Ann-Marie Farren
| Born | 29 August 1971 England |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  England |
| Professional | 1991–1995 (WPBSA) |
| Highest ranking | 344 (WPBSA) |
Ann-Marie Farren (born 29 August 1971)[1] is an English former snooker player. She won the World Ladies Snooker Championship in 1987, at the age of 16, and was runner-up in 1988 and 1989.[2]
Biography
Farren started playing aged seven, on a 4 ft by 2 ft snooker table that her father Hugh bought her. She left Chilwell Comprehensive School with one O-level, having prioritized snooker above her studies, and went into snooker as a career. She prepared for the 1987 world championship by practicing on a £4,000 table her father installed for her in a specially built room in the garden.[3]
56 players participated in the 1987 tournament. Farren progressed through to the final, where she played Stacey Hillyard. Farren achieved a 5–1 victory to take the prize of £3,500 and the trophy, plus a double magnum of champagne that she was not old enough to drink, being only 16 years and 48 days old at the time.[1] She was the second-youngest champion, the youngest being her beaten opponent Hillyard, who had won at the age of 15 in 1984.[4][3]
Farren was runner-up in the world championship in 1988 and 1989, losing both times to Allison Fisher, who was regarded as the dominant player of the era.[1]
When the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association opened membership for events to anyone over the age of 16 in 1990, Farren was one of six women to join, along with Allison Fisher, Stacey Hillyard, Georgina Aplin, Karen Corr, and Maureen McCarthy, whilst 443 men joined at the same time.[5]
Farren once modelled waistcoats alongside 1985 World champion Dennis Taylor on The Clothes Show.[3] She started a media studies course at Newark and Sherwood College in 1994, with ambitions to become a journalist, and later joined the UK civil service.[3]
Titles and achievements
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent | Score | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1 | 1987 | Women's World Snooker Championship | Stacey Hillyard | 5–1 | [6][7] |
| Runner-up | 2 | 1988 | Women's World Snooker Championship | Allison Fisher | 1–6 | [8] |
| Runner-up | 3 | 1989 | Women's World Snooker Championship | Allison Fisher | 5–6 | [9] |
| Runner-up | 4 | 1991 | Pontins Ladies' Bowl | Tessa Davidson | 2–4 | [10][11] |
| Winner | 5 | 1988 | Aylesbury Classic | Allison Fisher | 3–1 | [12] |
| Runner-up | 6 | 1992 | Regal Masters | Karen Corr | 3–4 | [13] |
| Runner-up | 7 | 1993 | Regal Masters | Stacey Hillyard | 3–4 | [14] |
| Winner | 8 | 1994 | Pontins British Championship | Kim Shaw | 4–3 | [15] |
| Runner-up | 9 | 1995 | Pontins British Open | Karen Corr | 1–4 | [16] |
| Runner-up | 10 | 1996 | Regal Welsh | Karen Corr | 1–4 | [17] |
References
- ^ a b c Huart, Matt. "Women's World Snooker Championship – A Potted History". Women's World Snooker. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "World Champions". Women's World Snooker. Archived from the original on 18 August 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d Smart, Andy (21 April 2010). "Nottingham Evening Post: Ann-Marie was world snooker champion at 16". Nottingham Post.
- ^ Acteson, Steve (16 October 1987). "Snooker: Farren wins world title after Fisher freezes". The Times – via NewsBank.
- ^ Acteson, Steve (13 October 1990). "A motley cast of hundreds waiting for the cue – Snooker". The Times – via NewsBank.
- ^ Acteson, Steve (16 October 1987). "Farren wins world title after Fisher freezes". The Times (London). p. 38 – via The Times Digital Archive. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ "1987 World Women's Snooker Championship - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1988 World Women's Snooker Championship - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1989 World Women's Snooker Championship - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ Yates, Philip (July 1991). "Hallett wins Pontins Open". Snooker Scene. Birmingham: Everton's News Agency. p. 19.
- ^ "1991 Pontin's Ladies Spring Bowl - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1991 Aylesbury Classic - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1992 Regal Masters - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1993 Regal Masters - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1994 Pontins British Championship - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1995 Pontins British Open - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "1996 Regal Welsh - Results". snookerscores.net. World Women's Snooker. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
