by elliott west
Introduction
Snooker produced many great snooker players in the post-war years and one of these is the sadly forgotten Gary Owen. Owen from Tumble in Carmarthenshire rose through the ranks when John Spencer and Ray Reardon were becoming up and coming players and cut his teeth in those dark, smoke filled billiards halls and working men‘s clubs that are now flats or supermarkets.
Early Career
Gary was a natural at an early age and it wasn’t long before he became the British Under-16 champion in 1944. Six years later, he reached the final of the English Amateur Championship, losing to Alf Nolan in 1950, 5-6. An amateur tournament that still exists today. Sadly after this fantastic start to his career Owen gave up competitive play for a number of years until the early 1960s.
Perhaps he chose this option as at the time, snooker wasn’t the sport that it has become today and a player had to earn an honest crust in a day job.
However, after a brief lull Gary returned and matched his brother Marcus’s record by winning the English Amateur Championship in 1963, beating Ron Gross, 11-3. As as result of this win, Gary was propelled into the World Amateur Championship of that year and became the champion after defeating Frank Harris from Australia. He later won the title again in 1966 when he beat John Spencer in the final in Karachi, Pakistan.
Professional Status
Gary Owen turned professional in 1968 alongside Ray Reardon and John Spencer. His best performance was when he reached the final of the World Professional Snooker Championship in 1969, losing to his nemesis, John Spencer, 37 frames to 24. He also reached the semi-final in 1970. Played in the Victoria Hall in London, Owen lost to John Pulman, 12-37. This was in an era where Ray Reardon was dominant, taking one of his six titles this year after beating Owen’s victor, Pulman, 37-33. Gary went in to make the last eight in 1973 and 1975. In 1970, Owen won the Stratford Professional, inflicting a loss on Ray Reardon, 6-4.
Later Life
Owen later emigrated to Australia, taking up a job as resident professional at a snooker club in Sydney. He continued his good form by reaching the final of the 1972 and 1973 Australian Professional Championships, losing to Eddie Charlton on both occasions. He then applied to Australian citizenship and represented his new country at the Snooker World Cup in 1979. A title that was ironically won by Wales that year, consisting of Terry Griffiths, Doug Mountjoy and Ray Reardon. Gary passed away in 1995, aged 65.
A true great of his time and a player that deserves to be remembered!
