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| Welsh Professional Championship |
| World Ranking Event |
Brief History of the Welsh Professional Championship
The first
Welsh Professional Championship was held as long ago as the 1920s when J.S.
Nicholls beat W. Davies but it was another 50 years before there was another
contest. In 1977, the only two Welsh professionals at the time, Ray Reardon and
Doug Mountjoy, met in Caerphilly with Reardon winning 12-8. Even though the
event was sponsored, by William Hill, it was not a success and it was not until
1980 that an official championship was established and by now, Cliff Wilson and
Terry Griffiths had doubled the number of entries. H.P.Bulmer provided
sponsorship through their Woodpecker brand and the event was staged at Ebbw
Vale. Mountjoy beat Reardon in the final and these two were to alternate as
champions until 1984 when Bulmers transferred the sponsorship to their
Strongbow brand.
It was
all change in 1985. A new venue, Abertillery, new sponsors, BCE, and there was
a new champion in the shape of Terry Griffiths who won again at the same venue
in 1986. The event moved to the Newport Centre in 1987 where Mountjoy won
again. After three years of different sponsors, there followed three years
under the Senator Windows banner. Griffiths
won a third title and Mountjoy a fifth before a new name, Darren Morgan was
added to the roll of honour in 1990.
Despite the withdrawal of
the WPBSA support for such events after 1989, the Welsh, unlike the other home
countries, had the backing from sponsors to enable them to continue. Regal were
the new sponsors in 1991 when Darren Morgan successfully defended his title.
However that was to prove to be the end of the story. Regal switched their
sponsorship to a new Welsh Open ranking event at
the same venue and there has not been a Welsh Professional Championship since.
Roll Of Honour
| Year |
Venue |
Sponsor |
Winner
|
Runner Up |
Score |
1st Prize |
| 1977 |
Caerphilly |
Williams Hill |
Ray Reardon |
Doug Mountjoy |
12-8 |
£1,500 |
| 1980 |
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre |
Woodpecker |
Doug Mountjoy |
Ray Reardon |
9-6 |
£2,250 |
| 1981 |
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre |
Woodpecker |
Ray Reardon |
Cliff Wilson |
9-6 |
£3,000 |
| 1982 |
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre |
Woodpecker |
Doug Mountjoy |
Terry Griffiths |
9-8 |
£5,000 |
| 1983 |
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre |
Woodpecker |
Ray Reardon |
Doug Mountjoy |
9-1 |
£6,000 |
| 1984 |
Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre |
Strongbow |
Doug Mountjoy |
Cliff Wilson |
9-3 |
£6,500 |
| 1985 |
Abertillery Leisure Centre |
BCE |
Terry Griffiths |
Doug Mountjoy |
9-4 |
£6,000 |
| 1986 |
Abertillery Leisure Centre |
Zetters |
Terry Griffiths |
Doug Mountjoy |
9-3 |
£5,000 |
| 1987 |
Newport Centre |
Matchroom |
Doug Mountjoy |
Steve Newbury |
9-7 |
£8,000 |
| 1988 |
Newport Centre |
Senator Windows |
Terry Griffiths |
Wayne Jones |
9-3 |
£9,000 |
| 1989 |
Newport Centre |
Senator Windows |
Doug Mountjoy |
Terry Griffiths |
9-6 |
£10,500 |
| 1990 |
Newport Centre |
Senator Windows |
Darren Morgan |
Doug Mountjoy |
9-7 |
£10,500 |
| 1991 |
Newport Centre |
Regal |
Darren Morgan |
Mark Bennett |
9-3 |
£11,000 |
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