1947 World Snooker Championship

The 1947 World Snooker Championship was a professional snooker tournament. The final was held at the Leicester Square Hall in London, England, from 13 to 25 October.[1] The semi-finals had been completed on 15 March but the finalists agreed to delay the final until the autumn so that it could be played at the rebuilt Thurston's Hall which had been bombed in October 1940.

World Snooker Championship

Tournament information
Dates	20 January–25 October 1947
Final venue	Leicester Square Hall
Final city	London
Country	England
Organisation(s)	Billiards Association and Control Council
Highest break	Fred Davis (135)
Final
Champion	Walter Donaldson
Runner-up	Fred Davis
Score	82–63
← 1946 1948 →

The World Championship was the first to be played since the "retirement" of Joe Davis who had won all 15 of the previous Championships. He had announced in October 1946 that he would no longer play in the World Championship.[2] Davis did not, in any other sense, retire from snooker, continuing to play in other tournaments and exhibition matches for many years.

Walter Donaldson won the title by defeating Fred Davis 82–63 in the final,[1] although he already reached the winning margin at 73–49.[3] Davis made the highest break of the tournament with a 135 clearance in frame 86 of the final, just one short of the championship record.[4]

Schedule

Match	Dates	Venue, city
Fred Davis v Clark McConachy	20–25 January 1947	Clifton Hotel, Blackpool
Sidney Smith v Alec Brown	27 January–1 February 1947	Newcastle
Horace Lindrum v Albert Brown	10–15 February 1947	Burroughes Hall, London
Walter Donaldson v Stanley Newman	10–15 February 1947	Wellington, Shropshire
Fred Davis v Sidney Smith	17–22 February 1947	Manchester
Walter Donaldson v Horace Lindrum	10–15 March 1947	Liverpool
Walter Donaldson v Fred Davis	13–18, 20–25 October 1947	Leicester Square Hall, London

Main draw

Source:[5][6][7]

	Quarter-finals 71/73 frames					Semi-finals 71 frames					Final 145 frames
		Fred Davis	53
		Clark McConachy	20				Fred Davis	39
		Sidney Smith	43				Sidney Smith	32
		Alec Brown	28									Fred Davis	63
		Walter Donaldson	46									Walter Donaldson	82
		Stanley Newman	25				Walter Donaldson	39
		Horace Lindrum	39				Horace Lindrum	32
		Albert Brown	34

Final

Final: 145 frames. Leicester Square Hall, London, 13–18, 20–25 October 1947.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]
Walter Donaldson  Scotland	82–63	Fred Davis  England
Day 1: 42–88, 65–49, 77–29, 23–91, 65–51, 70–21, 26–72, 62–43, 13–113, 66–60, 40–86, 85–36 Day 2: 88–31, 84–22, 33–50, 71–32, 49–71, 65–35, 63–65, 80–36, 73–56, 32–86, 87–48, 34–96 Day 3: 73–44, 95–14, 64–50, 89–31, 79–23, 28–63, 70–38, 59–40, 30–55, 62–47, 28–82 (55), 38–86 Day 4: 80–20, 52–82, 83–43, 13–144 (73), 65–36, 69–24, 99–24 (97), 100–24, 112–5, 78–45, 47–77, 62–61 Day 5: 65–53, 12–112, 84–33, 77–24, 83–37, 25–94, 31–84, 50–71, 56–82, 37–64, 22–89, 32–80 Day 6: 85–18, 72–45, 21–88, 60–46, 94–38, 70–39, 72–31, 90–11, 87–28, 46–70, 29–79, 74–51 Day 7: 63–41, 116–8, 96–24, 8–111 (103), 65–59, 68–61, 16–106, 26–85, 19–119 (107), 56–69, 89–42, 97–12 Day 8: 53–44, 0–139 (135), 97–32, 51–63, 67–37, 39–96, 57–36, 90–28, 32–75, 103–6, 65–73, 22–103 Day 9: 40–67, 67–55, 30–94, 72–59, 82–21, 20–86, 95–51, 119–31, 51–93, 14–94, 55–64, 12–120 Day 10: 51–56, 111–20, 95–31, 88–23, 91–6, 86–36, 28–80, 57–55, 73–53, 24–86, 65–55, 101–26 Day 11: 68–66, 95–48, 77–38, 66–67, 68–23, 76–50, 72–53, 74–40, 44–82, 43–79, 4–114, 31–78 Day 12: 13 frame scores not known
"Dead" frames were played, Donaldson had won the match 73–49.

Qualifying

Qualifying matches were held at Burroughes Hall in London from 2 January to 8 February 1947. Herbert Holt had scratched from the qualifying in early December.[19] The first match, between John Pulman and Albert Brown was a repeat of the final of the 1946 English Amateur Championship which Pulman had won. Brown led 14–9 after two days and took a winning 18–9 lead on the final day.[20] Herbert Francis led Willie Leigh 14–10 after two days. Leigh levelled the score at 15–15 after the final afternoon session and eventually won 19–16.[21] Sydney Lee beat Jim Lees 19–16 in the third match.[22] In the last first-round match Kingsley Kennerley won easily against Conrad Stanbury, taking an 18–4 lead on the second evening.[23]

	Round 1 35 frames					Round 2 35 frames					Round 3 35 frames					Round 4 35 frames
		Albert Brown	21
		John Pulman	14				Albert Brown	28
		Eric Newman	w/o				Eric Newman	7
		Herbert Holt	w/d									Albert Brown	24
												John Barrie	11
							John Barrie	25
							Fred Lawrence	10
																	Albert Brown	21
		Kingsley Kennerley	23														Kingsley Kennerley	14
		Conrad Stanbury	12				Kingsley Kennerley	23
							Alec Mann	12
												Kingsley Kennerley	21
		Jim Lees	16									Willie Leigh	14
		Sydney Lee	19				Sydney Lee	10
		Willie Leigh	19				Willie Leigh	25
		Herbert Francis	16

References

1. Turner, Chris. "World Professional Championship". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
2. "Billiards and Snooker – J Davis retires". The Times. 7 October 1946. p. 8.
3. "New snooker champion". The Mercury. 27 October 1947. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
4. "Professional Snooker – Big break by F Davis". The Times. 22 October 1947. p. 2.
5. "World Championship 1947". Global Snooker. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
6. "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
7. Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. p. 144. ISBN 0-9548549-0-X.
8. "World Snooker title". The Glasgow Herald. 14 October 1947. p. 4.
9. "Scot's Snooker lead". The Glasgow Herald. 15 October 1947. p. 2.
10. "World Snooker lead". The Glasgow Herald. 16 October 1947. p. 6.
11. "World Snooker title". The Glasgow Herald. 17 October 1947. p. 2.
12. "Davis 10 behind". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 18 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 20 October 1947. p. 2.
14. "Two century breaks by Fred Davis". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 21 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "Davis just misses world record". Western Daily Press. 22 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Donaldson has winning lead". Western Daily Press. 23 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "Donaldson – Two frames to win". Western Daily Press. 24 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. "Donaldson wins snooker title". Aberdeen Journal. 25 October 1947. Retrieved 18 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. "H Holt". The Times. 7 December 1946. p. 7.
20. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 6 January 1947. p. 2.
21. "Sport in brief". Western Daily Press. 9 January 1947. Retrieved 12 January 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
22. "Professional Snooker". The Times. 13 January 1947. p. 8.
23. "Missed his cue". Western Morning News. 15 January 1947. Retrieved 12 January 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.