By Elliott West
Introduction
By the early 1980s, the game of billiards was on the rapid decline with fewer people playing it and far fewer watching it. So in a desperate attempt to stop it from falling over the cliff, Ivan Carwood, a Rugby estate agent and Midas Exhaust Centres came together to organise and sponsor a tournament at the Winter Gardens, Margate with a further event in Middlesbrough if successful. So the Midas World Masters Billiards Tournament was born in 1981 with a mixed response. Originally launched to bring a touch of suspense and the unknown into the game, Ivan was bitterly disappointed by the ‘pathetic response of the public of Margate’ with few ticket sales and even fewer bums on seats.
However there were positives, the tournament produced some interesting results and the short game format did produce tension with those players involved giving a massive thumbs up to the tailored schedule. An event that saw two shock exits by the firm favourites Rex Williams and Jack Karnehm, making an interesting final in prospect and certainly not a foregone conclusion.
The Final
Promoted as Billiards (New Style), those that went to see the final included the journalist Arthur Baker. Baker who had already reported on the Professional final in the February of that year between Jack Karnehm and Rex Williams was pleasantly surprised by the warmer weather of Margate and the fact that the scoreboard displayed not the usual suspects but two new contenders in the form of Ray Edmonds and Mark Wildman. A title that would be decided on the best of nine 200-up games with four in the afternoon and five in the evening. This was a sharp contrast to the best of seven that had been playing all week.
The first game went to Mark Wildman by 200 to 96 and the second to Ray Edmonds 200 to 88. Both games were highly entertaining despite being only watched by an audience of 30 plus people. The participation may have been depleted but the applause was still rapturous. In the third game, the first hundred break was produced by Wildman with an impressive break of 108 but undeterred, Edmonds fought back and won the game by 200 to 129. A fourth game ensued which frankly either player could have won. However, Ray managed to seize the bull by the horns, overcoming the pressure to win it 200 to 174 and so took a 3-1 lead as a result.
The Evening Session began at 7.30 pm and thankfully there were more spectators there than the afternoon session. The opening game looked like it would go to Edmonds but Wildman pulled one out of the bag. With the scoreline at 116 to 85 in Ray’s favour, Mark ran out with a 115 unfinished to narrow the score to 3-2 to Edmonds.
Despite this fightback from Wildman, try as he could, Mark was unable to curtail the blistering form of Edmonds. Ray won the sixth and seventh games and it was Edmonds who declared the victor. A deluge of speeches ensued with one from the promoters, Midas Exhausts and the other from the newly declared champion, Ray Edmonds. A speech that praised the organisers, venue and even the referees, Bob Sconce and Mike Clarke.
Afterthoughts
The Midas World Masters Billiards Tournament in Margate was an admirable attempt to rejuvenate billiards as an attractive game but by then snooker had had already bypassed its popularity. People wanted to watch an interesting game and billiards was now seen to be noble but frankly outdated and old fashioned. Billiards make have created suspense in their height but the audience now craved coloured balls being potted into various pockets. A game that was already in the heady heights of popularity in the 1980s and one that billiards just couldn’t compete with.
Results
First Round
Mark Wildman v John Pulman 4-0
Ray Edmonds v Willie Thorne 4-0
Semi-Finals
Mark Wildman v Jack Karnehm 4-0
Ray Edmonds v Rex Williams 4-1
