By Elliott West
Introduction
Manor Estate Social Club in Sheffield is still a thriving social hub at the heart of the Yorkshire community but in snooker’s history, it is famous for being the last location where the Park Drive snooker tournament was played. A popular working mens’ club now and then, this bastion of flowing draught beer and community chatter, provided the location for the last swan song of this tournament. One of three social clubs used for this event, the concert room became a temporary snooker venue for a clash between the old snooker rivals, Ray Reardon and John Pulman.
A Meeting of Two Snooker Minds
John Pulman and Ray Reardon met at the Manor Estate Social Club on Friday 20th October 1972. A weary Pulman who was playing his third match in as many days, probably walked into this match against the legendary Welshman with low expectations, having already lost 4-3 to Reardon at the Dial House and on the previous night, was whitewashed 4-0 by John Spencer in Rotherham.
Perhaps John thought his luck may change in this contest with the law of averages pointing towards a third time lucky victory. How wrong was this Devonian with the snooker pendulum swaying dramatically away from his corner and into his opponent’s? Ray was already breathing good form, having already achieved a 146 break against Pulman two days earlier at the Dial House in Sheffield on Wednesday.
Pulman managed to restrain Reardon at the start of the match, pegging his rival back to 2-2 but John wasn’t prepared to lose this match and mustered up the reserves held by any true champion, blowing his opponent out of the water by winning the two remaining frames required to win the match 4-2. In a game where the Welshman oozed prevalence, Pulman couldn’t restrain his counterpart, bruised by breaks from Ray of 61, 58 and 57 with John’s highest break of the match being 51 with Pulman going on to lose the frame.
John would have left this club, feeling bruised and battered, showing once again how cruel can be when you are on the receiving end of a defeat. It highlights once again how dangerous and dominant, Reardon was as a player during this era of the sport.
The Park Drive tournament was definitely an important piece in snooker’s development. A gritty affair that was played out in the midst of plumes of cigarette smoke and glasses that didn’t stay full with beer for long. A driving force in its time, the event showcased the few professional snooker players that existed on the tour at this time. An age of snooker that now seems a distant memory but still produces fond memories when thought about.
Thanks to Mark Watterson for providing the research and photographs for this piece
