1937 World Snooker Championship

[Cyril]

The great match at Thurston's Hall in Leicester Square, London, the famous temple of the game... how does this compare to today's grand finals at the Crucible?

1937 World Professional Snooker Championship – Final

Joe Davis (England) vs. Horace Lindrum (Australia)
15th – 20th March, 1937 Thurston’s Hall, Leicester Square, London.

I 109(38,50)-12, 21-81, 76(53)-45, 30-95(81), 73-21. 3-2
II 42-78, 70-49, 22-89(75), no record of frames 9 and 10. 5-5
III 58-65(30)(re-spotted black), 24-89, 95(44,41)-25, 37-88(70), 72(33)-37. 7-8
IV 36-80(56), 98-22, 40(32)-82(73), 30-80(55), 79-53. 9-11
V 16-114(80) 19-74(32), 93(51)-37,14-105(56), 78-15. 11-14
VI 66-70(31), no record of frames 27 and 28, 13-107(46,47), 66(41)-19. 13-17
VII 103(103)-33, 98(66)-23, 21-104(93), 92(38)-36, 110(48,34)-23. 17-18
VIII 82-46, 29-95(58), 56-92(36), 128(32,45,41)-0, 34-51. 19-21
IX 59(37)-46, 56(34)-33, 68(46)-61(47), 92(33,30)-3, 8-80(56). 23-22
X 120(47)-1, 71(30)-56(32), 81(32)-34, 107(93)-15, 46-83(30,33). 27-23
XI 66-52(37), 44(40)-73, 66-55(33), 25-78, 24-101(43,58). 29-26
XII 27-61, 63-65(53), 63-42, 72-41, 38-83(38), 87(62). 32-29
Davis reached a winning lead at 31-28

[Son of Cliff]

The great match at Thurston's Hall in Leicester Square, London, the famous temple of the game... how does this compare to today's grand finals at the Crucible?

1937 World Professional Snooker Championship – Final

Joe Davis (England) vs. Horace Lindrum (Australia)
15th – 20th March, 1937 Thurston’s Hall, Leicester Square, London.

I 109(38,50)-12, 21-81, 76(53)-45, 30-95(81), 73-21. 3-2
II 42-78, 70-49, 22-89(75), no record of frames 9 and 10. 5-5
III 58-65(30)(re-spotted black), 24-89, 95(44,41)-25, 37-88(70), 72(33)-37. 7-8
IV 36-80(56), 98-22, 40(32)-82(73), 30-80(55), 79-53. 9-11
V 16-114(80) 19-74(32), 93(51)-37,14-105(56), 78-15. 11-14
VI 66-70(31), no record of frames 27 and 28, 13-107(46,47), 66(41)-19. 13-17
VII 103(103)-33, 98(66)-23, 21-104(93), 92(38)-36, 110(48,34)-23. 17-18
VIII 82-46, 29-95(58), 56-92(36), 128(32,45,41)-0, 34-51. 19-21
IX 59(37)-46, 56(34)-33, 68(46)-61(47), 92(33,30)-3, 8-80(56). 23-22
X 120(47)-1, 71(30)-56(32), 81(32)-34, 107(93)-15, 46-83(30,33). 27-23
XI 66-52(37), 44(40)-73, 66-55(33), 25-78, 24-101(43,58). 29-26
XII 27-61, 63-65(53), 63-42, 72-41, 38-83(38), 87(62). 32-29
Davis reached a winning lead at 31-28

I would love to be able to go back in time and watch that :snooker: trouble is it would be in black and white

[Templeton Peck]

Well in the 1937 final there were 33 40+ breaks including one century out of 55 frames (60%). In the 2008 final there were 21 40+ breaks including two centuries out of 26 frames (80%) and this was generally perceived as a weak final...

Of course the cloths were thicker and the balls were heavier so maybe the 1937 players demonstrated more skill than the 2008 players.

[Cyril]

Well in the 1937 final there were 33 40+ breaks including one century out of 55 frames (60%). In the 2008 final there were 21 40+ breaks including two centuries out of 26 frames (80%) and this was generally perceived as a weak final...

Of course the cloths were thicker and the balls were heavier so maybe the 1937 players demonstrated more skill than the 2008 players.

