Joe Davis

Joe Davis OBE ( born April 15, 1901 in Whithwell, Derbyshire, † July 10, 1978 in Hampshire ) was an English billiards player. He was professional and played billiards since 1919 soon after, especially snooker.

Career

His parents owned a hotel called " Queens Hotel " in Whittington Moor, about 3 km north of Chesterfield. There was a English - Billiards - table where Davis at the age of 11 years started playing. At age 12 he was already playing a series of 100 and 13, he won then already the local "Amateur Billiards Championship ." This lays the foundation for his extraordinary career was laid.

1927 he organized the first World Snooker Championship and won it by a victory of 20:11 frames against Tom Dennis. The prize money amounted to 6.10 British Pound. Davis won after each World Cup, until he resigned in 1946 by this tournament. He holds the record with 15 titles won. In the years 1928-1930 and 1932, he was even double world champion, four titles he was in these years that is also achieved in English Billiards. Despite his resignation from the World Championship Davis was still playing until 1964 as a professional snooker. During his last title win at the World Championship on May 19, 1946, he was the hitherto oldest (45 years, 34 days) title winner, a record of only 32 years later, on 29 April 1978 by the Welsh Ray Reardon (45 years, 203 days ) was broken. This is still valid today.

His first CenturyBreak played Davis in 1928, 1953 he had played it already 500. Five times he set a new record, partly it was his own, 1937 on 137 points, 1938 ( 138) 1947 (140) 1950 ( 146 ), and finally on January 22, 1955, the first maximum break (147). In 1935, Davis also the first note played on a World Cup Century. During his career he played a total of 689 Century Breaks. In addition to his successes in the snooker he wore from 1928 to 1938 the title of World Professional Billiards Champion.

On 26 October 1959, Joe Davis Snooker Plus, an extension of the ordinary snookers before. He hoped that by two additional colored balls a more exciting game. This extension, however, never caught on.

Private

In his parents ' Queens Hotel " his father ran in the club room, a silent movie theater and his sister played to the piano.

Joe's twelve years younger brother Fred Davis was also a successful snooker player and eight-time World Snooker Champion. Both are not related to Steve Davis.

As he watched his brother Fred in the semifinals of the World Cup 1978 Davis suffered a collapse, the consequences of which he spent two months later, on 10 July 1978, died.

Davis was since 1945 with June Davis (born Malo, on July 23, 1910), a former singer, married, on the day of her 98th birthday, died in 2008. She had celebrated her birthday with friends yet, when she returned in the early evening home, her boyfriend Ted Lowe answer a call took and slept half an hour later.

His grandson, Joe Davis III, now resides in San Jose, California.

Awards

1963 Davis was appointed by Elizabeth II to the Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

2011 Davis was the first player who was admitted to the Snooker Hall of Fame.

Works

• How I Play Snooker. . Country Life, London 1949 Reprint: Star Books, London, 1975, ISBN 0-352-30057-4.
• Advanced Snooker. Country Life, London 1954.
• Complete snooker. Country Life, London, 1967 edition. WH Allen, London and New York 1974, ISBN 0-491-01521-6.