1964–68 World Snooker Championships

The World Professional Snooker Championship was revived in 1964 with a match between 40-year-old John Pulman and 50-year-old Fred Davis. It was a best-of-37-frames match, played over three days from 20 to 22 April at Burroughes Hall in London. The last official World Snooker Championship was held in 1952, while the last unofficial world snooker championship to take place was the 1957 World Professional Match-play Championship. Davis had won the official championship three times and the World Professional Match-play Championship five times. He had not taken part in the last championship in 1957, which Pulman had won.

Pulman took an early 4–2 lead, but Davis was ahead 7–5 at the end of the first day[10] and maintained his two-frame advantage after the second day, leading 13–11.[11] Davis made a break of 108 on the afternoon of the final day, but Pulman won four of the six frames in the session to level the match at 15–15. He then won the first three frames of the evening session to lead 18–15 and, although Davis won the next frame, Pulman took the fifth to win the title 19–16.[12]

Six months after winning the world title, John Pulman was challenged by Rex Williams in another match held at Burroughes Hall in London. The match consisted of 73 frames played over six days, from 12 to 17 October 1964. As a young professional, Williams had played in a number of Match-play championships and News of the World tournaments in the 1950s, but with little success.

Williams led 8–4 at the end of the first day,[13] but Pulman won 11 of the 12 frames on the second day to go ahead 15–9,[14] extending his lead to 31–17 after four days.[15] Pulman won the match on the fifth day with a 37–23 winning lead, making a break of 109 in frame 57.[16] The remaining 13 "dead frames" were played on the final day with Pulman finishing 40–33 ahead.[17]

Fred Davis challenged John Pulman for the world title in March 1965. The match was again 73 frames long, played over six days from 15 to 21 March at Burroughes Hall in London. The two players were closely matched throughout. Davis led 7–5 after the first day,[18] but Pulman had taken the lead 13–11 by the end of the second day[19] and pulled further ahead on the third, before Davis recovered to level the match at 18–18.[20] Pulman made a break of 100 on the fourth day; they won six frames apiece to level the score once again at 24–24.[21] The pair were still tied after the fifth day at 30–30, with Davis making a break of 105.[22] Pulman eventually won the match 37–36.[23]

In September 1965, John Pulman and Rex Williams left England to play a series of 51 seven-frame matches in South Africa for the World Championship.[24] The number of matches was later reduced to 49 and in December Pulman took a winning lead of 25–20 to retain the title. Eventually only 47 matches were played, with Pulman winning the series 25–22.[25] In the 24th match of the series, played in November in the South African city of East London, Williams compiled a break of 142, breaking the official tournament record of 136 set by Joe Davis in 1946.[26] Although equalled by Bill Werbeniuk in 1979, this remained the highest break at the World Championship until Doug Mountjoy compiled a 145 in the 1981 tournament.[7]

After winning this series of matches, Pulman played South African Fred Van Rensburg in December 1965, winning the match 39–12.[6] In January 1966, Pulman and Williams played a 5-day 35-frame match against Van Rensburg and amateur Manuel Francisco, taking a winning 20–8 lead on the fourth day; the match ending 24–11.[27][28][29]

Fred Davis met John Pulman for the third time in early 1966. There were seven separate matches, each of five frames, played in Liverpool. Pulman won four of the first six matches to retain the title on 22 April.[30] He won the last match the following day to finish with five wins to Davis's two.[31]

Eddie Charlton challenged John Pulman, and the pair met in Bolton for a 73-frame match played from 4 to 9 March 1968.[32] The score was level at 6–6 after the opening day's play but Pulman led 13–11 after the second day.[33] In the 21st frame, after Pulman had potted the first red, Charlton potted the 14 remaining reds, with seven blacks, six pinks and a green, and then all the colours except the black, for a break of 122.[33] Pulman retained a 19–17 lead after the third day,[34] extending his lead to 28–20 after the fourth day; he led 34–26 after the fifth day,[35] needing three of the remaining 13 frames. Pulman won three of the first five frames on the final afternoon to win the match 37–28.[36] The remaining eight "dead frames" were played, the final score being 39–34.[37]