Ray Reardon facts for kids

Raymond "Ray" Reardon (born 8 October 1932 – died 19 July 2024) was a famous Welsh professional snooker player. He started playing professionally in 1967. He was one of the best players in the 1970s, winning the World Snooker Championship six times. He also won more than a dozen other big tournaments.

Ray Reardon was the World Champion in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1978. He also came in second place in 1982. He won the very first Pot Black tournament in 1969, the Masters in 1976, and the 1982 Professional Players Tournament.

He was the first player to be ranked "world number one" when world rankings began in 1976. He held this top spot for five years. He became number one again in 1982. Even in his 50s, he was still one of the top snooker players. In 1978, he became the oldest world snooker champion at 45 years old. This record lasted until 2022. He also became the oldest player to win a ranking event in 1982, when he was 50 years old. His highest break (the number of points scored in one turn) in a competition was 146. He never scored a perfect 147 break. Ray Reardon stopped playing professionally in 1991.

He helped other famous players, like Ronnie O'Sullivan, prepare for big championships. Before he became a professional, Steve Davis was inspired by Ray Reardon's playing style. Ray Reardon had dark hair that came to a point on his forehead and noticeable front teeth. This earned him the nickname "Dracula". He was also the president of a golf club in Devon for over 40 years. He was given an award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1985 for his services to snooker.

Early Life

Ray Reardon was born on 8 October 1932, in a coal mining town called Tredegar in Wales. When he was eight years old, his uncle showed him how to play snooker. By the time he was ten, he was practicing cue sports (like snooker) twice a week. He practiced at the Tredegar Workmen's Institute and on a smaller billiard table at home. He mostly played English billiards, which helped him control the cue ball and improve his potting (hitting balls into pockets).

At 14, Ray followed his father and became a miner at Ty Trist Colliery. He chose this over going to a grammar school. He even wore white gloves while mining to protect his hands for snooker!

In 1959, Ray Reardon married Sue. After being trapped in a rockfall for three hours in the mine, and with Sue's support, he quit mining. In 1960, he became a police officer when his family moved to Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Amateur Snooker Career

In 1949, Ray Reardon won the News of the World Amateur title. He received a special cue stick from Joe Davis, who was a 15-time world snooker champion. Ray used this cue for almost 30 years until it broke after the 1978 World Championship final.

He also reached the final of the 1949–50 under-19 Junior championship. Ray first won the Welsh Amateur Championship in 1950. He kept winning this title every year until 1955. In 1956, he reached the final of the English Amateur Championship. He was leading, but the tip of his cue broke, and he lost the match.

Ray Reardon often played against Cliff Wilson, who was also from Tredegar. Their games were very popular and attracted many people.

After losing in 1957, Ray took a break from snooker to improve his game. He returned in 1964 and won the English Amateur Championship.

Professional Career

Six Times World Snooker Champion

Winning in 1964 led to Ray being invited to tour South Africa. This trip was so successful that he was offered the chance to return as a professional player. He quit the police force and became a professional in 1967.

Ray Reardon's first time playing in the World Snooker Championship was in 1969. He played against Fred Davis. Their match was very long and tactical. Ray was ahead, but Davis won many frames in a row, and Davis won the very last frame. In July 1969, the BBC started showing Pot Black, a competition with one-frame matches. This show became very popular and made snooker players more famous. Ray won the first series of Pot Black.

In April 1970, Ray Reardon won the World Championship for the first time in London. He beat John Pulman in the final. At the next World Championship in 1971, he reached the semi-finals. In October 1971, he won the Park Drive 2000 tournament. In 1972, he made a break of 146 points, which was the highest ever at that time. This remained his highest official break.

At the 1972 World Championship, Ray lost his first match. He reached the final of the 1973 World Championship in Manchester. He was losing badly at first, but he came back to win against Eddie Charlton. During the match, he even complained about the TV lights, and they were changed! He won his second world title.

Ray defended his World Championship title in 1974, beating Graham Miles in the final. He also won the 1974 Pontins Professional tournament.

In 1975, Ray reached the final of the first ever Masters tournament, but he lost a very close match. At the 1975 World Championship in Australia, he won a tough match against John Spencer. He then beat Alex Higgins to reach the final against Eddie Charlton. Ray was leading, but Charlton caught up. Ray then won the final frame to win his third world title in a row! A week later, he won two more titles at Pontins in Wales.

Ray Reardon won the Masters in January 1976. In 1976, he won his fifth world title. He beat Alex Higgins in the final. During this match, he complained about the TV lights, the table, and even the referee, and changes were made! He won the 1976 Pontins Professional title for the third year in a row. He also won the 1976 World Professional Match-play Championship in Australia.

Ray reached the final of the 1977 Masters, but lost. His amazing run at the World Championship ended in 1977 when he lost in the quarter-finals.

