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Rex Williams

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Rex Williams
Born (1933-07-20) 20 July 1933 (age 91)
Halesowen, England
Sport country England
Professional1951–1995
Highest ranking6 (1976/77)
Best ranking finishRunner-up (1986 Grand Prix)

Desmond Rex Williams (born 20 July 1933)[1][2]: 277–280  is a retired English professional snooker and billiards player. He was the second player to make an official maximum break, achieving this in an exhibition match in December 1965. Williams won the World Professional Billiards Championship from Clark McConachy in 1968, the first time that the title had been contested since 1951. Williams retained the title in several challenge matches in the 1970s, and, after losing it to Fred Davis in 1980, regained it from 1982 to 1983.

He played a leading role in the re-establishment of the World Snooker Championship on a challenge basis in 1964, and lost twice to John Pulman, once in a single match and once in a series of matches played in South Africa. When the Championship reverted to being a knockout from 1969, he reached the semi-finals three times. In 1968 he initiated the revival of the Professional Billiards Players Association (known as the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association from 1970). He chaired the association, barring a few weeks in 1983, until 1987, and again from 1997 to 1999.

Williams was a successful junior player in both snooker and billiards, and became a professional in 1951 at the age of 18. At the 1986 Grand Prix, aged 53, he became the oldest player to reach a ranking tournament final. He lost the match 6–10 to Jimmy White after leading 6–4. He retired from competitive snooker in 1995, having achieved his highest ranking, 6th, in 1976/77.

Career

Junior career

Rex Williams was born in Halesowen on 20 July 1933.[2][3] He started playing on a full-size billiard table at the age of 13 on a table installed at his father's printing works, and was coached by Kingsley Kennerley.[4] He won the Midlands Boys Titles in both billiards and snooker.[5] In 1948 he won the British Boys' (under-16) Championships at both snooker and billiards, and in 1950 he was the National Under-19 Billiards champion.[6] He played an exhibition match against Joe Davis in 1949, winning the one frame 85-51 after receiving 21 start.[7] In 1951, at 17 years old, he became the youngest winner of the English Amateur Snooker Championship (until Jimmy White in 1979), beating the 1939 champion Percy Bendon 6–1 in the final.[8][9]: 153–155  He also won the 1951 National Under-19 Championships at both snooker and billiards.[6]

Early professional career

Williams turned professional in 1951 at the age of 18, and entered the 1952 World Professional Match-play Championship.[6] He met Alec Brown in the first round in a match over 61 frames played from 17 to 22 December 1951 at Darlaston, Staffordshire.[10] Brown won comfortably, taking a winning 33–17 lead after the fifth day and eventually winning 39–22.[10] Williams made his debut at Leicester Square Hall in early 1952, playing John Pulman in an exhibition match on level terms.[11] Pulman won the six-day match 42–31.[12] Williams then beat John Barrie 40–33 in another exhibition match, receiving 10 points each frame.[13][14]

In May and early June 1952, Williams played in the qualifying competition for the 1952/1953 News of the World Snooker Tournament. In his first match he played 66-year-old Willie Smith and won 22–15.[15] The qualifying was won by Jackie Rea who advanced to the main event.[16] Williams met Kingsley Kennerley in the first qualifying round for the World Championship. Kennerley had already beaten him 23–14 in the News of the World qualifying and beat him again, this time 25–12.[17] Albert Brown was ill for two of his matches in the News of the World Tournament and Williams played Fred Davis in a three-day exhibition match, in place of the planned second contest. Williams received a 14-point start but Fred Davis won the match 23–14.[18] In March 1953, Williams played Joe Davis in an exhibition match. Williams received a 21-point handicap but Joe Davis won 43–30, scoring 4 centuries on the final day.[19]

Williams met Harry Stokes in the 31-frame qualifying round of the World Championship in early October 1953 and led 3–2 after the first session.[20] Williams was then ill and the match was rearranged for a later date.[21] The match was, however, later cancelled and Stokes advanced to the next round.[22]

