Talk:1969 World Snooker Championship

Which Victoria Hall?
This search https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1969-03-01/1969-03-31?basicsearch=%22victoria%22%20%22southampton%20row%22&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false shows that the Victoria Hall in question was in Southampton Row, presumably the one in Bloomsbury. We have an article Victoria House, London which is in Southampton Row. However, I'm still struggling to find out where the Victoria Hall was. Nigej (talk) 21:45, 28 April 2020 (UTC)

This search https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results?basicsearch=%22southampton%20row%22%20%22victoria%20hall%20victoria%20house%22&retrievecountrycounts=false seems to imply that Victoria Hall was in Victoria House. Nigej (talk) 21:49, 28 April 2020 (UTC)

The 1967 World Amateur Billiards Championship seems to have taken place at the same venue in October. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1969-10-01/1969-10-31?basicsearch=%22victoria%20hall%22%20billiards&phrasesearch=victoria%20hall&somesearch=billiards&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false has a couple of articles saying "Victoria Hall, Holborn". Bloomsbury was part of Holborn at various times. Nigej (talk) 08:38, 29 April 2020 (UTC)


 * Many thanks for digging into this Nige. From the evidence that you've uncovered, I think the conclusion must be that Victoria Hall was inside Victoria House on Southampton Row, and therefore the correct link would be to Victoria House, London. It certainly doesn't look as if Victoria Hall (Ealing) is the right one. Do you think it's worth asking on the Victoria House talk page? Someone with an interest in the building might be able to confirm or deny that the 1969 world snooker championship final was held there (and may even be able to point us towards a definitive in-house source). Rodney Baggins (talk) 09:31, 29 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes. Seems very likely. Annoying that I can't find any confirmation of that. Earlier in the 1960s Burroughes Hall was a commonly used venue in central London but that closed in 1967, so I guess they had to find somewhere new. Nigej (talk) 09:46, 29 April 2020 (UTC)


 * OK, I'll bring it up on the talk page. Victoria House, London used to be the head office of the Liverpool Victoria insurance company who incidentally sponsored the UK Championship from 1997–2000, but I'm sure that connection is pure coincidence! Rodney Baggins (talk) 10:14, 29 April 2020 (UTC)


 * This source suggests the 1969 snooker match was held at "Victoria Halls, London", while this source suggests that "Victoria Halls" was at Bloomsbury Square. It appears that in the 1950s and 1960s the Bloomsbury Square location was referred to a "Victoria Halls". So I think it is the Bloomsbury Square / Southampton Row one. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 12:23, 29 April 2020 (UTC)
 * This contemporary source https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YZVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1514%2C4087702 also uses the plural (although it refers to amateur instead of professional). This https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/eb012152/full/html about The Library Association Conference in 1950 says "The sectional meetings will be held variously at the Beveridge Hall (London University), University College, the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, the South Hall, Victoria Halls, Bloomsbury Square, and the North Hall in the same building." Nigej (talk) 15:43, 29 April 2020 (UTC)
 * OK then, thanks for all that, extremely interesting stuff. So the evidence is pointing to Victoria Halls being within or part of or an alternative name for Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1, and this being the correct location of the 1969 snooker match. The question is, would it be safe to pipe the link to Victoria House, London? As it would actually show up as Victoria Halls, London, this might raise questions or confuse the reader unless we add a small editorial note, or maybe we could go down the route of creating a Victoria Halls, London redirect to the Victoria House article? Rodney Baggins (talk) 18:24, 29 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Personally, I would refer to Victoria Halls in the article and pipe it to Victoria House, London i.e. your first option. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 18:37, 29 April 2020 (UTC)

✅ better late than never... Rodney Baggins (talk) 11:11, 23 May 2020 (UTC)

Some details added
I'm subscribed to Newspapers.com and I've added a few little details that I could find. Dead frames were played out so the final scores differ from the ones recorded here. Can't find the venue for the Davis/Reardon quarter-final. cuetracker.net/tournaments/world-championship/1969/916 has the frame scores, unreferenced as ever. Nigej (talk) 11:48, 29 April 2020 (UTC)
 * Found something in an Aussie newspaper. Seems it was in Stoke. Nigej (talk) 12:03, 29 April 2020 (UTC)

Prize money
There are some references in The Billiard Player and in the press to Spencer receiving £1,780 and Owen getting £1,370, but I couldn't track down why. (The winners prize is said in several sources to be £1,300.) It seems like there was some money at stake for the dead frames in the final. Any ideas? BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 12:12, 11 July 2021 (UTC)