He won the world title again in 1978 in Sheffield. He beat Perrie Mans in the final. At 45 years old, Ray Reardon became the oldest winner of the World Snooker Championship. This record stood until 2022. Soon after, he won the 1978 Pontins Professional title for the fourth time.

Later Professional Career

In late 1978, Ray Reardon won the "Champion of Champions" event. He also won the 1979 Forward Chemicals Tournament.

Ray won his Pot Black title again in 1979. He had won the first event in 1969. At the 1979 World Championship, he lost in the quarter-finals. He reached the semi-finals in 1981.

In 1979, Ray joined with other Welsh players to win the first World Challenge Cup for Wales. They beat England in the final. The same Welsh team won the title again in 1980.

In 1982, Ray won the 1982 Highland Masters tournament. He reached the final of the 1982 World Championship, but lost to Alex Higgins.

For the 1982–83 season, Ray Reardon became world number one again. He won the 1982 Professional Players Tournament in late 1982. He also reached the final of the Masters and won the 1983 International Masters. At the Professional Players Tournament, Ray set a record as the oldest winner of a ranking tournament at 50 years old. He also won the Welsh Professional Title. At the 1983 World Championship, he lost in the second round. He reached the quarter-finals in 1984.

Ray started wearing glasses in a match in 1985. He reached the semi-finals of the 1985 World Championship, but lost to Steve Davis. He continued to play in championships for a few more years.

Retirement and Legacy

Ray Reardon played his last professional match in 1991. He said he felt "no bitterness" and would not be returning to competitive play. He was 58 years old at the time. He later played in some senior events.

He helped Ronnie O'Sullivan prepare for his 2004 World Championship win. Ray gave him advice on how to play and think during matches.

When snooker world rankings started in 1976, Ray Reardon was the very first world number one. He held this spot until 1981. His win in 1982 helped him get back to the number one position. Ray and John Spencer were among the first players to make money from the growing popularity of snooker in the 1970s.

In 1976, Ray Reardon was featured on a British TV show called This is Your Life. He also appeared on many other TV shows, including Parkinson and A Question of Sport.

His nickname "Dracula" came from his prominent front teeth and his hair. People described Ray Reardon as a "deadly long potter" (good at hitting balls from far away). He was also praised for his "nerve" and ability to find ways to win frames. Experts said he had "complete and utter dominance" in the game by 1976. He set new standards for being mentally strong in snooker.

Steve Davis, another famous snooker player, learned from watching Ray Reardon play. He copied parts of Ray's style, like pausing before hitting the cue ball. However, Steve Davis also mentioned a time when Ray asked the referee to re-rack the red balls six times, which Steve felt was a trick to upset him.

Ray Reardon was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1985 for his contributions to snooker. He lived in Devon, England, and was the president of a golf club there. The trophy for the Welsh Open snooker tournament was renamed the Ray Reardon Trophy in his honor in 2017.

Ray Reardon passed away from cancer on 19 July 2024, at the age of 91. Many people in the snooker world paid tribute to him. Three-time world champion Mark Williams called him "one of the best sportspeople ever from Wales and the best snooker player."

Performance and Rankings Timeline

Career Finals

Sources for the ranking and non-ranking final results can be found in the Performance timeline section above.

Ranking Finals: 6 (5 Titles)

Ranking tournament finals

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	1974	World Championship (3)	Graham Miles (ENG)	22–12
Winner	2.	1975	World Championship (4)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	31–30
Winner	3.	1976	World Championship (5)	Alex Higgins (NIR)	27–16
Winner	4.	1978	World Championship (6)	Perrie Mans (SAF)	25–18
Runner-up	1.	1982	World Championship	Alex Higgins (NIR)	15–18
Winner	5.	1982	Professional Players Tournament	Jimmy White (ENG)	10–5