1960s revival of snooker

In 1964, the Conayes £200 Professional Tournament was staged at the Rex Williams Snooker Centre in Blackheath, being the first commercially sponsored professional snooker event since 1960. Williams was one of the four competitors, along with Fred Davis, John Pulman and Jack Rea. Pulman won the event.[23]: 8 [24] Williams was instrumental in the revival of the World Snooker Championship in 1964, obtaining sanction for the competition after taking the Billiards Association and Control Council (BA&CC) chairman Harold Phillips out to lunch. The championship was staged on a challenge basis, with the first match being scheduled between Pulman, the winner of the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship, and Fred Davis.[23]: 8  Pulman beat Davis 19–16.[2]: 294–295 [25]: 41 

Later in 1964, Williams challenged Pulman for the title. The match was over 73 frames, played over 6 days from 12 to 17 October at Burroughes Hall. Williams led 8–4 at the end of the first day[26] but Pulman won 11 of the 12 frames on the second day to lead 15–9.[27] Pulman extended his lead to 31–17 after four days[28] and won the match on the fifth day, taking a 37–23 winning lead. Pulman made a break of 109 in frame 57.[29] The remaining 13 "dead" frames were played on the final day with Pulman finishing 40–33 ahead.[30] Williams and Pulman met again in late 1965 in a series of short matches in South Africa, but Williams was unsuccessful again, losing 25 matches to 22. In one of these matches in East London, Williams made a break of 142, breaking the World Championship record of 136 set by Joe Davis in 1946.[31] This stood as the world championship record break until 1982, when Doug Mountjoy compiled a 145.[32] In December 1965, during an exhibition match in Cape Town against Mannie Francisco, Williams followed Joe Davis as the second man to make a recognised 147 break.[33][6]

In 1967, Williams and Fred Davis played a 51 match series that was billed as the World Open Matchplay Snooker Challenge, even though no other entries were solicited.[25]: 41  The following year, Williams convened a meeting of players at his house that led to the revival of the Professional Billiard Players Association (PBPA), with Williams as chairman.[34][35]

World billiards championship and the WPBSA

Williams was the World Professional Billiards Championship seven times from 1968 to 1983, including a reign as champion from 1968 to 1980.[36] In 1968, Williams was on a trip to Australia, and decided to travel to Auckland in New Zealand to play the reigning champion Clark McConachy for the billiards title, which had not been contested since McConachy's 1951 win. By this time, McConachy was 73, and his play was affected by his Parkinson's disease. Williams won the title 5,499–5,234, and made the match's highest break, 293.[37]: 154–156 [38]: 141–142, 213 

Leslie Driffield was nominated as the BA&CC challenger to Williams for the professional Billiards Championship. Williams declined to play Driffield within the five months time limit that the BA&CC had set, which expired on 7 July 1970, and forfeited the title, which was then contested between Driffield and Jack Karnehm in June 1971. On 1 October 1970, the PBPA disaffiliated from the BA&CC. The PBPA changed its name to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association on 12 December 1970, and declared itself the governing body for the professional game, recognising Williams as champion. Driffield and Karnehm were, at first, the only two professionals to recognise the BA&CC as continuing to have authority over the game.[39][40][25]: 44–45 [41][42][38]: 146–147  During the 1970s, Williams made four successful defences of his title, against Bernard Bennett in 1971, Karnehm in 1973, and Eddie Charlton in 1974 and 1976.[38]: 214  He also won the 1979 UK Championship, which was the first time the event had been held since Fred Davis won in 1951. Williams beat Karnehm in the semi-final and John Barrie 2,952–2,116 in the final. He reached the 1980 and 1981 UK finals, both against Karnehm, losing 2,423–2,518 in 1980 and winning 1,592–1,112 in 1981.[37]: 113–115, 118 [38]: 160 [43]

Williams lost the world title to Fred Davis in May 1980. Davis made a break of 583, the highest in the world championship for 46 years, in beating Williams 5978-4,452. The championship then reverted to a knockout format, and was held in November 1980, with Williams losing to Mark Wildman in the semi-final. At the next staging, in 1982, Williams regained the title by beating Wildman 3,000–1,785 in the final; he retained it in 1983 with a 1,500–605 victory over Davis in the final. Unhappy at not being allowed to use a practice table near another match at the 1983 tournament, Williams had left the venue and returned late for his semi-final against Ray Edmonds, causing the match to start 48-minute late. There were no rules in place for penalties for late arrivals, but following complaints to the WPBSA, Williams was fined £500 by the association, and resigned as chairman, but remained on the board. Three weeks later, he accepted the board's invitation to become chairman again.[38]: 162–164, 214  He continued as chairman until 1987, and took the role again from 1997 to 1999.[4][44] In 2001, he was expelled from the Association following alleged fiduciary irregularities and asked to repay legal costs of £28,268,[45] but was reinstated as a full member the following year. The Association apologised for its actions "unequivocally".[46]

