Early mentions of Snooker in the press
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Here are some of the earliest mentions of Snooker as opposed to Billiards.
1889
SNOOKER ARRIVES
A new game to be played on a billiard table is a rarity, and we have not until now had any decided novelty since “skittle pool,” a rather feeble and uninteresting game which soon died a natural death, and such an eccentricity as “cork pool” is very seldom played. The new game has the odd title of “Snooker’s pool,” and variations of it have been played before, but regular rules for it have not been issued until now. It is a kind of “shell out,” which, as most billiard players know, is pyramids with any number of players, and not confined to two as in the ordinary game. Moreover, a certain number of coloured balls are on the table as well as the red ones, each having a different value indicated by a number on it. The players go in rotation, and no one can play at a numbered ball until he has holed a red one, the latter counting one, and the former being counted according to the number upon it. After having holed a numbered ball, another red hazard must be made before a numbered ball can be played upon again. That is the gist of the game, which will be readily understood by billiard players. The rules of “Snooker’s pool” as issued require a thorough overhauling before they can be considered satisfactory, though I believe they have received the imprimatur of Mr William Cook, the famous player. The game is certainly an amusing one, and it is eminently adapted for the amusement of a circle of both sexes gathered in a country-house. [The Scotsman - 27th November 1889]
1904
SNOOKER IN INDIA.
An Indian officer was asked the other day at a club if he ever played snooker when he was in India. He said, ” Oh, yes. We had a table up in the hill station on which we played occasionally; but everything was so old that the colours had worn off all the balls, leaving them a dirty cream.” “But how could you play snooker,” gasped the astonished questioner, ” if you couldn’t tell the difference between them?” ” Oh,” yawned the officer, ” the marker knew them by their shapes.” [The World Of Billiards February 17, 1904.]
IVORY NOT USED FOR SNOOKER
It may not be generally known that the tournament at Orme’s Rooms, Manchester, is being played with Bonzoline balls, as are the Snooker’s Pool games at Soho Square. Composition balls are, indeed, becoming an indispensability to the billiard table. [The New World Of Billiards. December 18, 1907.]
AMATEUR RECORD
We should think that a 52 break must be getting well on the way towards an amateur record at Snooker’s Pool, although we have no figures to go upon. The best professional breaks in this direction are 96 (the Australian record) and an 89 by Hugh McNeil. We heard recently of a 128; but we are not in a position to confirm the authenticity of this. [The New World Of Billiards; December 4, 1907.]
