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Gary Owen (snooker player)

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For other people with the same name, see Gary Owen (disambiguation).

Gary Owen, MBE
Born5 March 1929
Tumble, Wales
Died1995 (aged 65)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Sport country Wales,  Australia
Professional1967–1979
Highest ranking10 (1976/77)

Gary Owen, MBE (5 March 1929 – July 1995) was a Welsh, and later Australian, snooker player. Winning the 1963 English Amateur Championship qualified him to compete for England at the inaugural World Amateur Snooker Championship in Calcutta that year. He won all four of his matches in the round-robin competition and took the title. He became world amateur champion for a second time in 1966, beating John Spencer, who was the runner-up, in the decisive match.

He became a professional player in 1967, and won the 1968 Willie Smith Trophy, the first tournament that he played in as a professional. He was runner-up to Spencer at the 1969 World Snooker Championship. In 1971 he moved to Autralia, and he represented that country at the 1979 World Challenge Cup, which was his last appearance as a professional player in the UK. He died in Brisbane, Australia in July 1995, aged 65, after experiencing long-term emphysema

Early life and amateur career

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Gary Owen was born in Tumble, Carmarthenshire on 5 March 1929.[1][2] His father was a local champion at snooker, and encouraged his sons to learn the game.[3] Owen played snooker for the junior team at the Welcome Billiards Hall in Llanelly.[4] Three days after his 14th birthday, he won the inaugural British Under-16 snooker championship,[5] defeating Percy Hinton 4–3 in front of an audience of over 1,000.[6][7] His highest break was 116 before starting his military National Service.[4] He served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, including 16 months stationed in Singapore, and played only rarely.[4][3]

While working as a labourer, he reached the final of the English Amateur Championship in 1950 and was one frame from victory against Alf Nolan at 5–3 before losing the last three frames to finish as runner-up.[8] The next year, he lost 2–5 in the last-16 round to Jim Allen, and in 1952 lost 2–5 in the quarter-finals to Cliff Wilson.[9] In the early 1950s he moved to Yarmouth, where his father managed a billiard hall.[3] Owen became a firefighter,[10] and gave up competitive play for a number of years, returning to the game only in the early 1960s.[11] By late 1956, he had moved to Birmingham.[12]

Still working as a firefighter, in 1963 he matched the achievement of his younger brother Marcus, winning the English Amateur Championship.[5][13] In the final he won nine consecutive frames from 2–3 behind to defeat Ron Gross 11–3.[13] Owen and Gross played a televised challenge match later than year, which Gross won 4-2.[14][15] Richard Holt of Billiards and Snooker magazine felt that both players were impressive in the televised match, and commented that "Owen was always a joy to watch, with a command of advanced technique and masterful confidence."[15]

Winning the English Amateur Championship qualified Owen to compete for England at the inaugural World Amateur Snooker Championship in Calcutta that year.[1] He won all four of his matches in the Round-robin competition and took the title.[16] His attempt to defend his English Amateur Championship title ended in the Southern region quarter-finals, when he lost 0–4 to Jonathan Barron.[17]

He became world amateur champion for a second time in 1966, beating John Spencer, who was the runner-up, in the decisive match.[1][16] In the 1967 Birthday Honours, Owen was awarded the MBE for services to snooker.[18][19]

Professional career and later life

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In 1967, Spencer, Owen and Ray Reardon become the first players since 1951 to turn professional.[11][20] Owen was convinced to make the tranistion by a £250 contract with cue manufacturers Riley Burwat, who were looking for new names to use on their branded cues.[21][19] As part of the deal, the company handled Owen's bookings.[19] His first tournament as a professional player was the 1968 Willie Smith Trophy, which was a round-robin tournament with Spencer, Jackie Rea, and amateur player John Dunning as the other competitors.[22][23] Owen won all three of his matches and took the title.[24] He also made the higest break of the tournament, 80, against Dunning in the final frame of the match that confirmed him as the champion.[24][25]

In 1968-69 the World Snooker Championship was held as a knock-out format tournament after being contested on a challenge basis since 1964.[26] In his first match, he eliminated Rea 25-17.[27] In the semi-final he defeated Fred Davis 37-24.[28] In the final, he faced Spencer, who took a 6–2 lead, before Owen levelled the match at 6–6. The Birmingham Daily Post correspondent praised the players for bringing a "refreshing new look to the game, with bold attacking play, wonderful potting, and a sprinkling of good-sized breaks".[29] Spencer was 15–9 ahead after the second day of the final, and maintained a six frame lead by the end of day three, at 21–15.[30][31] On day four, Owen won four of the afternoon session's six frames to close to 19–23.[32] In the evening session, Spencer claimed the first three frames, and finished the day six frames ahead again at 27–21.[33] Owen only won three of the twelve frames on the fifth day, leaving Spencer one frame from victory at 36–24. Owen's brother Marcus commented that, "Gary's cueing is all over the place. Every time he plays a forcing shot, his whole body is moving."[34] Spencer took the first frame on the final day to claim victory by achieving a winning margin of 37–24.[35] Owen compiled a 100 break, the highest of the match, in the 66th frame during the dead frames after the title had been decided.[33]

He was one of the eight competitors in the first series of Pot Black on BBC Television in 1969 and lost to John Pulman in the first round.[36][37] In 1970 Owen defeated Ray Reardon 6–4 in the final of the Stratford Professional.[38] He was a world championship semi-finalist in 1970, beating Rex Williams 31-11 before being eliminated by Pulman 13-36.[28][2] In the group stage of the 1971 edition he defeated Paddy Morgan and Norman Squire, but lost to Eddie Charlton and Warren Simpson, and did not progress past that stage.[39][2] He withdrew from the 1972 championship and was replaced in the draw by Charlton.[40]

Owen emigrated to Australia in April 1971,[39] taking a job as the resident professional at the Western Suburbs Leagues Club, a snooker hall in Sydney.[11][41] He later moved to Canberra, then the Gold Coast, and finally to Brisbane.[11] He was runner-up to Charlton in the 1972 and 1973 Australian Professional Championships.[11] He won against Simpson in his first match at the 1973 tournament but then lost 6-16 to Ray Reardon in the quarter-final.[2] The next year, he played his bother Marcus in his first match, and lost 8-15.[2] In 1975 he progressed through two rounds but was beaten 9-19 by Dennis Taylor in the quarter-finals.[28] Taylor defeated him again in 1975, this time 15-9.[2] Snooker historian Clive Everton later wrote that Owen "seemed to have lost all heart for the game" and was a lesser player than in the days when he had been world amateur champion.[42]</ref> It was Owen's last appearance at the world championship; although he entered in 1980, he did not play.[2] Having gained Australian citizenship, he represented his new country at the World Challenge Cup in 1979, which was his last appearance as a professional player in the UK.[11][41]

His playing technique included an unusually short backswing.[10] He preferred the use of stun shots rather than follow shot in his break-building.[10] In 1963, he said that he usually practised bu playing English billiards, as having only three balls on the table helped him practice his ball control.[3] He compiled a maximum break at Birmingham Fire Station in 1968.[39] In the early 1970s, Spencer described Owen as "the best middle pocket potter I've ever seen."[10] Owen died in Brisbane in July 1995, aged 65, after experiencing long-term emphysema.[11][41]

Performance and rankings timeline

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Ranking and results history for Gary Owen
Tournament 1968/
69 		1969/
70 		1970/
71 		1971/
72 		1972/
73 		1973/
74 		1974/
75 		1975/
76 		1976/
77 		1977/
78 		Ref.
Ranking[a] No ranking system 10 13 [43]
Willie Smith Trophy W Tournament Not Held [44]
Stratford Professional Not Held W A A Tournament Not Held [38]
Park Drive 2000 (Spring) Not Held RR A Tournament Not Held [45]
Pot Black QF RR[citation needed] SF A A A A A A A [37][46]
World Masters Tournament Not Held RR Not Held
World Matchplay Championship Tournament Not Held QF NH [47]
Australian Professional Championship A A A SF F F QF A SF LQ
World Championship[a] F SF RR A QF 2R QF 1R A A [28]
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

Career finals

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Non-ranking finals: 5 (2 titles)

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Legend
†World Championship (0–1)
Other (2–2)
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final/runner-up Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1968 Willie Smith Trophy  John Dunning (ENG) (Runner-up) round-robin [44]
Runner-up 1. 1969 World Snooker Championship†  John Spencer (ENG) 27–46 [28]
Winner 2. 1970 Stratford Professional  Ray Reardon (WAL) 6–4 [48]
Runner-up 2. 1972 Australian Professional Championship  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 10–19 [49]
Runner-up 3. 1973 Australian Professional Championship (2)  Eddie Charlton (AUS) 10–31 [49]

Amateur finals: 5 (4 titles)

[edit]
Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final/Runner-up Score Ref.
Winner 1. 1944 Boy's Snooker Championship  Percy Hinton (ENG) 4–3 [6]
Runner-up 1. 1950 English Amateur Championship  Alf Nolan (ENG) 5–6 [8]
Winner 2. 1963 English Amateur Championship  Ron Gross (ENG) 11–3 [13]
Winner 3. 1963 World Amateur Championship  Frank Harris (AUS) (Runner-up) round-robin [16]
Winner 4. 1966 World Amateur Championship (2)  John Spencer (ENG) (Runner-up) round-robin [16]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b World Championship results from 1974 onwards counted towards World Rankings

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Morrison 1987, p. 95.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Kobylecky 2019, p. 186.
  3. ^ a b c d Davies, Rod (9 March 1963). "Breaks and Ladders". Birmingham Evening Mail. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c "Nutshell Biographies (No. 19): Gary Owen (Yarmouth)". The Billiard Player. February 1950. p. 11.
  5. ^ a b Everton 1985, pp. 124–125.
  6. ^ a b "Tumble News". The Welshman. 24 March 1944. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Boy's Snooker Championship". The Billiard Player. March 1944. p. 4.
  8. ^ a b "Third Time Lucky for Nolan". Western Daily Press. Bristol. 31 March 1950. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "English Amateur Snooker Championship Results". The Billiard Player. March 1952. p. 3.
  10. ^ a b c d Everton & Silverton 1973, p. 9.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g "Obituary: Gary Owen MBE". Snooker Scene. Everton's News Agency. August 1995. p. 10.
  12. ^ Butt, Fancy (6 October 1956). "Secretary Edgar is After That Century". Sports Argus. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b c Bate, Stan (9 March 1963). "Hail Gary Owen – One of the Best Champs!". Sports Argus. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Today's Telesport". Daily Mirror. 9 November 1963. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b Holt, Richard (December 1963). "Gross Retrieves his Reputation with Striking Victory Over Gary Owen". Billiards and Snooker. p. 11.
  16. ^ a b c d Hale 1987, pp. 296–297.
  17. ^ "The English Amateur Snooker Championship". Billiards and Snooker. April 1964. p. 3.
  18. ^ "Gary Owen, MBE". Billiards and Snooker. July 1967. p. 3.
  19. ^ a b c Wakeling, Vic (5 August 1967). "Owen is to Turn Professional". Birmingham Evening Mail. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Spencer turns professional". Billiards and Snooker. March 1967. p. 11.
  21. ^ Everton 2012, p. 37.
  22. ^ "New pro Owen plays in new pro tournament". Billiards and Snooker. Billiards Association and Control Council. October 1967. p. 5.
  23. ^ "Snooker: Owen's new venture". Birmingham Daily Post. 9 January 1968. p. S.14 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b "Owen wins Willie Smith trophy". Billiards and Snooker. February 1968. p. 3.
  25. ^ "Snooker: Owen is winner of new event". Birmingham Daily Post. 15 January 1968. p. S.11 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Everton 2012, p. 40-43.
  27. ^ "Owen and Williams in Semi-finals". The Birmingham Post. 29 November 1968. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ a b c d e "Embassy World Championship". Snooker Scene. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  29. ^ "Owen and Spencer all square". Birmingham Daily Post. 18 March 1969. p. 13.
  30. ^ Everton, Clive (19 March 1969). "Owen loses ground to Spencer". Birmingham Daily Post. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Spencer now six ahead". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 20 March 1969. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "Owen fights back to reduce leeway". Birmingham Daily Post. 21 March 1969. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ a b Robinson, Keith (April 1969). "Blow by blow". Billiards and Snooker. pp. 3–6.
  34. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 22 March 1969. p. 6.
  35. ^ "Snooker". The Times. 24 March 1969. p. 12.
  36. ^ "July anniversaries: Pot Black first transmitted 23 July 1969". BBC. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013.
  37. ^ a b "Enjoyed Everything". Birmingham Evening Mail. 14 August 1969. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ a b "Owen defeats title holder". Sport Argus. 5 September 1970. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ a b c Everton & Silverton 1973, p. 10.
  40. ^ "Charlton in for Owen". World Snooker. June 1971. p. 5.
  41. ^ a b c "Former Brum Ace Dies". Black Country Evening Mail. 8 July 1995. p. 37 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Everton 1993, p. 42.
  43. ^ "Ranking History". Snooker.org. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  44. ^ a b "Owen wins Willie Smith trophy". Billiards and Snooker. February 1968. p. 3.
  45. ^ Everton 1981, p. 90.
  46. ^ "Not a Demo - a Crusade". Birmingham Evening Mail. 20 May 1971. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Hayton & Dee 2004, p. 779.
  48. ^ "Owen defeats title holder". Sport Argus. 5 September 1970. p. 11.
  49. ^ a b "Australian Professional Championship". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2017.

Books

  • Everton, Clive; Silverton, John (1973). Park Drive Official Snooker And Billiards Year book. Gallagher. OCLC 498112105.
  • Everton, Clive (1981). The Guinness Book of Snooker. Guinness Superlatives. ISBN 0851122302.
  • Everton, Clive (1985). Guinness Snooker: The Records. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives. ISBN 0851124488.
  • Everton, Clive (1993). The Embassy Book of World Snooker. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-1610-1.
  • Everton, Clive (2012). Black Farce and Cue Ball Wizards. Edinburgh: Mainstream. ISBN 9781780575681.
  • Hale, Janice (1987). Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1987-88. Aylesbury: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0356146901.
  • Hayton, Eric; Dee, John (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. ISBN 978-0-9548549-0-4.
  • Kobylecky, John (2019). The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018. Kobyhadrian Books. ISBN 9780993143311.
  • Morrison, Ian (1987). The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker (Revised ed.). Twickenham: Hamlyn Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-600-55604-6.
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