Later professional career

Williams reached the semi-final of the World Snooker Championship three times, losing to John Spencer in 1969, in 1972 to Alex Higgins 30–31 (having been four frames ahead with five left to play) and, in 1974, 7–15 to Graham Miles.[47][25]: 41  He never won a World Championship match at the Crucible Theatre after it became the World Snooker Championship's venue in 1977, despite playing at the venue on eight occasions (a record he shares with Cliff Wilson).[48][49]: 1025–1027 : 1028–1030  He recovered from 8–2 down to win 9–8 against Terry Griffiths in the first round of the 1978 UK Championship, in the future World Champion Griffiths' first match as a professional.[50] Williams was the 1973 Pot Black runner-up, losing 33–99 to Charlton in the one-frame final.[9]: 101 

In the 1985–86 snooker season, Williams reached the semi-finals of the 1986 Classic and the last sixteen of two other ranking events, and after some years outside the elite top 16 ranked players, was ranked 16th for 1986/1987. This meant that he earnt a place in the Masters for the first time since 1977. He was beaten 1–5 by Cliff Thorburn in the first round of the 1987 event.[51] During the 1986–87 snooker season, Williams became the oldest player to reach a world-ranking final when, aged 53, he lost 6-10 to Jimmy White at the 1986 Grand Prix, after having led 6-4. His run to the Grand Prix final included 5–1 wins over both Higgins and Steve Davis, and a 9–8 semi-final defeat of Neal Foulds. He finished the season ranked 12th.[23]: 82 [52][53]: 41–42 [47]

His last tournament as a professional snooker player was the 1995 World Championship, where he beat Steve Day and Chris O'Sullivan, before losing in the fourth qualifying round 3–10 to Nick Walker.[49]: 1025–1027  His highest world ranking was 6th, in 1976/1977.[54]

He founded a cue-making company, Power Glide Cues, and in 1975 established Rex Williams Leisure, a snooker and pool table manufacturing and hire business. Stephen Hendry bought a Rex Williams signature cue for £40 when he was aged 13, and used it until it was broken in 2003, including during his seven world snooker championship wins.[55] Williams was a commentator for snooker television broadcasts for the BBC from 1978 to 1984, and after that for ITV.[6][9][56][37] His book Snooker : How to become a Champion was published in 1975, and republished with some amendments as How to play Snooker in 1982 and 1988, and as Snooker in 1984.[57]

Performance and rankings timeline

Post-war

Tournament 1951/
52 		1952/
53 		1953/
54 		1954/
55 		1955/
56 		1956/
57 		1957/
58 		1958/
59 		1959/
60 		Oct
1964 		Nov
1965
Professional Matchplay Championship 1R LQ WD QF SF SF Tournament Not Held
News of the World Snooker Tournament A LQ 8 A 6 4 4 A A Not Held
World Championship[nb 1] A Tournament Not Held F F

