Born in Coatbridge, Scotland in 1907, Walter Donaldson was the first Scottish born player to make a mark on the snooker world. He was a steady grinder in the Cliff Thorburn style but was also one of the greatest long potters of his or any other time.

 He won the national under 16 billiards championship at the age of 15 and then turned professional the following year, 1923, but did not enter the world championships until 1933 when he lost in the semi-finals to the great Joe Davis. He missed the next few championships but came back in 1939 and reached the quarter-finals and went one step further the next year losing, again to Joe in the semis.

In the first championship after the war, in which he served in the army, he gain lost to Joe, this time in the quarter finals. Following the retirement of Joe Davis from championship play after the 1946 event, he was vying with Fred Davis for the number one position. In 1946 he set a new world record break of 142. He reached eight consecutive world finals from 1947 to 1954 and in the first of these he, to the surprise of many, beat Fred Davis 82-63 to take the title. Fred won the next two but Walter beat him in 1950 to become champion for the second time. Fred came out on top in the next three finals. He then became disillusioned with the sport and retired. He turned his snooker room into a cow-shed and broke up the slates from the table to make crazy paving!