Snooker through the Ages – 1986/87

The 1986/87 season had a total of 145 players, up from 128 the previous year.

There were 93 active players, and their final ratings based solely on their performances in this season were as follows:

Once again, Steve Davis was top of the pile. He began the season with a run to the Final of the 1986 Australian Masters, losing 3-2 to Dennis Taylor. A loss in the Semi Final of the 1986 Thailand Masters to James Wattana followed, before he won his first tournament win of the season at the 1986 China Masters. Two Semi-Final defeats followed, at the 1986 Malaysian Masters and the 1986 Hong Kong Masters. He did one better at the 1986 Matchroom Trophy, reaching the final but losing out to Willie Thorne 10-9.

Davis was upset by Eugene Hughes in the Quarter Final of the 1986 International Open, and lost out to Rex Williams in the Quarter Final of the 1986 Grand Prix. Better form was found at the 1986 Canadian Masters, where Davis beat Willie Thorne 9-3 in the Final to win the event. Another win soon followed, as Davis won the 1986 UK Championship, before once again losing out at the single-frame Pot Black event. Long format snooker continued to bring more success, Davis winning the Final of the 1987 Classic 13-12 against Jimmy White.

He could not get past the Last 16 of the 1987 Masters, or the Last 32 of the 1987 British Open. He then lost out in the Semi Final of the 1987 Kent Cup, before winning the 1987 Irish Masters, defeating Willie Thorne 9-1 in the Final. Another win followed at the 1987 Matchroom League, where Davis topped the table.

Davis reached the 1987 World Championships with a point to prove, having lost in the Final for 2 consecutive years. This time, there was to be no upset. Warren King made it interesting, but was overcome 10-7. Ray Reardon, now way past his best, was beaten 13-4. Terry Griffiths was beaten 13-5, then Jimmy White 16-11.

The Final was a repeat of the year before, as Joe Johnson had once again managed to reach the last stage against long odds. This time, there was to be no miracle victory, and Steve Davis reclaimed his World Title. He was the #1 Player in the World, and now a 4-times World Champion.

Snooker through the Ages – 1985/86

The 1985/86 season had a total of 128 players, up from 119 the previous year.

There were 87 active players, and their final ratings based solely on their performances in this season were as follows:

Steve Davis held onto the #1 position for the 6th consecutive year. He began the season by winning the 1985 Singapore Masters, before losing in the group stage of the 1985 Thailand Masters. He reached the Final of the 1985 Hong Kong Masters, losing to Terry Griffiths, then lost in the Quarter Final of the 1985 Matchroom Trophy to Jimmy White. Next up was the 1985 Grand Prix, which Davis won, beating Dennis Taylor 10-9 in the final. This result was reversed in the following month, when he lost to Taylor 9-5 in the Final of the 1985 Canadian Masters. Davis lost 1-0 in the Quarter Final of Pot Black, but won yet another major title at the 1985 UK Championships, beating Willie Thorne 16-14 in the final. Another clash with Dennis Taylor followed in the Final of the 1985 KitKat Break for World Champions, this time Davis losing 9-5.

The new year would start with a Quarter Final defeat to Jimmy White at the 1986 Classic, and another Quarter Final defeat to Terry Griffiths at the 1986 Belgian Classic. He did one better at the 1986 Masters, reaching the Semi Final before losing once more to Jimmy White. His quest for a title in 1986 would continue as he crashed out of the English Professional Championship to Tony Meo in the Semi Final, before finding success at the 1986 British Open, with a victory of 12-7 over Willie Thorne in the Final.

The World Championships were next, and once again Steve Davis started strongly. Ray Edmonds was beaten 10-4, then Doug Mountjoy 13-5. Jimmy White was beaten 13-5, then a 16-12 win over Cliff Thorburn put Davis into another World Final. However, as in the previous year, Davis would fall at the last hurdle.

If you were a betting man, you could have made good money on Joe Johnson, who entered the World Championships as a 150/1 underdog. He had never won a tournament, never won a match in 3 attempts at the World Championships, was the 16th seed, and had ranked 24th in my rankings the previous season. He started the season with a loss in the Quarter Final of the 1985 Australian Masters, and did the same in the 1985 Matchroom Trophy. He lost in the Last 16 of the 1985 Grand Prix, the Last 32 of the 1985 UK Championship, the Quarter Final of the 1986 Classic, the Last 16 of the 1986 Masters, the Quarter Final of the 1986 English Professional Championship and the Last 32 of the 1986 British Open. It is fair to say that Joe Johnson was not a serial winner.

Johnson started the World Championships with a 10-3 win over Dave Martin. This was expected, with Martin being a lower ranked player, but it was a sign of things to come as Johnson went on to defeat Mike Hallett 13-6, who had just beaten defending champion Dennis Taylor. This set up a Quarter Final clash with #8 seed Terry Griffiths. Johnson was losing 12-9, but won the last 3 frames to win 13-12, and reach the Semi Final. Tony Knowles was the #4 seed, but Johnson never looked like losing, winning 16-8 and reaching the World Final.

Davis and Johnson met in the final, with Davis a heavy favourite. The match started as a close affair, and the score was tied at 8-8 after the first day, but Johnson then pulled ahead and eventually won 18-12 to become World Champion. He climbed to #8 in my rankings, with Davis still being the dominant player, but not having won the world title since 1984.