A Potted History | Century Club for the English Amateur Championship

The English Amateur Snooker Championship – the sport’s longest running competition – is celebrating its landmark 100th edition this season.

Barring a four-year period during World War II, the English Amateur Championship has been held every year since its inaugural staging in 1916; outdating the world professional championship by 11 years. Steeped in a rich history, it has stood the test of time and remains the most prestigious domestic honour for amateur players in England.

Before plying their trade on the top tier, many of snooker’s biggest stars had etched their names onto the iconic trophy, including future world professional champions John Pulman, Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Terry Griffiths and Stuart Bingham. Former Masters and UK champion Jimmy White claimed the crown as a teenager in 1979. 

Tony Jones, Nigel Bond, David Gray, Martin Gould and Jimmy Robertson – all major professional ranking event winners – have also lifted the trophy, just like current top 16 member Jack Lisowski did in 2010. 

Jimmy White won the title in 1979

Barry Pinches, David Grace, Mark Joyce, Gary Wilson, Stuart Carrington, Billy Castle, Joe O’Connor and 2019 champion Brandon Sargeant are other present-day main tour cueists to have won the accolade. Meanwhile, Q-School graduate and rookie professional David Lilley is in an exclusive club of just five players to have conquered the tournament three or more times. Pat Matthews and Marcus Owen lead the all-time stats with four victories apiece.  

In 2016, Jamie Bodle won the 100th anniversary year of the championship at the South West Snooker Academy and now the 2019/2020 campaign will be the latest milestone in the event’s incredible journey as it is contested for a 100th time.

Following the completion of five regional qualifying heats at the start of December – where four emerged from each – just 20 players remain on course to join the long, illustrious roll of honour. 

Stage Two takes place this Sunday at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds. Come the end of the day’s play, just two players will be left with a chance of making history at the grand final on Saturday February 8th at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse.

Charles Jaques was winner number one at Orme & Sons Showroom, Soho Square in London in 1916. Who will be number 100 in 2020? 

To keep up to date with results throughout the various phases of the 2020 English Amateur Championship, please visit snookerscores.net here.

English Amateur Championship – Roll of Honour

(1) 1916 Charles Jaques 

(2) 1917 Charles Jaques 

(3) 1918 Harry Lukens 

(4) 1919 Sidney Fry 

(5) 1920 Arthur Wisdom 

(6) 1921 M. J. Vaughan 

(7) 1922 Jack McGlynn 

(8) 1923 Walter Coupe 

(9) 1924 Walter Coupe 

(10) 1925 Jack McGlynn 

(11) 1926 W. Nash 

(12) 1927 Ollie Jackson 

(13) 1928 Pat Matthews 

(14) 1929 Laurie Steeples 

(15) 1930 Laurie Steeples 

(16) 1931 Pat Matthews 

(17) 1932 William Bach 

(18) 1933 Edward Bedford 

(19) 1934 Charles Beavis 

(20) 1935 Charles Beavis 

(21) 1936 Pat Matthews 

(22) 1937 Kingsley Kennerley 

(23) 1938 Pat Matthews 

(24) 1939 Percy Bendon 

(25) 1940 Kingsley Kennerley 

Between 1941 to 1945 no tournament was held due to World War II 

(26) 1946 John Pulman 

(27) 1947 Harold Morris 

(28) 1948 Sidney Battye 

(29) 1949 Tommy Gordon 

(30) 1950 Alf Nolan 

(31) 1951 Rex Williams 

(32) 1952 Charles Downey 

(33) 1953 Tommy Gordon 

(34) 1954 Geoff Thompson 

(35) 1955 Maurice Parkin 

(36) 1956 Tommy Gordon 

(37) 1957 Ron Gross 

(38) 1958 Marcus Owen 

(39) 1959 Marcus Owen 

(40) 1960 Ron Gross 

(41) 1961 Alan Barnett 

(42) 1962 Ron Gross 

(43) 1963 Gary Owen 

(44) 1964 Ray Reardon 

(45) 1965 Pat Houlihan 

(46) 1966 John Spencer 

(47) 1967 Marcus Owen 

(48) 1968 David Taylor 

(49) 1969 Ray Edmonds 

(50) 1970 Jonathan Barron

2015 World Champion and recent Masters winner Stuart Bingham has also claimed the English Amateur Championship

(51) 1971 Jonathan Barron 

(52) 1972 Jonathan Barron 

(53) 1973 Marcus Owen 

(54) 1974 Ray Edmonds 

(55) 1975 Sid Hood 

(56) 1976 Chris Ross 

(57) 1977 Terry Griffiths  

(58) 1978 Terry Griffiths 

(59) 1979 Jimmy White 

(60) 1980 Joe O’Boye 

(61) 1981 Vic Harris 

(62) 1982 Dave Chalmers 

(63) 1983 Tony Jones 

(64) 1984 Steve Longworth 

(65) 1985 Terry Whitthread 

(66) 1986 Anthony Harris 

(67) 1987 Mark Rowing 

(68) 1988 Barry Pinches 

(69) 1989 Nigel Bond 

(70) 1990 Joe Swail 

(71) 1991 Steve Judd 

(72) 1992 Stephen Lee 

(73) 1993 Neil Mosley 

(74) 1994 Matthew Davies 

(75) 1995 David Gray 

(76) 1996 Stuart Bingham 

(77) 1997 David Lilley 

(78) 1998 Tim Bailey 

(79) 1999 David Lilley 

(80) 2000 Nick Marsh 

(81) 2001 Luke Fisher 

(82) 2002 Martin Gould 

(83) 2003 Alex Davies 

(84) 2004 David Lilley 

(85) 2005 David Grace 

(86) 2006 Mark Joyce 

(87) 2007 Martin Gould 

(88) 2008 David Grace 

(89) 2009 Jimmy Robertson 

(90) 2010 Jack Lisowski 

(91) 2011 Leo Fernandez 

(92) 2012 Gary Wilson 

(93) 2013 Stuart Carrington 

(94) 2014 Ben Harrison 

(95) 2015 Michael Rhodes 

(96) 2016 Jamie Bodle 

(97) 2017 Billy Joe Castle 

(98) 2018 Joe O’Connor 

(99) 2019 Brandon Sargeant  

(100) 2020 ?