By Elliott West
Introduction
1975 was a unique year for the World Championship because it was the second and last time that the tournament was held outside the United Kingdom. In an era when the event had no fixed abode, a decision was made to stage the 1975 championship across Australia with the final being held at the Nunawading Basketball Stadium in Melbourne. Held between April and May 1975, this event featured 27 participants, a mix of 8 seeded players who received byes to the second round and a mix of homegrown Australian snooker players such as Ian Anderson, Lou Condo, Rex King, Ron Mares, Paddy Morgan and Warren Simpson, not forgetting Eddie Charlton who was already one of the seeded 8.
With a total prize fund of $30,000 and a winner’s share of $7,500, this world championship has sadly been largely forgotten but was one that produced some fantastic matches including the highest break by David Taylor of 128.
The Final
Ray Reardon faced Eddie Charlton in the final. Ray had beaten Alex Higgins 19-14 to claim his place whilst Eddie Charlton had defeated Dennis Taylor 19-12. Reardon described this as his greatest world championship victory against an opponent who wasn’t his natural rival. Ray was an Australia veteran, having travelled to this far-flung land on 12 occasions and once did a snooker tour of Australia and New Zealand with Eddie.
Charlton who had been the instigator of bringing the tournament to Australia has always been embroiled in a rumour since he plotted to stage the event in his homeland because he felt this was his best opportunity to win it. A conspiracy theory that Ray said was probably 40 percent true. Charlton was someone who thought he should be world champion and was prepared to attempt to claim the title over the best of 61 frames in the final.
This was a classic and brutal final and one that is sadly not captured on film. Charlton went 29-23 up in this match that the first to 31 frames. Reardon then won seven frames in a row to lead 30-29. The Welshman had hit his peak and in his words ‘was on a buzz’. The Australian was in free fall in front of a packed home audience and his opponent was in the zone, oblivious of his surroundings and playing a brand of snooker that couldn’t even be stopped if someone from the crowd had thrown a firecracker onto the stage or waved in your face. Pure snooker poetry in motion and absolute focus.
Ray’s heart was racing and his body trembling but despite these drawbacks, the Welshman was in total control of the cue ball. He literally talked to the balls and they did what he wanted them to. He was at the time, the master of the Australian green baize that he was playing on. Charlton was on the ropes and tearing his hair out. Reardon got the 30 frames and then Charlton won the 60th frame.
Now poised at 30-30. Eddie broke up in the final frame on a table that had a dead ball cushion. One that took all the power out of the white when hit. The Australian made the perfect break off on a Brunswick snooker table in front of a 4,000 audience of which 3,999 were Australians. Reardon got in but because of the play of the table, decided to go in off to the white back to the baulk line. The audience groaned in orchestrated disappointment as the white went into the bag as they were clearly supporting their own player. This was a streak of genius from the Welshman because when he walked back to his seat and scanned the table, there wasn’t a single ball on for his opponent.
Charlton rushed to the table and then glanced at Reardon but Ray’s eyes were fixed on the audience. Eddie then took his shot, playing a safety shot, right behind the yellow, tight on the baulk cushion but split the balls in the process. Reardon returned to the table and played a repeat of his earlier shot, the thinnest of shots that caused the white to go in-off again. It was a repeat reaction to the shot outcome with a reverberation of gasps filling the stadium.
Eddie rushed to the table again and he had one opportunity of a pot of a very straight red to number one pocket with a pink to follow. This was a crucial pot, one that if misses it, he loses and if he pots it, he wins. Charlton, faced with his excruciating decision and the chance to win the world championship for the first time, declined and put Reardon back in, getting him to take the shot again. As Reardon went to the table, Eddie who usually sat down could be seen hovering near his chair. Ray turned around and said hi to Eddie and then drilled the red into the pocket. A classic mistake for Charlton who was probably the best straight ball potter at the time.
As the red went in, Eddie fell off his chair and was lying on the floor. Ray put his cue on the table and helped him up, staying with him because he thought the Australian had hurt himself, thankfully not and gave his opponent a drink of water. Reardon then returned to the table, chalked his cue and made a 68 break, returning to shake his opponent’s hand, winning the frame 84-18 and the match 31-30. What a final and what a story!
