the Imperial Tobacco Company as a knock-out format tournament, using their "Players No. 6" brand.
In 1976, Eddie Charlton gained the recognition of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for a World Professional Match-play Championship to be held in Australia, promoted by him. The tournament was staged from 28 November to 11 December 1976, at the Nunawading Basketball Centre in Burwood East, Melbourne, Australia, with 16 invited players participating, as an event distinct from the World Championship. John Spencer declined to participate as he was dissatisfied with how the 1975 World Snooker Championship had been conducted by Charlton's promotions company. Clive Everton, editor of Snooker Scene magazine, criticised the WPBSA's decision to approve a tournament with a name that could be confused with the World Snooker Championship, and the decision to include lower-ranked Australian players rather than higher ranked players. Ray Reardon was the top seed, with Alex Higgins second.
On two further occasions after 1976, the WPBSA sanctioned the staging of the tournament, but it did not take place on either of them due to problems with organising the event. The tournament is recognised in Ian Morrison's Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker (1987) as part of the same series as the World Professional Match-play Championship, whilst snooker statistician Chris Turner views them, and the later World Matchplay events as distinct from each other despite the similar titles.
Prize money was awarded as follows: