Fred Davis v Warren Simpson - 1960

Contrary to the title card, John Pulman was World Champion at the time, and Warren Simpson wasn't, and never has been, the World Amateur Champion -- a tournament that has only existed since 1963. Fred Davis staged a series of exhibitions in a world tour in 1960 which included stops at Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, as well as various cities in Australia. According to North Wales Weekly News (21 July 1960) Davis played a number of players from Canada, Australia and South Africa. The paper reports that this break was broadcast on the 'National Broadcasting Station of Australia' (presumably ABC?), so it was a televised century break that preceded those of Joe Davis (filmed 1962) and Mark Wildman (broadcast 14 November 1960).
Simpson was runner-up to Spencer in the 1971 World Final.
I can't say for certain which city this was filmed in. If anyone knows, leave a comment.

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

Lovely to see this - thanks for posting. I was lucky enough to meet Fred in 1974 when he stayed at a hotel I was working in. I’d noticed a booking for Rex Williams and thought, interesting, same name as the snooker player. Being a huge Pot Black fan I was gobsmacked when he walked in with Fred Davis & Sidney Lee, the Pot Black referee. I had a chat to them and they said they were playing an exhibition at the working men's club. Come along, said Rex, tell them I invited you. Which I did, obviously! They were all lovely and gave me an autographed copy of the Pot Black book. Great memories.

[@justthetruth1]

Class story 👌

[@alexanderway6918]

Looks freezing in there. Heavy cloth and balls, could hardly see through the smoke and calmly knocks in a century! Great bit of footage.

[@williambriggs79]

Never seen Fred Davis close to his prime before. He could play a bit: total clearance and one shot left handed!

[@sharpvidtube]

Played at a good speed too. Squint a bit, and it could be Dennis Taylor, but he looked better with his left hand.

[@jackjones9587]

Yes, the left-handed shot is interesting as Ronnie was accused back in the 1990s of being disrespectful for playing left-handed. Yet Fred was obviously doing that decades before.

[@rubsey1]

Fred hated using the rest and was decent left handed.

[@GrandeCapo_PallaPesante]

@@rubsey1 "decent".

[@dvidclapperton]

There it is in black and White. Amazing how populsr snooker was even before the days of colour TV with the massive audience watching.

[@AwesomeMetalBands]

Quite unbelievable!!! To see such footage from the archives is amazing.

[@pavarotti744]

I saw Fred play well into his sixties on more than a few occasions...he was always wonderful to watch and exuded a class that only a handful of todays players share....consider also the balls Fred and his contemporaries were using were heavier and considerably harder to manipulate than todays players enjoy.

[@philbutcher6959]

I remember him on television still playing in the 70s and 80s and I can mainly remember him laughing and not taking it too seriously.

[@rjjcms1]

Wasn't he 70 when he played at the Crucible in the World Championship for the last time? Lost 10-4 to Bill Werbeniuk in the first round. He only retired from playing in professional tournaments in 1991 or 1992!

[@dvidclapperton]

Were they the ivory balls?

[@pavarotti744]

@@dvidclapperton Ivory was never used for snooker

[@chrisbland6942]

@@dvidclapperton No. Ivories were never really used for professional snooker. They were phased out in professional billiards in the late 20's. You could only get five billiard balls from an average sized tusk. Therefore you could say that three elephants would have to be slaughtered to make one set of snooker balls. Thank goodness the Crystalate and Bonzoline balls soon became more popular!

[@tialtnga]

Wow! Thanks for uploading this. People forget how niche a sport snooker was before Pot Black came along and brought it to the masses. It may be from 1960, but it feels like a former universe.

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

And we have David Attenborough to thank for Pot Black.

[@adriancooper554]

That is just awesome from a true legend of the sport.. Heavy cloth on a slow table .. Heavier balls in those days.. And knocks in a century.. Brilliant stuff..

[@mickfarrell7630]

Thank you mjt so much for this upload. This is absolute snooker gold.

[@weejim48]

Great snooker player. Also let’s not forget that Fred Davis was also World billiards champion. Great video.🇬🇧👍

[@633squadrongoodwin]

A Century break in 6 minutes ! Great play Fred.

[@denisdaly1708]

A few years later Alex Higgins did 104 in 2 minutes 55 seconds. The video is on KZbin

[@Kharkivskyi]

@@denisdaly1708 the fastest century break made by Tony Drago

[@chrispayne1824]

What people forget about those days is that the top players had to contend with playing in temperatures of approximately minus 10 as evidenced by the coats - and even gloves - being worn by the audience.

[@rossmcl1776]

Wow. he was fast wasn't he? Really nice find - thankyou.

[@davidpitt6413]

Copyright: Ray & Claude Harris. R. Claude Harris was a long-term billiards and snooker administrator, President of the Victorian Amateur Billiards Association and the Australian Amateur Billiards Council in the 50s and 60s - he takes the microphone at the end of the clip. Festival Hall in West Melbourne was Melbourne's largest indoor venue for many years (capacity 1700+), it had no heating hence all the overcoats. It is likely George Ganim Snr in black in the front row, level with the black spot. The exhibition was on July 7 1960, just three weeks before Walter Lindrum's death.

[@KarlFrei]

@mjt_snooker, did you see this comment?

[@michaelloffredo9913]

A pleasure to watch history and greatness. Thank you for sharing.

[@JOHN-tk6vl]

Yes, a rare treasure.

[@nobodyspecial6436]

Why just 10 reds??? Was that the format in those days??… awesome video though… makes you wonder how good he would be playing with all today’s advancements… tons back then couldn’t have been too easy though he made it look pretty easy

[@sharpvidtube]

I guess because it was an exhibition match? With those slow conditions, the reds were hard to break up, so there's more chance of a break with 10?

[@truthseeker6923]

Yes , table conditions were not as good then and the balls were heavier so this is impressive from Fred and yes he did make it look easy. I make a 20 break look a lot harder than this, haha

[@ianboyle1026]

The ten reds was because the film cameraman informed them beforehand that there was not enough film in the camera for a full frame, so they agreed to play a frame with the top five reds removed. Fred knew he was being filmed, for this frame only.

[@johngarland502]

Love how the other player pushed the pink back to the referee with his cue after Joe potted it. 😂

[@honestchris7472]

Fred Davis not Joe Davis.

[@christiano8088]

Great standard, well done 👏👏👏

[@alexmay8378]

Fred Davis was certainly very gifted...with heavy cloths and balls, an amazing clearance.

[@JOHN-tk6vl]

West of England Match cloths- like fireside rugs!

[@MillwallH22]

“Can you put your messenger pigeons on silent please”

[@marlowemarlowe4893]

Wow, the audience have a great view. Couldn't get any closer!

[@marcostaiano4171]

That's probably the first time I see Warren Simpson in action (even if just for the break-off). I'd like to know if there are other footages of the Australian. Fred was an amazing player, I'd love to see play him in his prime.

[@rjjcms1]

I'd heard a bit about Warren Simpson,largely from Clive Everton's writings,and was interested to see what he looked like and how he played.

[@christopherlogan9315]

Wow, it's great to see just how good Fred was in his prime. Very nice to watch.

[@colinsdiecast164customs]

Fred was a great player,I remember when he made it the World's late in his career.

[@MrMickyboyblue]

Thank you for sharing this

[@krisorgan]

As good a break as you’d see today, great stuff. I noticed that he changed hands for a shot too. Mad to think that Ronnie was getting press about it and Fred was doing it 30 plus yrs earlier.

[@RobinHood5045]

Fantastic break this. Great control of the cue ball. And look at 5:15 in the video here: He played the yellow ball left handed.

[@stevenmoffett494]

Brilliant footage

[@simontaylor2319]

Fred Davis always reminded me of my late gfather (also called Fred) in looks & stature, both were great gentlemen

[@malcolmlewis6014]

Fred and Joe were also great billiard players.

[@PeterMc141]

Fred had a century aged 64 in the 1978 World Championships against Kirk Stevens. Kirk was 19 then. Its on UTUBE somewhere.

[@marcostaiano4171]

Just find out on the amazing on-line archive of the Australian National Library a copy of "The Bulletin", date 13 Oct. 1954. You can read inside that in Brisbane Australian Warren Simpson defeated 8-3 Englishman Frank Edwards to win the "world amateur title", setting also Australian amateur break record with a 92 against Bob Marshall. Don't know what tournament that was and why it was considered a world title, but that's probably why in the snippet there is that assertion.

[@mjt_snooker1704]

Nice find. That must be what they're referring to.

[@petermcmanus4895]

Fred had a proper 100 break at the Crucible in 78

[@wizzgamer]

79.

[@GormlyKeep]

This is wonderful. Also note that Davis switched hands for the yellow

[@LANCSKID]

With old Uncle Albert Tatlock in the audience … legendary star of Castration Street.

[@paulembleton3087]

Great video and great player

[@BritinSchleswig]

Fred's average shot time on the break was just under 14 seconds, amazing.

[@ahmadalsumaiti9658]

It seems at that time the game was with 10 red balls only. Amazing to see a player playing that good with left and right hands at that time.

[@paulbanks223]

I liked Fred he was always a cheerful sort and played some good snooker too.

[@Hotondave68]

just brilliant. Is it my eyes , There does not look 15 reds there??

[@bartonbank2531]

What’s with the quinten Haan break off !?

[@davejordan7272]

Audience so close, all with big heavy coats on , moving around talking, some even smoking cigarettes, just classic, wow how the game has changed Brilliant footage

[@KenDignam]

He even chucked in a left handed yellow 👍

[@NoosaHeads]

Yes, some of those olde-worlde players were amazing. I think Joe Davis had about 15 or twenty world championships under his belt.

[@tylerhay6560]

Is this the oldest footage of a century break in existence? Also, I think the exhibition break off might be the only shot ever recorded of Warren Simpson.

[@chrisbland6942]

I think so on both counts. Although it wasn’t recorded, the earliest televised century was always said to be Markham Wildman in an ITV Amateur event - but this was just before that.

[@michaeltrumph121]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIKVqJ-uhq2VjMk

[@tylerhay6560]

You are privileged to have seen him at his best up close! The world will never know how great he clearly was.

[@truthseeker6923]

There is or was some old footage on YT of Fred's brother Joe making a 100 break which I thought was said to be the first ton recorded on film but I think that was about 1962 or something so obviously this pre dates that if this was 1960 ?

[@ianboyle1026]

@@truthseeker6923 This wasn't televised, as far as I know. Newsreel film.

[@eddypayne1440]

Less red balls unless i gone crazy !! Still beautiful cueing and cueball control !!

[@gerv55]

His cue action never changed either.

[@colincolenso]

Festival Hall is in Melbourne.

[@davegadge1]

Wow strange break off!

[@thesufi]

Fine play and a knowledgeable crowd, not just clapping everything.

[@Bing457]

He played left and right handed back then in 1960 the year I was born amazing it looked cold in there as all were wearing their coats

[@pinheadjohnny5190]

So strange to see this with the people bundled up like there freezing and smoking cigarettes and real sportsmanship, unlike today.

[@dvidclapperton]

Was John Williams refereeing already?

[@DavidDavid-yz2sh]

Ppl says Stephen Henry is playing in an WEAK ERA , this match is WAYYYYYY BEFORE HENRY'S TIME , I don't find them weak . Look at the accuracy and position from one of the old timers. 90s was an WEAK ERA LMAO 😂. Guess the weak era is now, champion is losing to amatures players. 😂.

[@oldtimer4863]

Wonderful Fred.

[@Timemachine74]

Spot on 👌

[@politico9575]

What great play. Bucket pockets I'm guessing, but still excellent.

[@johnmc3862]

100 break isn't easy with so called bucket pockets either.

[@TheLsduk1]

How cold was it in the audience?

[@PhilipKerry]

I think you'll find that the credits were just showing what Fred and Warren had previously won , not titles they held at the time .

[@adrianwright8685]

The crowd all in coats, scarves even gloves! Was it that cold or just no cloakroom?

[@stephenellis7668]

Look how close the spectators are!

[@neiledwards4923]

103 break with a left handed yellow. This was when he was past his best in 1960 when he was roughly the age that Ronnie is now. 8 times World Champion, he would make the World semi final in 1978!!

[@wizzgamer]

Yep probably would have won a few titles in the 70s had ge been at his peak. Joe Davis would have dominated the 70s in his peak though. 😊

[@stephenhaskins5736]

Great clearance, are those tables slow or what .

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

I think that it's that the balls are made of ivory. Huge amount of mass behind them.

[@alien6551]

For those watching in black and white the blue is behind the black ball....i remember that saying in the 60s lol

[@stevenknight1198]

Why only 10 reds in this game?

[@shanesteve]

What was the break?? As good as anyone he was

[@haroldmclean3755]

The Cue Ball never Lies ⚪😜👍

[@Ampex196]

That's surely Ray Reardon front row centre.

[@dennism5731]

Is that Ray Reardon in the middle of the front row?

[@davidcopson5800]

No, it's Max Schreck (the vampire in the 1922 film Nosferatu)

[@stephenreeds3632]

Are they playing outside? You'd think so with the overcoats and fur coats.

[@karlos55555]

And today's commentators laud Ronnie for playing left handed! Fred was doing it before Ronnie was born!

[@jamesadcock5235]

Wow he could play. And left handed

[@paulhiggins1577]

Goes to show modern players are not so much better than they think

[@oldskertonion]

No messing around here!

[@dvidclapperton]

Even watching on a colour TV set it's still in black and white.

[@colinbrigham8253]

Thank you 😊

[@peterb888]

He was quicker in 1960 then ebdon ever was .

[@undertheinfo6111]

It was the time when people in the audience Don't Cough.

[@pandwelubamba8294]

This was a 103 clearance break off 10-Reds not 15-Reds. Fantastic display by Fred, nevertheless!

[@galois19]

For those of you watching in black and white, the pink is the ball behind the yellow.

[@mikevolante7663]

I often saw Fred on TV playing, Pot Black. Beeb 2 i think. Back then, the balls were different. Maybe Ivory?

[@bettyswunghole3310]

Tough choice between the safe grey and the risky grey...😆

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

Is this the 1960 World Open Snooker Championship at Brisbane? Makes you wonder about the woman in the front row wrapped up in a fur coat.

[@WilliamSmith-mx6ze]

In fact they're *all* in coats. How cold does it get in Brisbane?

[@karlos55555]

The opening credits say an exhibition.

[@alanmorgan5472]

This man made snooker what it is today.... Not Higgins, white, Hendry or Ronnie

[@williamhenry4986]

And played with his left hand on the yellow

[@DuderinoDeux]

Next time Fred plays Yalta!

[@petermernagh9991]

Mobile phone going off in the audience at 5:56

[@sonicdiablo8968]

My exact thought lol

[@mickmck13847]

Car horn

[@Sm0oka]

Train

[@sjguk267]

time traveller I expect

[@digitalsketchguy7844]

Ah the good old days when beer was 5p a pint.

[@garyrichardson8934]

Dont you mean 5d a pint🤣

[@aldonabagusauskas4956]

Pity in B&W and long range camera....

[@kwacker45]

Fast too

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Not great technique though. He kept his back arm at a slight angle away from his body. It should normally be vertical.

[@RoboKubik8]

He's not even touching his chest with the cue, but still makes a century. amazing?

[@robinfereday6562]

Would definitely take O’Sullivan apart probably beat him too nil he was the GOAT

[@AnthonyWilliams-ew3wp]

Everyone in the audience is probably dead now. I always find that a sobering thought watching archive footage.

[@daddypig.5796]

5:56 That text message could have ruined his ton break. And the ref didn’t even tell the person to turn their mobile off!! Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

[@bigscrounger]

Two observations... 1) Fred's cue action is almost identical to Dennis Taylor. 2). The audience look so depressed and unenthusiastic. Thanks

[@johnmc3862]

They look like they are focusing on the game.

[@rodmact6548]

Wonderful to see the Great One obviously still in his prime, playing for all the world as sharp and accurately as any of the dozen or less great players of today. I well remember those heavy cloths, tricky rails and comparatively lifeless balls, which makes a century clearance like Fred's even more impressive. Thanks so much for this post.

[@cbriggs1986]

And this guy was playing long enough that he actually played against Ronnie O’Sullivan. (Preliminary rounds of the 1992 Grand Prix) Talk about longevity. He really did love the game, arguably more so than Joe.

[@-The-Darkside]

I had to google this to confirm it. Absolutely crazy that match happened! He does remind me of Dennis Taylor here.

[@dvidclapperton]

They all love the game. But some love winning even more than they do loving the game

[@CasperLD]

That is a crazy stat. The 1948 champion played the 2022 champion in a competitive match. That's absolutely nuts.

[@chrisbland6942]

@@CasperLDFred was a professional at 16 in 1929. Made his World Championship debut in 1937 at Thurston’s Hall, London.

[@chrisgrogan3353]

Great clip of Fred making a century. He could also switch to his left hand. Had a great style. Thanks for sharing

[@seanscanlon9067]

The was one commentary incident from Ted Lowe some time in the 80s when Fred Davis was in his mid to late 60s and was struggling to stretch on a shot that required him to put his leg up on the table, so instead he got back up and played the shot left-handed, with Ted saying and then after pausing a little, trying to overcompensate: 'Fred Davis, the doyen of snooker, now 67 years of age and too old to get his leg over,...............so he prefers to use his left hand instead'.

[@als2499]

Fred Davis was a true great of the game. He got to the semi final of the World Championship in 1978. He was a bridge between the game his brother gave us and the modern era.

[@itsonlyyoutube-d5m]

and got to the quater final in the uk championship in 1980 age 77....lost to alex higgins

[@itsonlyyoutube-d5m]

a year earlier in 1979 Higgins beat him in the world championship quarter final

[@ngocchu8055]

Marvellous snooker in the 60s. Fred Davis just like god of snooker back to then. He played the yellow left handed with no hesitation. All respect to you Fred. Thank to ur clearance i can see that how good u are even though the conditions at that time were so poor. Thanks for these vintage clips @mjtsnooker

[@honestchris7472]

His brother Joe was the real master, I think that Fred only beat Joe twice in a tournament, Joe Davis won the title fifteen times.

[@michaeltrumph121]

@@honestchris7472 Fred also won the world title 8 times. Fred becoming better than him is one of the reasons Joe retired.

[@honestchris7472]

@@michaeltrumph121 Joe was twelve years older than Fred and that was the reason he retired, not because Fred was beating him, in fact the record of the times they played is very heavily on Joe`s side. Fred first won the title in 1948, Joe retired in 1946. The modern era is far more competed for by many players, in Joe and Fred`s time, very few players entered or were allowed to enter, sometimes only ten competed.

[@michaeltrumph121]

@@honestchris7472 Before he retired, Joe was losing lore than winning against Fred. I know there was less competition back then, Joe was blocking potential threats to his rule.

[@honestchris7472]

@@michaeltrumph121 As I said, he was 12 years older than Fred so perhaps that was the reason that Fred could finally beat him, not that I have bothered to find out if that was correct that he was losing to Fred.