Modern era

Tournament 1968/
69 		1969/
70 		1970/
71 		1971/
72 		1972/
73 		1973/
74 		1974/
75 		1975/
76 		1976/
77 		1977/
78 		1978/
79 		1979/
80 		1980/
81 		1981/
82 		1982/
83 		1983/
84 		1984/
85 		1985/
86 		1986/
87 		1987/
88 		1988/
89 		1989/
90 		1990/
91 		1991/
92 		1992/
93 		1993/
94 		1994/
95
Ranking[58] No ranking system 6 11 17 21 22 19 33 30 31 27 16 12 18 32 37 48 69 123 192
Ranking tournaments
Dubai Classic[nb 2] Tournament Not Held NR 1R QF LQ LQ LQ A
Grand Prix[nb 3] Tournament Not Held 2R 2R 2R 2R F 1R QF 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ A
UK Championship Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event 2R 3R 1R 1R 2R 2R 1R 1R LQ LQ A
European Open Tournament Not Held 2R 2R 1R 1R LQ LQ A
Welsh Open Tournament Not Held LQ LQ LQ A
International Open[nb 4] Tournament Not Held NR 1R LQ 2R 1R 3R 1R 3R 1R Not Held LQ LQ A
Thailand Open[nb 5] Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event Not Held 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ A
British Open[nb 6] Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event 1R 3R 3R QF 1R 2R 1R 1R LQ LQ A
World Championship SF QF A SF QF SF QF 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R 1R LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ LQ
Non-ranking tournaments
The Masters Tournament Not Held SF QF QF A A A A A A A A A 1R 1R A A A A A A A
Irish Masters[nb 7] Tournament Not Held A A A A A A A A A A A A A 1R A A A A A A A
Pontins Professional Tournament Not Held SF SF QF RR RR A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
Former ranking tournaments
Canadian Masters[nb 8] Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking LQ Tournament Not Held
Hong Kong Open[nb 9] Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event NH 1R Tournament Not Held
Classic Tournament Not Held Non-Ranking Event 2R 2R SF 2R 1R 1R 2R 2R LQ Not Held
Strachan Open Tournament Not Held LQ Not Held
Former non-ranking tournaments
Park Drive 2000 (Spring) Not Held RR A Tournament Not Held
Park Drive 2000 (Autumn) Not Held RR A Tournament Not Held
Norwich Union Open Tournament Not Held A QF Tournament Not Held
Watney Open Tournament Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
World Matchplay Championship Tournament Not Held 1R Tournament Not Held
Pot Black QF SF SF RR F RR RR SF RR A A A A A A A A Tournament Not Held A A A Not Held
Canadian Masters[nb 10] Tournament Not Held A A A A 2R A A Tournament Not Held A A A R Tournament Not Held
Holsten Lager International Tournament Not Held SF Tournament Not Held
Limosin International Tournament Not Held QF Tournament Not Held
International Open[nb 11] Tournament Not Held 2R Ranking Event Not Held Ranking Event
Bass & Golden Leisure Classic Tournament Not Held W Tournament Not Held
UK Championship Tournament Not Held 2R 2R A QF LQ 1R 1R Ranking Event
British Open[nb 12] Tournament Not Held LQ A LQ LQ LQ Ranking Event
English Professional Championship Tournament Not Held A Not Held 2R 2R QF 2R 1R Tournament Not Held
Shoot-Out Tournament Not Held 1R Not Held
World Seniors Championship Tournament Not Held 1R Not Held
Performance Table Legend
LQ lost in the qualifying draw #R lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) 		QF lost in the quarter-finals
SF lost in the semi-finals F lost in the final W won the tournament
DNQ did not qualify for the tournament A did not participate in the tournament WD withdrew from the tournament
NH / Not Held means an event was not held.
NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.
  1. ^ Tournaments between 1964 and 1968 were challenge matches
  2. ^ The event was also called the Dubai Masters (1988/1989)
  3. ^ The event was also called the Professional Players Tournament (1982/93–1983/1984)
  4. ^ The event was also called the Matchroom Trophy (1985/1986)
  5. ^ The event was also called the Thailand Masters (1983/1984–1986/1987) and the Asian Open (1989/1990–1992/1993)
  6. ^ The event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)
  7. ^ The event was also called the Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament (1974/1975–1976/1977)
  8. ^ The event was also called the Canadian Open (1978/1979–1980/1981)
  9. ^ The event was also called the Australian Masters (1979/1980–1987/1988))
  10. ^ The event was also called the Canadian Open (1974/1975–1980/1981)
  11. ^ The event was also called the Goya Matchroom Trophy (1985/1986)
  12. ^ The event was also called the British Gold Cup (1979/1980), Yamaha Organs Trophy (1980/1981) and International Masters (1981/1982–1983/1984)

