John Williams (snooker referee)
Encyclopedia
John Williams is a retired Welsh snooker
referee
. He presided over eleven World Championship
finals, including the 1985 final
between Dennis Taylor
and Steve Davis
.
, Denbighshire
, Wales
. He was well-educated and passed his 11-plus at the age of nine; and when he left school, he had obtained seven O-levels. He got a job in the local steel works, and passed up the opportunity of becoming a professional footballer
, declining an invitation to join Bolton Wanderers as an amateur because he worked on Saturday mornings.
After nearly 20 years in the steel industry, he left to join the civil service
as an executive officer in the Department of Employment. While at the civil service, he displayed his all-round sporting versatility by turning out regularly for the Wrexham civil service cricket team.
Wiliams was at the centre of many unusual incidents during his time as a professional refereeing career. He officiated in the 1973 World Snooker Championship quarter-final match between Fred Davis and Alex Higgins
at the Manchester Exhibition Hall when rain stopped play. There was no TV coverage, but Granada TV cameras got an interest in this unusual event, bringing fame to Williams himself.
As the popularity of snooker on television grew during the 1980s, Williams became a household name along fellow top referees Len Ganley
, John Street
and Alan Chamberlain. After Sydney Lee's retirement in 1981, he became the referee in Pot Black
. He remained in the role for the remainder of the series and its revivals during the 1990s.
Williams refereed ten World Snooker Championship
finals at the Crucible Theatre
between 1976 and 2002, including the famous 1985 final between Steve Davis
and Dennis Taylor
, which Taylor won on the final black in the deciding frame. He was also the referee during Cliff Thorburn
's 147 break against Terry Griffiths
. He retired from refereeing after the 2002 World Championship final, in which Peter Ebdon
beat Stephen Hendry
in another final frame decider.
Williams made a return to Snooker refereeing when he officiated matches in the 2011 World Seniors Championship
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
. He presided over eleven World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
finals, including the 1985 final
1985 World Snooker Championship final
The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, commonly known as the black ball final, was played on the weekend of 27/28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. It was contested between defending World Champion Steve Davis and Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor, appearing in his second...
between Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
and Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
.
Early life
Williams was born in WrexhamWrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He was well-educated and passed his 11-plus at the age of nine; and when he left school, he had obtained seven O-levels. He got a job in the local steel works, and passed up the opportunity of becoming a professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, declining an invitation to join Bolton Wanderers as an amateur because he worked on Saturday mornings.
After nearly 20 years in the steel industry, he left to join the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
as an executive officer in the Department of Employment. While at the civil service, he displayed his all-round sporting versatility by turning out regularly for the Wrexham civil service cricket team.
Snooker referee
Williams started refereeing snooker matches during the mid 1960s, leaving the civil service in 1981 to become a full-time referee.Wiliams was at the centre of many unusual incidents during his time as a professional refereeing career. He officiated in the 1973 World Snooker Championship quarter-final match between Fred Davis and Alex Higgins
Alex Higgins
Alexander Gordon "Alex" Higgins , also known by his nickname of Hurricane Higgins, was a Northern Irish professional snooker player who was twice World Champion and twice runner-up. Higgins earned the nickname The Hurricane because of his speed of play...
at the Manchester Exhibition Hall when rain stopped play. There was no TV coverage, but Granada TV cameras got an interest in this unusual event, bringing fame to Williams himself.
As the popularity of snooker on television grew during the 1980s, Williams became a household name along fellow top referees Len Ganley
Len Ganley
Len Ganley MBE was a Northern Irish snooker referee. He visited England in 1971 to spend a ten-day holiday with his sister in Burton-upon-Trent, and remained in England....
, John Street
John Street (snooker referee)
John Street was a professional snooker referee. He refereed at all the major televised tournaments beginning in the 1970s up until his retirement. His final match was at the 1997 Benson and Hedges Masters final when Steve Davis defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-8 after trailing 8-4...
and Alan Chamberlain. After Sydney Lee's retirement in 1981, he became the referee in Pot Black
Pot Black
Pot Black was a British series of snooker tournaments televised by BBC, that played a large part in the popularisation of the modern game, from 1969 to 1986. The event was revived in the form of several one-off tournaments throughout the 1990s and up to 2007...
. He remained in the role for the remainder of the series and its revivals during the 1990s.
Williams refereed ten World Snooker Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
finals at the Crucible Theatre
Crucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
between 1976 and 2002, including the famous 1985 final between Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
and Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor is a retired snooker player, and current BBC snooker commentator. Winner of two ranking events, he is best known for winning the 1985 World Championship, beating World number one Steve Davis on the final black in one of the sport's most memorable finals...
, which Taylor won on the final black in the deciding frame. He was also the referee during Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
's 147 break against Terry Griffiths
Terry Griffiths
Terrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
. He retired from refereeing after the 2002 World Championship final, in which Peter Ebdon
Peter Ebdon
Peter "Ebbo" Ebdon is an English professional snooker player and former world champion renowned for his remarkably focused, determined style of play.-Early years:...
beat Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
in another final frame decider.
Williams made a return to Snooker refereeing when he officiated matches in the 2011 World Seniors Championship