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| English Professional Championship |
| Non Ranking Event |
Brief History of the English
Professional Championship
The first English Professional
Championship was held in 1981 with sponsorship from John Courage but only
lasted one season.
From 1985 to 1989, the WPBSA provided
a prize fund subsidy of £1000 per man and the championship, along with those of
the other home countries, was revived. Sponsorship was also forthcoming from
Tolly Cobbold and the event replaced their ‘Classic’ which had successfully
been staged at Ipswich Corn Exchange for the previous six seasons.
Predictably perhaps, Steve Davis,
who had one the original event back in 1981, emerged as the winner but in 1986
his pal, Tony Meo, beat him in the semis and went on to win the final. Davis did not enter the
event again and Meo retained his title the following year.
No sponsor could be found
in 1988 but the event stayed at Ipswich, moving to Redwood Lodge, Bristol in 1989. After
that, the WPBSA subsidy ended and, without sponsorship, the championship ceased.
Roll Of Honour
| Year |
Venue |
Sponsor |
Winner
|
Runner Up |
Score |
1st Prize |
| 1981 |
Haden Hill LC, Birmingham |
John Courage |
Steve Davis |
Tony Meo |
9-3 |
£4,000 |
| 1982-4 |
not held |
| 1985 |
Corn Exchange, Ipswich |
Tolly Cobbold |
Steve Davis |
Tony Knowles |
9-2 |
£17,500 |
| 1986 |
Corn Exchange, Ipswich |
Tolly Cobbold |
Tony Meo |
Neal Foulds |
9-7 |
£18,500 |
| 1987 |
Corn Exchange, Ipswich |
Tolly Cobbold |
Tony Meo |
Les Dodd |
9-5 |
£20,000 |
| 1988 |
Corn Exchange, Ipswich |
none |
Dean Reynolds |
Neal Foulds |
9-5 |
£15,000 |
| 1989 |
Redwood Lodge, Bristol |
none |
Mike Hallett |
John Parrott |
9-7 |
£15,500 |
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