Non-Ranking Finals: 46 (21 Titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score
Winner	1.	1967	South African Challenge	Jimmy van Rensberg	2–1
Winner	2.	1969	Pot Black	John Spencer (ENG)	1–0
Runner-up	1.	1970	Pot Black	John Spencer (ENG)	0–1
Winner	3.	1970	World Championship	John Pulman (ENG)	37–33
Runner-up	2.	1970	Stratford Professional	Gary Owen (WAL)	4–6
Winner	4.	1971	Park Drive 600	John Spencer (ENG)	4–0
Winner	5.	1971	Park Drive 2000 – Autumn	John Spencer (ENG)	4–3
Runner-up	3.	1972	Pot Black (2)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	0–1
Runner-up	4.	1973	Men of the Midlands	Alex Higgins (NIR)	3–5
Winner	6.	1973	World Championship (2)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	38–32
Winner	7.	1973	Castle Professional – Event 3	John Pulman (ENG)	Round–Robin
Winner	8.	1974	Pontins Professional	John Spencer (ENG)	10–9
Runner-up	5.	1974	Norwich Union Open	John Spencer (ENG)	9–10
Runner-up	6.	1975	The Masters	John Spencer (ENG)	8–9
Winner	9.	1975	Pontins Professional (2)	John Spencer (ENG)	10–4
Winner	10.	1976	The Masters	Graham Miles (ENG)	7–3
Winner	11.	1976	Pontins Professional (3)	Fred Davis (ENG)	10–9
Runner-up	7.	1976	Canadian Club Masters	Alex Higgins (NIR)	4–6
Runner-up	8.	1976	World Professional Match-play Championship	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	24–31
Runner-up	9.	1977	The Masters (2)	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	6–7
Winner	12.	1977	Welsh Professional Championship	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	12–8
Runner-up	10.	1977	Benson & Hedges Ireland Tournament	Alex Higgins (NIR)	3–5
Winner	13.	1978	Pontins Professional (4)	John Spencer (ENG)	7–2
Runner-up	11.	1978	Golden Masters	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	2–4
Winner	14.	1978	Champion of Champions	Alex Higgins (NIR)	11–9
Winner	15.	1978	Pot Black (2)	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	2–1
Winner	16.	1979	Forward Chemicals Tournament	John Spencer (ENG)	9–6
Runner-up	12.	1979	Irish Masters	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	5–6
Runner-up	13.	1979	Tolly Cobbold Classic	Alex Higgins (NIR)	4–5
Winner	17.	1979	Golden Masters	Graham Miles (ENG)	4–2
Runner-up	14.	1979	Kronenbrau 1308 Classic	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	4–7
Runner-up	15.	1980	Pot Black (3)	Eddie Charlton (AUS)	1–2
Runner-up	16.	1980	Welsh Professional Championship	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	6–9
Runner-up	17.	1980	British Gold Cup	Alex Higgins (NIR)	1–5
Runner-up	18.	1980	Pontins Professional	John Virgo (ENG)	6–9
Winner	18.	1981	Welsh Professional Championship (2)	Cliff Wilson (WAL)	9–6
Runner-up	19.	1981	Irish Masters (2)	Terry Griffiths (WAL)	7–9
Winner	19.	1982	Highland Masters	John Spencer (ENG)	11–4
Runner-up	20.	1982	Pontins Professional (2)	Steve Davis (ENG)	4–9
Runner-up	21.	1983	Pot Black (4)	Steve Davis (ENG)	0–2
Runner-up	22.	1983	The Masters (3)	Cliff Thorburn (CAN)	7–9
Winner	20.	1983	Welsh Professional Championship	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	9–1
Winner	21.	1983	International Masters	Jimmy White (ENG)	9–6
Runner-up	23.	1983	Irish Masters (3)	Steve Davis (ENG)	2–9
Runner-up	24.	1983	Pontins Professional (3)	Doug Mountjoy (WAL)	7–9
Runner-up	25.	1990	European Grand Masters	Martin Clark (ENG)	2–4

Team Finals: 6 (3 Titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Team/partner	Opponent(s) in the final	Score	Ref.
Winner	1.	1975	Ladbroke International	Rest of the World	England	Cumulative score
Winner	2.	1979	World Challenge Cup	Wales	England	14–3
Winner	3.	1980	World Challenge Cup (2)	Wales	Canada	8–5
Runner-up	1.	1981	World Team Classic	Wales	England	3–4
Runner-up	2.	1983	World Team Classic (2)	Wales	England	2–4
Runner-up	3.	1985	World Doubles Championship	Tony Jones (ENG)	Steve Davis (ENG),  Tony Meo (ENG)	5–12

Pro-Am Finals: 3 (1 Title)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score	Ref.
Winner	1.	1975	Pontins Spring Open	John Virgo (ENG)	7–1
Runner-up	1.	1982	Pontins Spring Open	John Parrott (ENG)	4–7
Runner-up	2.	1983	Pontins Spring Open (2)	Terry Griffiths (WAL)	3–7

Amateur Finals: 8 (7 Titles)

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent in the final	Score	Ref.
Winner	1.	1950	Welsh Amateur Championship	John Ford (WAL)	5–3
Winner	2.	1951	Welsh Amateur Championship (2)	Richie Smith (WAL)	5–2
Winner	3.	1952	Welsh Amateur Championship (3)	John Ford (WAL)	5–3
Winner	4.	1953	Welsh Amateur Championship (4)	Aubrey Kemp (WAL)	5–3
Winner	5.	1954	Welsh Amateur Championship (5)	John Ford (WAL)	unknown
Winner	6.	1955	Welsh Amateur Championship (6)	John Ford (WAL)	5–2
Runner-up	1.	1956	English Amateur Championship	Tommy Gordon (ENG)	9–11
Winner	7.	1964	English Amateur Championship	John Spencer (ENG)	11–8

See also

In Spanish: Ray Reardon para niños