1954 – 55

On Tuesday 16th November Jack played Joe Davis as you see from the newspaper clipping here. Joe Davis was a professional billiards player from the age of 18. Between 1926 and 1934 he won the World Billiards Championship 4 times and was runner up 4 times. He also won the World Snooker Championship for 14 consecutive years, 1927 – 1940 and again in 1946. He probably would have won it even more times, but the championship wasn’t held during the war years. He remains the only undefeated player in the World Snooker Championship. He made the first championship century break in 1930 and became the first player to make an official maximum break in 1955.

With ten teams entered into the Yorkshire Inter-District League there would again be two sections, with Huddersfield playing Bradford, Batley, Keighley and Wharfedale. Huddersfield were due to play Batley in the first game but they withdrew from the competition due to lack of players. With Jack Brindley not playing this year, Harold Burkinshaw would be a member of the team on a regular basis and Willie Mills as reserve.

Huddersfield got off to a good start in the league at home to Wharfedale as we can see by the report here. This set the template for the season with two of the three winning, and with the only loser missing out by just a few points. Only once did all three win and the only time they had a big loser was in the last game when qualification for the play-off final was already achieved. This meant that they went unbeaten during the league season, and for the fourth time in succession would compete in the final.

This was the fourth year in succession that Huddersfield had reached the final, and would meet Leeds in the first leg at Lindley W.M.C. The team had one change due to Harold Birkenshaw not being available, but Willie Mills has stepped in on several occasions before and never let the side down. Gladney Hoyle, playing first, was down 65 – 161 before he found his touch, scoring 135 to his opponents 9 and running out with a 65 unfinished break. Second on was Willie Mills who didn’t play at his best, which left Huddersfield 37 points in arrears. The report says that Jack played one of his best games for Huddersfield, giving his opponent no chance. With the scores 127 – 32 Jack played a four shot and ran out a worthy winner.

Huddersfield completed the season unbeaten as they beat Leeds at Holbeck Pitt Conservative Club in the second leg. Gladney Hoyle won easily and Willie Mills, playing better than in the first leg, only just lost which meant that Jack only had to score 11 points for Huddersfield to become Yorkshire Inter-District Billiards Champions for the fourth year in succession. Jack’s opponent started well and took the lead but Jack delighted the spectators with a brilliant 109 break, and they were not slow to appreciate his effort. The last newspaper report of the season says it all – “a truly remarkable record”.