By Elliott West
Introduction
Born in 1928, Jack Fitzmaurice was a professional snooker player. A formidable amateur, he reached the final of the English Amateur Championship in 1958 where he was defeated, 8-11 by Marcus Owen in the final.
Professional Career
Jack turned professional in 1981 at the age of 53 and first appeared in the 1982 World Championship where he reached the last 32 stage of the tournament. He defeated Mario Morra, 9-7 before losing to Kirk Stevens, 4-10. Fitzmaurice’s win against Morra set a record that was held under Jack’s death. This was the length of the match, a tussle that lasted 548 minutes in a best of 17 frames.
Fitzmaurice never progressed again beyond the 32 stage. He recorded his last victory at the 1997 European Open when he beat Ian Glover, 5-4. Falling down the ranking list, he played his last professional match at the 2001 World Championship, losing 0-5 to Carl Stringer. He subsequently left the tour and retired, aged 73.
Conclusion
Jack Fitzmaurice is a band of players that in the history of the sport that could never achieve their true potential due to the influx of great players at the time. Jack lived and played throughout the most formidable days of snooker but it is crucial that he and others are always remembered. He was also the oldest Crucible debutant. Jack passed away in 2005, aged 76.
