1952 Champion? Horace Lindrum or Fred Davis

[mythman69]

1952 was an interesting year for snooker, but who was the 'real' World Champion that year?

The BA&CC high-mindedly declared that the championship was primarily a matter of honour and that financial considerations should be secondary, but the professionals did not see it that way and decided to boycott its 1952 championship in favour of organising one of their own.

Horace Lindrum won the World Snooker Championship

Fred Davis won the Professional Matchplay Championship

Read more here

So is Neil Robertson the first Australian to win the World Championship?

[grimreaper]

Like it or not Horace Lindrum.

[jb134]

Like it or not Horace Lindrum.

Have to agree.

[franksandellsnooker]

The fact that H.L. has his name on the World trophy confirms that he won the championship in the format of that year but their is no doubt that N.R. was the first Aussie to win the title in a true full professional tournament - good luck to him - pity he does not get the accolades he deserves in his home country. F.

[billabong]

Have to agree.

Only 2 players, but not alone in this regard ( ref challenge matches to decide the champion in the mid 60's ).

According to this, John Pullman won the world championship twice in 1964,
and 3 times in 1965 . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964-68..._Championships

[Cyril]

The Professional Matchplay was regarded by the public as the real World Championships throughout the 1950's until it ceased due to lack of public support. The main event in those days was the News of the World £500 Tournament, a handicap event which ran for 5 or 6 months, mostly played at Leicester Square Hall. It was a handicap event and, Joe played in it.

[Cyril]

Spotted this thread from a while back. I would have to say "both". The BA&CC was of course, the official governing body at the time but the professionals split away in 1952 and throughout the rest of the 1950's all professional tournaments were under the governance of "the Players Association". The BA&CC basically controlled the Amateur game, whilst the pro's did their own thing. It was similar to the different controlling bodies in Darts or Boxing.

History has rightly (in my opionion) adopted the Professional Matchplay as the "real" World Championship of that period.