Bernard Bennett

Bernard Bennett (31 August 1931 – 12 January 2002) was an English player of snooker and English billiards, whose professional career spanned from 1969 to 1995, during which he experienced limited success as a player. He owned the Castle Snooker Club in Southampton, which opened in 1970 and was one of the first modern snooker centres. From there, he staged professional and pro-am competitions that attracted the leading players of the day.

He turned professional in 1968, despite not having a track record of success as an amateur. He entered every World Snooker Championship from 1969 to 1995, with the exception of the November 1970 Championship, which was held in Australia, and that of 1993. In 1971 he challenged Rex Williams for the World Billiards championship title. He lost the match, played at the Castle Club, by 4,058 points to 9,250.

Playing career

Bernard Bennett was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey on 31 August 1931 and was introduced to snooker by his elder brother John. He worked as a carpenter and in 1965 moved to Southampton where he set up in the building trade.

Bennett turned professional in 1969, without any significant amateur record. He had entered the English Amateur Championship several times without progressing further than the last=16 round of the Southern region. He entered the 1969 World Snooker Championship and was heavily defeated in the first round 4–25 by Rex Williams. In the 1970 event he lost in the first round 8–11 by David Taylor.

Bennett was the owner of the Castle Snooker Club in Southampton, which opened in 1970 and was one of the first modern snooker centres. From here, he organised events including the Castle Professional a mini snooker 'triangular' event featuring three professionals and the Castle Pro-Am. The Billiard Association and Control Council's official magazine ''Billiards and Snooker'' described the first edition of the Castel Pro-Am, which commenced in October 1970, as "the most ambitious Open Snooker tournament ever promoted in Britain". Bennett, who had accrued his money from the building trade, went on to own other snooker clubs in the Southampton area.

The 1972 World Snooker Championship qualifying match between Bennett and Graham Miles was held at the Castle Club. Miles won 15–6. Bennett lost 8–9 to David Greaves in his 1973 world championship opening match. In the 1974 World Championship, he defeated 1970 finalist Warren Simpson 8–2, to record his first win in the championship. Simpson was affected by ill health, having discharged himself from hospital to play in the tournament, and was attended by a nurse during the match. Simpson's energy left him and Bennett won the last five frames in a row. Simpson remarked that Bennett "played some very solid snooker and it's been a pleasure to play him." In 1999, Bennett recalled his victory against Simpson as the highlight of his playing career. Bennett was unable to contain Alex Higgins in the second round, and lost 4–15. The win was sufficient to place Bennett in 18th place when professional rankings were first introduced in time for the 1976–77 season.

During the qualifying competition for the 1978 World Championship, Bennett drew Maurice Parkin, a player who, like himself, had won only one match in the event since his first entry. In a clear indication of snooker's rising popularity at this time, over 200 people travelled to Romiley Forum on Easter Monday to watch their match. The affair was a low-scoring one, producing only three breaks over 20 in the first eight frames. Eventually, Parkin pulled away from 5–4 to win 9–4, with a top break in the match of only 29, bettered by Bennett's 31 in frame nine. At the 1979 World Championship, Bennett drew Terry Griffiths, in the first round of qualifying. Bennett won the first two frames but lost the match 2–9. Griffiths went on to win the tournament, becoming World Champion at his first attempt.

Bennett played more through his love of the game. He lost 0–20 defeat to Sakchai Sim Ngam in the 1986 World Championship qualifying, and by the same margin to Billy Kelly in 1987. Following this latter defeat, Bennett slipped to 124th in the world rankings, meaning that he was among the first group of professional players to lose full tournament playing rights. Able only to enter the World Championship, Bennett played in the 1988 event, losing 10–5 to Jim Meadowcroft, after the first six frames had been shared. However, in the 1989 event, after a gap of 15 years, Bennett won his second world championship match in defeating Clive Everton 10–4. He also led veteran Fred Davis 3–1 in the second round of qualifying, but lost the match 10–4. In the 1990 event, Bennett led Andrew Cairns 4–3 in the first qualifying round, but made no further progress in losing the match 10–4.

1991 was no more successful for Bennett, as he lost 2–10 to Jason Whittaker in his first match, and he was whitewashed once more in 1992 – this time beaten 0–10 by the young Anthony Hamilton. He did not enter the 1993 edition, but was again beaten without winning a frame in 1994, losing to Andrew Atkinson 0–5. His final attempt at qualifying, in 1995, ended in identical fashion, with him being beaten 0–5 by Alfie Burden.

He partnered with Pat Houlihan for the World Doubles Championship each year from 1982 to 1986; they did not win more than one match in any of the editions.

English billiards

In 1971 Bennett challenged Williams for the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) version of the World Billiards title. It was the first challenge played after Williams had successfully challenged Clark McConachy in 1968; the first title match held since 1951. Bennett provided both the financial guarantee, and, in the Castle Club, the venue for the event. He was heavily defeated by Williams, 4,058–9,250. While Bennett recorded two century breaks, 132 and 106, Williams made over 25, including a best of 480.

In 1980, the World Championship was revived as a knock-out, for the first time since 1934. Bennett entered, but lost 678–1,968 to Mark Wildman in the qualifying round. When the event was next held, he lost to Everton in the first round, but in 1983 he defeated Graham Cripsey and Jack Fitzmaurice to reach the quarter-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Williams. He also won first round matches at the UK Championship to reach the quarter-finals in 1980 against Chris Ross and in 1983 against Greaves.

Death and legacy

The Castle Pro-Am event proved beneficial to a number of professional players; at the end of the 1975–76 season, Alex Higgins, who was placed second on that season's Order of Merit, had earned only £2,250 from the three main events of the season, but won £500 as the victor of the 1975 edition alone. The 1978/79 edition, which had a prize fund of £3,500, attracted almost all of the professional players who were in the country at the time.

In the 1977–78 snooker season, Bennett defeated John Pulman and drew with Graham Miles to share top place in the three-player Castle Professional Tournament. He also defeated Doug Mountjoy 5–2 in that season's Castle Pro-Am tournament, a result that ''Snooker Scene'' described at the time as "the best victory of his career".

Bennett, who was married to Irene and had three sons, died on 12 January 2002 at the Chalybeate Hospital, at the age of 70. His obituary in ''Snooker Scene'' said that he was "unanimously regarded with affection throughout the sport."

Performance and rankings timeline

Notelist

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Bernard
English snooker players
English players of English billiards
Coaches, managers and promoters in English billiards
Snooker coaches, managers and promoters
1931 births
2002 deaths
People from Kingston upon Thames
Sportspeople from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Sportspeople from Southampton