Nice workings TP. Certainly, Joe and Horace wouldn't have been able to spread the reds all over the table as players can now. There are also a lot of high scoring frames, which suggest that they played the frames out until all the balls had been potted, unlike today, where a player say, 75 behind with 4 reds left, would concede.

Like Son of Cliff said, how great it would be to go back and sit for a session or two in the famous Thurston's!

[Templeton Peck]

Looked like a close battle too - never more than three or four frames in it so probably would have been more thrilling than this year's final.

[Cyril]

Yeah, it certainly would have been. By all accounts, Horace was as good as Davis, technically but lacked the big match temperment. He was the first man to compile 1,000 snooker century breaks in public. I've got a few video's of him playing and he looks a real class act, great positional play and close control. Not sure his long game was of the same standard although, to be fair, in the footage I've seen, he would have been in his late 40's, early 50's and had taken to wearing specs.

[jb134]

Am fairly sure I have seen photos of him as a young man in which he is wearing specs.

[Cyril]

I'm not sure, tbh. I certainly dont think he wore them in the 1930's though. Here is a pic of him with Walter Donaldson in, I would hazzard a guess, late 1940's. He was born in January 1912, so he'd be mid to late 30's here.
http://www.snookerarchive.com/gallery.htm

[Cyril]

Joe Davis win's his 11th consecutive World title... I wonder what he'd make of the current game and players?

[100-uper]

If anyone is still interested in the glasses question, I can say that Horace Lindrum first started wearing contact lenses in 1949, but switched to swivel-lens spectacles around 1952. After trying several different models (his favourite was a set custom-made in India) he settled for a new design by Jack Karnehm in 1956. As far as I can tell, he stayed with these for the rest of his career.

[grimreaper]

Wonder how todays players would handle having to play the best of 61 frames

[jb134]

If anyone is still interested in the glasses question, I can say that Horace Lindrum first started wearing contact lenses in 1949, but switched to swivel-lens spectacles around 1952. After trying several different models (his favourite was a set custom-made in India) he settled for a new design by Jack Karnehm in 1956. As far as I can tell, he stayed with these for the rest of his career.

If you just keep posting things up and assume I'm interested, that'll be fine. That'd make him around 40 (from memory so might be wrong) when he got the specs, I thought he looked younger. Think I'll get some black and white photos done!

I was reading a thing the other week about a year when the players had to put up 20 guineas stake per match and there were threats of withdrawals, do you know how that ended?

[100-uper]

I was reading a thing the other week about a year when the players had to put up 20 guineas stake per match and there were threats of withdrawals, do you know how that ended?

This was related to an announcement by the BA&CC that competitors would have to put up a side-stake of 20 guineas for each match in the 1949-50 World Snooker Championship. Horace Lindrum led a "revolt" against this decision and was backed by a number of leading players. Lindrum acted not for his own interests, but those of "the younger players" saying they could not afford this amount, and he would be "conscience-stricken" at having to take their money. (Those were the days!)

The BA&CC subsequently reduced the stake fee to 10 guineas, and although Lindrum wanted the stake set at three or five guineas, the compromise seems to have persuaded the other professionals, as the championship had an excellent entry of 15 players, albeit Lindrum was not amongst them.

[jb134]

This was related to an announcement by the BA&CC that competitors would have to put up a side-stake of 20 guineas for each match in the 1949-50 World Snooker Championship. Horace Lindrum led a "revolt" against this decision and was backed by a number of leading players. Lindrum acted not for his own interests, but those of "the younger players" saying they could not afford this amount, and he would be "conscience-stricken" at having to take their money. (Those were the days!)

The BA&CC subsequently reduced the stake fee to 10 guineas, and although Lindrum wanted the stake set at three or five guineas, the compromise seems to have persuaded the other professionals, as the championship had an excellent entry of 15 players, albeit Lindrum was not amongst them.

Amazing when you look at the various machinations throughout the history of the game. It's pretty much still going on in billiards sadly. I was always surprised that Lindrum did not pursue a WC harder although there's the one against McConechy I suppose. Have you any idea what his head to heads against Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson were like, I seem to remember he never fared well against Donaldson in WC play.

[AndrewB]

The cuetracker website says he won 2 out of 2 against Fred Davis (1 out of 1 in the World Championship), 1 out of 4 against Walter Donaldson (0 out of 2 in the World Championship).