TOURNAMENT HISTORIES - THE UK CHAMPIONSHIP

One of the oldest events in the calendar, the United Kingdom Snooker Championship began life in 1977.

In those days it was open only to British residents and passport holders. With sponsorship from ball manufacturers, Super Crystalate, the first event, with a field of twenty-four was held at the Blackpool Tower Circus with Irishman, Patsy Fagan taking the £2000 first prize.

In 1978 the event found a new home, The Preston Guild Hall where it became a regular event for the next twenty years. New sponsors were found in bookmakers, Coral who backed the event for eight years.

During that time Steve Davis was the dominant figure winning four times and runner up once.

Alex Higgins appeared in four Coral finals, winning one and Terry Griffiths lost two out of his three finals.

1983 was one of the great finals. Alex Higgins had lost a final frame decided the previous year to Terry Griffiths and was up against Steve Davis who opened up a 7-0 lead only to watch Alex level at 11-11 and then come back again to take the last two frames for a 16-15 victory.

The UK has always been regarded as the second most important event primarily as matches in those early days were always ‘best of 19’ with a final over 31 frames. In more recent times, early rounds have been reduced to ‘best of nine’ but later rounds are still played over seventeen frames.

In 1984 the event was opened up to all professionals and was granted ranking status since when it has always carried more points than any event outside the world championship.

Tennants took over the sponsorship in 1986 and Steve Davis won another two titles.

Then along came Stephen Hendry who was expected to cruise past a revived Doug Mountjoy in the 1988 final.

Doug had won the title ten years earlier but was enjoying a revival in form. To everyone’s surprise, the Welshman won 16-12 and went on to take the next event on the calendar as well. Stormseal were the sponsors for the next two years which resulted in Hendry beating Davis in both finals.

John Parrott added the UK in 1991 to the world title he had won a few months before. There were no sponsors that year but Royal Liver Assurance stepped in for the next four years which saw, in 1992 Jimmy White gain his only victory in the event and the following year Ronnie O’Sullivan lifted the trophy to become the youngest ever winner of any ranking event.

Stephen Hendry then won the next three.

In 1994 he set up a record with seven centuries in the final and the following year he made the first televised 147 break in the event. A feat which he repeated in 1999.

No one else has made a televised UK maximum although Willie Thorne, Peter Ebdon and Nick Dyson have achieved one in the early rounds.

In 1997 Liverpool Victoria become the sponsors and after one more year at Preston the event moved to Bournemouth where the company had its headquarters.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, the three top players of the last few years have shared the honours at Bournemouth but now the event has moved on to York’s Barbican Centre seeking a new backer. No sponsor initially came forward but Ronnie O’Sullivan took the title for a third time, producing a virtuoso performance to overwhelm Ken Doherty in the final.

The genial Irishman was back in final in 2002 and what a contrast from the previous year. Doherty and Mark Williams went head to head and the outcome of the match, as the drama and tension became almost unbearable, was in doubt until Williams, in a repeat of his World Championship victory, made a final push for the line, this time winning in the deciding frame.

A Welshman stood on the podium again in 2003, but this time it was Matthew Stevens, at long last overturning his "nearly man" tag, to lift his first Ranking Title, with a memorable 10-8 victory against Stephen Hendry.

2004 proved to be a quite remarkable event for a number of reasons.

Jamie Burnett became the first man to compile a break over 147 in a professional tournament, when he constructed 148 in round two against Leo Fernandez.

David Gray then compiled a 147 in his last 32 win over Mark Selby and went right through to the final, where he ran in Stephen Maguire in machine-like form.

The young Scot had already knocked out O'Sullivan, Davis, Lee and King to reach the final and once there he turned on a near flawless display to win 10-1.

2006 saw the entry of the Chinese Dragon and an old boy's revival, as Ding Junhui and Steve Davis won through to the final.

Particularly memorable was  Paul Hunter's Last 48 victory over Jamie Burnett. Battling the effects of both his illness and the treatment, Hunter fought through a gruelling match, recovered from needing snookers, to clinch a final frame victory.

The packed crowds cheered Steve Davis in his efforts to roll back time and add another UK title to his cv. But in the end Ding Junhui was totally invincible and established himself as one of the leading players in the game today.

2006 saw the first of a three year sponsorship deal with Maplin and it was Peter Ebdon's name up in lights at the end as he produced stunning form throughout and went on to beat Stephen Hendry 10-6 in the final.

In 2007 the UK moved to a new venue at the Telford International Centre and Ronnie O'Sullivan steam-rollered his way to victory, and brush Stephen Maguire aside in the final with a 10-2 trouncing.

Maximum Breaks in the UK Championship

Chris Turner/Janie Watkins

December 2008

 © Janie Watkins 2008