by elliott west
Introduction
Wales has always been a hotbed of snooker with players such as Dilwyn John, Terry Griffiths, Doug Mountjoy, Ray Reardon and Mark Williams amongst its stable of players. One such player that stands out amongst them all is the former professional, Cliff Wilson.
Wilson from Tredegar in South Wales, was a long-term rival of Ray Reardon, saying that he came from the “poor end of the town”. Part of a group of players that played in working mens’ clubs, Cliff grew up playing by gaslight in a time where life was gruelling and work centred around the local coal mines and steelworks.
Early Career
Wilson was a very successful junior player and won the British Under-19 Championship in 1951 and 1952. His talent was quickly spotted and he appeared in a showreel with Joe Davis practicing various shots on a snooker table.
What should have a become a leap to new heights was quickly quashed when he left Tredegar and eye sight problems. Cliff virtually gave up the game from 1957-1972.
This former storekeeper however wasn’t to lie low for too long and after a spell at the local steelworks in Llanwern, Cliff was asked by a friend to fill a vacancy on the Newport League and within two years he was part of the national Welsh team.
A long association ensued and in 1977 he won his second Welsh amateur championship when he beat Dai Thomas, 8-1 in the final. He also won the 1978 World Amateur Championship in Malta where he defeated Joe Johnson, 11-5 in the final. His first taste of the limelight came in 1979 when he was invited as an amateur to take part in the Masters but it was quickly cut short when he had to withdraw due to a boycott by the professional players. 1979 also saw him take the Welsh Amateur Championship for the third time, beating Geoff Thomas, 8-5 in the National Pairs championship with Steve Newbury.
Professional Career
Cliff Wilson turned professional at the late age of 45 in 1979. In the UK Championship of that year, he reached the second round, beating John Pulman before losing to Terry Griffiths, 4-9.
His subsequent career was largely a mixture of first and second exits, especially at the World Championship. He did however get to the final of the Pontins Spring Open in 1981 and 1982, losing to Willie Thorne and John Hargreaves respectively.
Subsequently he managed to break through into the top 16 and was invited to the 1989 Masters where he went from 0-2 to 2-2 before Davis won the match, 5-2. He also won the first Seniors Championship, beating Eddie Charlton, 5-4 in 1991. He earned £16,000 as a result, his highest pay cheque.
The Latter Years and Conclusion
The Welshman never actually retired from the sport but in 1994 he already had failing eyesight and was suffering from diabetes. Described as one of the “greatest long potters” by Desmond Kane from Eurosport and rated more highly than Ray Reardon by Clive Everton, Cliff went on to make appearances on Big Break where he set the record of potting the most balls in the final round!
Wilson once said to David Vine that snooker wasn’t a sport but merely a “game”. He gave up smoking as a result of ill health and went on a diet, preferring the quiet life of breakfast television and sadly in 1994 he passed away from an inoperable disease of the liver and pancreas, aged just 60 years old.
A player who was a joy to watch, one of the fastest potters and who Joe Johnson described to me as “one of the funniest players” on the tour. He once played Ray Reardon on a snooker table on the side of a Welsh hill and was fantastic at trick shots. He also made a 136 break at the 1989 Grand Prix and reached five quarter-finals in his professional career.
A Welsh Wonder that truly lit up any room with joy!
