Introduction
Cliff Wilson (10 May 1934 – 21 May 1994) was a Welsh professional snooker player. He became 1978 World Amateur Champion. After turning professional he got into the world's top 16 in 1988 at the age of 54, despite very poor eyesight and a number of other ailments.
Amateur years
Wilson was a talented amateur snooker player who grew up in the same town, Tredegar, as his friend and snooker rival Ray Reardon. He won the British Under-19 Championship in 1952 and 1953 and the Welsh Amateur Championship in 1956.
Giving up the game
Snooker's popularity was on the wane during the 1950s and it was extremely difficult to join the small, closed professional circuit. Wilson became disillusioned with the game and gave up snooker completely for fifteen years. During this time he worked at the steelworks at Llanwern.
Turning professional
Wilson's interest in the game rekindled in the early 1970s and, after winning the IBSF World Amateur Championship in 1978, he finally turned professional the following year at the age of 45. He broke into the top sixteen for one season, 1988/89, a remarkable achievement for someone aged 55.
He later went on to win the first World Seniors Championship in 1991 (beating Eddie Charlton 5–4 in the final), at the time picking up a cheque for £16,000, his highest prize winnings.
His popular exhibition matches were advertised with the phrase "You've never seen anything like it!"
He was known as a fast player and a dangerous potter; but, although he played in the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre on eight occasions, he never progressed beyond the first round – a record he shares with Rex Williams.
He played a young Ronnie O'Sullivan in the 1992 UK championship, winning 9–8 against the then 16-year-old who won the championship the following year.
The highest break of his career was 136 at the 1989 Grand Prix.
Illness and death
Towards the end of his life, Wilson suffered from a number of problems with his back, knee and heart, eventually developing an 'inoperable disease of the liver and pancreas'. Although he continued to play professionally, recording a century break in the 1994 International Open in January 1994, he succumbed in May of that year, aged 60.
Performance and rankings timeline
| Tournament | 1979/80 | 1980/81 | 1981/82 | 1982/83 | 1983/84 | 1984/85 | 1985/86 | 1986/87 | 1987/88 | 1988/89 | 1989/90 | 1990/91 | 1991/92 | 1992/93 | 1993/94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | UR | 23 | 26 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubai Classic | Tournament Not Held | NR | 2R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Prix | Not Held | 3R | 3R | 2R | QF | 2R | 3R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Championship | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Open | Tournament Not Held | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Open | Tournament Not Held | 3R | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Open | Not Held | NR | QF | LQ | LQ | 3R | QF | 2R | 1R | QF | Not Held | 1R | 1R | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Open | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking Event | Not Held | 1R | 2R | 1R | LQ | LQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 2R | 3R | 2R | 3R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | 1R | LQ | 1R | 1R | 1R | LQ | LQ | LQ | LQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Masters | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | A | LQ | WD | LQ | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Professional | A | SF | A | A | QF | QF | SF | QF | A | QF | SF | QF | A | A | A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canadian Masters | NR | Tournament Not Held | Non-Ranking | 2R | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hong Kong Open | Non-Ranking | NH | WD | Tournament Not Held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | Non-Ranking Event | 1R | 2R | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strachan Open | Non-Ranking Event | 2R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former non-ranking tournaments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Open | Not Held | LQ | Ranking Event | Not Held | Ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | A | A | A | 1R | Ranking Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pontins Brean Sands | Not Held | RR | Tournament Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Open | LQ | LQ | LQ | RR | LQ | Ranking Event | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoot-Out | Tournament Not Held | 1R | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Welsh Professional Championship | SF | F | SF | SF | F | SF | SF | QF | SF | QF | QF | QF | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Seniors Championship | Tournament Not Held | W | Not Held | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Performance Table Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LQ | lost in the qualifying draw | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament (WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin) |
QF | lost in the quarter-finals |
| SF | lost in the semi-finals | F | lost in the final | W | won the tournament |
| DNQ | did not qualify for the tournament | A | did not participate in the tournament | WD | withdrew from the tournament |
| NH / Not Held | means an event was not held. | |||
| NR / Non-Ranking Event | means an event is/was no longer a ranking event. | |||
| R / Ranking Event | means an event is/was a ranking event. | |||
Career finals
Non-ranking finals: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1981. | Welsh Professional Championship | Ray Reardon | 6–9 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1984 | Welsh Professional Championship | Doug Mountjoy | 3–9 |
| Winner | 1. | 1991 | World Seniors Championship | Eddie Charlton | 5–4 |
Pro-am finals: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1. | 1976 | Pontins Autumn Open | Paul Medati | 7–4 |
| Runner-up | 1. | 1980 | Pontins Spring Open | Willie Thorne | 3–7 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1981 | Pontins Spring Open | John Hargreaves | 2–7 |
Amateur finals: 5 (4 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1954 | English Amateur Championship | Geoff Thompson | 9–11 |
| Winner | 1. | 1956 | Welsh Amateur Championship | V. Wilkins | Unknown |
| Winner | 2. | 1977 | Welsh Amateur Championship | Dai Thomas | 8–1 |
| Winner | 3. | 1978 | World Amateur Championship | Joe Johnson | 11–5 |
| Winner | 4. | 1979 | Welsh Amateur Championship | Geoff Thomas | 8–5 |