Notable moments

• This was the first time the championship was held outside the United Kingdom
  United Kingdom
  The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
  
   when it came to Australia
  Australia
  Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
  
  . It was organised by Frank Holz on behalf of the Lewisham Hospital Sports Medicine Clinic. It would host over there again in 1975.

• The 1971 championship was also the only time when the championship was based on a round robin format.

• Ray Reardon's defeat meant he held the unenviable record as the player with the shortest reign as world champion.

• John Spencer
  John Spencer (snooker player)
  John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...
  
   won his second world title and earned £2,333. He beat Warren Simpson
  Warren Simpson
  Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....
  
   who, playing in his home country, reached the final at his first attempt.

• In the final, Spencer compiled three centuries in successive frames (105, 107, 126), becoming the first player to do so in major competition.

Round robin stage

Ray Reardon Ray Reardon Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...	21–16	Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...
Ray Reardon Ray Reardon Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...	22–15	Perrie Mans Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...
Ray Reardon Ray Reardon Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...	21–16	John Spencer John Spencer (snooker player) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...
John Pulman John Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....	25–12	Paddy Morgan
John Pulman John Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....	26–11	Norman Squire
Ray Reardon Ray Reardon Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...	Match was declared null and void, as Morgan missed final session	Paddy Morgan
John Spencer John Spencer (snooker player) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...	20–17	Perrie Mans Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...
John Spencer John Spencer (snooker player) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...	23–14	John Pulman John Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....
John Spencer John Spencer (snooker player) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...	27–10	Norman Squire

Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...	26–11	Perrie Mans Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...
Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...	23–14	Gary Owen
Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...	27–10	Norman Squire
Gary Owen	26–11	Paddy Morgan
Gary Owen	19–18	Norman Squire
Paddy Morgan	21–16	Warren Simpson Warren Simpson Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....
Warren Simpson Warren Simpson Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....	19–18	Perrie Mans Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...
Warren Simpson Warren Simpson Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....	19–18	Gary Owen
Warren Simpson Warren Simpson Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....	21–16	John Pulman John Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....

Table

Pos	Player	Pld	W	L	F	A	Pts
1	Eddie Charlton Eddie Charlton Edward Francis Charlton AM was an Australian professional snooker and English billiards player. He remains the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title...	4	3	1	92	56	6
2	John Spencer John Spencer (snooker player) John Spencer was an English professional snooker player who won the World Professional title at his first attempt, was the first winner at the Crucible Theatre, was the inaugural winner of the Masters and Irish Masters and was the first player to make a 147 break in competition...	4	3	1	86	62	6
3	Ray Reardon Ray Reardon Ray Reardon, MBE is a retired Welsh snooker player. He dominated the sport in the 1970s, winning six World Championships in that decade...	4	3	0	64	47	6
4	Warren Simpson Warren Simpson Warren Simpson was an Australian professional snooker player.In 1971, he reached the final of the World Snooker Championship, losing 37-29 to John Spencer which was played in Sydney, Australia in November 1970....	4	3	1	75	73	6
5	John Pulman John Pulman John Pulman was an English professional snooker player who dominated the game throughout the 1960s....	4	2	2	81	67	4
6	Gary Owen	4	2	2	77	71	4
7	Paddy Morgan	4	1	2	44	67	2
8	Perrie Mans Perrie Mans Pierre "Perrie" Mans is a retired professional snooker player from South Africa, who first won the South African professional championship in 1965, and went on to win it 19 times in total.-Career:...	4	0	4	61	87	0
9	Norman Squire	4	0	4	49	99	0

Knockout stage