Career titles

Junior snooker and billiards

Outcome No. Date Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1 1948 British Boys Billiards Championship  Jack Carney (WAL) 400–349 [59]
Winner 1 1948 British Boys Snooker Championship  Gordon Hobbs (ENG) 4–1 [60]
Winner 2 1949 British Boys Billiards Championship  Michael Leyden (SCO) 400–280 [61]
Winner 1 1950 British Junior Billiards Championship  Jack Carney (WAL) 747–322 [62]
Winner 2 1951 British Junior Billiards Championship  Jack Carney (WAL) 751–270 [63]
Winner 1 1951 British Junior Snooker Championship  Cliff Wilson (WAL) 3–2 [64]

Amateur snooker

Outcome No. Date Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1 1951 English Amateur Championship  Percy Bendon (ENG) 6–1 [65]

Professional snooker

Outcome No. Date Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1 1967 World Open Matchplay Snooker Challenge  Fred Davis (ENG) 26–23[a] [54]
Runner-up 1 1968 World Open Matchplay Snooker Challenge  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 30–43 [b] [54]
Runner-up 2 1973 Pot Black  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 0–1[c] [9]: 101 

Professional billiards

Outcome No. Date Championship Opponent in the final Score Ref.
Winner 1[d] August 1968 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Clark McConachy (NZL) 5,499–5,234 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 2[d] May 1971 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Bernard Bennett (ENG) 9,250–4,058 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 3[d] September 1973 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Jack Karnehm (ENG) 8,360–4,336 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 4[d] September 1974 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 7,017–4,916 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 5[d] July 1976 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 9,105–5,149 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 1 February 1979 UK Championship of Professional Billiards  John Barrie (ENG) 2,952–2,116 [43][38]: 160 
Runner-up 1 February 1980 UK Championship of Professional Billiards  Jack Karnehm (ENG) 2,423–2,518 [66]
Runner-up 2 May 1980 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Fred Davis (ENG) 4,452–5,978 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 2 February 1981 UK Championship of Professional Billiards  Jack Karnehm (ENG) 1,592–1,112 [67]
Winner 6 March 1982 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Mark Wildman (ENG) 3,000–1,785 [38]: 213–214 
Winner 7 March 1983 World Professional Championship of English Billiards  Fred Davis (ENG) 1,500–605 [38]: 213–214 

Books

[57]

Year Title Author(s) Publisher ISBN
1975 Snooker : How to become a Champion Rex Williams (with diagrams by Peter F. Chaplin and photographs by M. Athar Chaudhry) William Luscombe 0860020096 / 086002136X
1982 How to Play Snooker Rex Williams (with diagrams by Peter F. Chaplin and photographs by M. Athar Chaudhry) Hamlyn 0600350134
1984 Snooker Rex Williams (with diagrams by Peter F. Chaplin and photographs by M. Athar Chaudhry) Hamlyn 0600347664
1988 How to Play Snooker Rex Williams (with diagrams by Peter F. Chaplin and photographs by M. Athar Chaudhry) Treasure Press 1860513031

Notes

  1. ^ Played as best of 51 matches of seven frames each
  2. ^ Played as best of 73 matches
  3. ^ Charlton won 99–33 in points
  4. ^ a b c d e Challenge Match

References

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  3. ^ "Davis beaten in billiards championship". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 17 April 1922. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  4. ^ a b Coumbe, Chris (10 April 2020). "TOTT – Rex Williams (Part 1)". world-billiards.com. World Billiards. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
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  45. ^ Rowland, James. "Snooker: Williams is expelled after investigation". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  46. ^ Dee, John (2 May 2002). "Snooker: O'Sullivan rides luck in grudge match". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  47. ^ a b Hale, Janice (1987). Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1987–88. Aylesbury: Queen Anne Press. pp. 192–194. ISBN 0356146901.
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  55. ^ Whaling, James (3 September 2018). "Stephen Hendry reveals his pre-match superstitions, and why he never changed £40 cue". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
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  61. ^ "(Untitled article)". Dundee Courier. 3 January 1949. p. 2.
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  63. ^ "Williams is first dual champion". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 17 February 1951. p. 6.
  64. ^ "Unique double for Williams". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 30 October 1950. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  65. ^ "Snooker double". Birmingham Daily Gazette. 2 May 1951. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  66. ^ "Billiards winner". Aberdeen Evening Express. 18 February 1980. p. 16.
  67. ^ "Champ again". The Belfast Telegraph. 14 February 1981. p. 17.
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