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Pontins Open
Pontins Professional
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Non-Ranking Events

Brief History of the Pontins Open and Professional        (see below for Pontins World Pr-Am Series)
 
From the early 1970s, top professionals had supplemented their income entertaining and coaching holiday makers on the holiday camp circuit and at Pontin’s in particular. That organisation organised several Snooker Festivals at which ordinary members of the public could join with top amateurs and the best professionals in open tournaments.
 
The most important of these festivals is the Spring Festival at Prestatyn in North Wales. Coming as it does at the very end of the snooker season it provides an opportunity for the professionals to enjoy themselves without the pressure of ranking points at stake. The first of these events was held in 1974 and eight top professionals were invited to take part in the ‘Professional’ while many others joined them in the Open event where up to 1000 hopefuls would set out with the chance to meet one of their idols in the later rounds. There are also events for Juniors, Seniors and Ladies.
 
A similar Open event is held at Prestatyn in the Autumn and, in recent years, this has attracted almost as many top names as the spring event.
 
The pros have to concede up to 25 points per frame to the amateurs (this figure has varied over the years) and this format meant that many of the star names fell to good amateurs.
 
In the earlier years nearly all the top players took part but as the number of tour events has increased very few of the really big names have entered in recent years. Right up to the mid 1990s however it was possible to see newly crowned world champions like Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty playing for a top prize which was rarely more than about £5,000.
 
The Professional event was discontinued in 2001 but the Open continued and the festival has, in recent years, also hosted the final Challenge Tour event where players battle for places on the next season’s main tour, as well as ‘Seniors’ and ‘Stars of the Future’ events.
 
In 2003 one the most exciting prospects for years, 13 year-old Judd Trump, became the youngest ever winner of the ‘Open’ beating veteran, Mike Hallett in the final. He was receiving ten points per frame but it was no less an achievement for that.

Roll Of Honour   

Pontins Professional         (click for Spring Open and Autumn Open)

Year Venue Sponsor Winner
Runner Up Score
1974 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ray Reardon John Spencer 10-9
1975 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ray Reardon John Spencer 10-9
1976 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ray Reardon Fred Davis 10-4
1977 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Spencer John Pulman 7-5
1978 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ray Reardon John Spencer 7-2
1979 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Doug Mountjoy Graham Miles 8-4
1980 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Virgo Ray Reardon 9-6
1981 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Terry Griffiths Willie Thorne 9-8
1982 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Steve Davis Ray Reardon 9-4
1983 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Doug Mountjoy Ray Reardon 9-7
1984 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Willie Thorne John Spencer 9-7
1985 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Terry Griffiths John Spencer 9-7
1986 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Terry Griffiths Willie Thorne 9-6
1987 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Neal Foulds Willie Thorne 9-6
1988 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Parrott MIke Hallett 9-1
1989 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Darren Morgan Tony Drago 9-2
1990 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stephen Hendry MIke Hallett 9-6
1991 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Neal Foulds MIke Hallett 9-6
1992 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Steve James Neal Foulds 9-8
1993 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Darren Morgan 9-3
1994 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Nigel Bond 9-5
1995 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Peter Ebdon Ken Doherty 9-8
1996 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Nigel Bond 9-7
1997 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Martin Clark Andy Hicks 9-7
1998 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Mark J. Williams Martin Clark 9-6
1999 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jimmy White Matthew Stevens 9-5
2000 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Darren Morgan Jimmy White 9-2
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Pontins Spring Open
Year Venue Sponsor Winner
Runner Up Score
1974 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Doug Mountjoy* John Spencer 7-4
1975 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ray Reardon John Virgo* 7-1
1976 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Doug Mountjoy* Lance Pibworth* 7-1
1977 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Alex Higgins Terry Griffiths* 7-4
1978 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Steve Davis* Tony Meo* 7-6
1979 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Steve Davis Jimmy White* 7-3
1980 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Willie Thorne Cliff Wilson 7-3
1981 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Hargreaves* Cliff Wilson 7-2
1982 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Parrott* Ray Reardon 7-4
1983 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Terry Griffiths Ray Reardon 7-3
1984 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Neal Foulds Doug Mountjoy 7-4
1985 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jim Chambers* John Parrott 7-6
1986 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Parrott Tony Putnam 7-6
1987 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stefan Mazrocis* Barry Pinches* 7-2
1988 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty* Colin Morton* 7-5
1989 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Peter Ebdon* Ken Doherty* 7-4
1990 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Tony Rampello* Paul Davies* 7-3
1991 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Mike Hallett Wayne Brown* 7-5
1992 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Declan Hughes* Steve James 7-2
1993 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Mike Hallett Steve James 7-6
1994 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Wayne Brown* Graeme Dott* 7-3
1995 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Mark J. Williams Peter Ebdon 7-4
1996 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Darren Morgan 7-3
1997 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Craig Bunyard* 7-6
1998 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's James McGouran* Neal Foulds 7-0
1999 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Gallagher* Luke Simmonds* 7-4
2000 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ian Preece* Scott MacKenzie* 7-4
2001 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Luke Simmonds* Brian Morgan 7-5
2002 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Paul Sweeny Scott MacKenzie 4-3
2003 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Judd Trump* Mike Hallett 4-2
2004 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stuart Bingham Wayne Cooper 5-3
2005 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jamie Cope Mike Finn* 5-0
2006 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stuart Bingham Tom Harris* 5-2
2007 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Leo Fernandez* Daniel Wells* 5-2
2008 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's David Grace* Nigel Bond 5-1
2009 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stuart Bingham Matthew Couch 5-1
2010 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Nigel Bond Stephen Craigie* 5-2
2011 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Leo Fernandez* Syd Wilson* 5-1
* = Non-Professional
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Pontins Autumn Open
Year Venue Sponsor Winner
Runner Up Score
1981 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Bill Oliver* Ian Williamson* 7-5
1982 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Steve Duggan* Kevin Lowndes* 7-3
1983 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Roger Bales* Gary Filtness* 7-0
1984 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Barry West* Gary Hancock* 7-3
1985 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Gary Bray* Mark Johnston-Allen* 7-5
1986 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Tony Wilson* Craig Edwards* 5-4
1987 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Nick Terry* Mark Johnston-Allen* 5-4
1988 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jason Ferguson* Jonathan Birch* 5-2
1989 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jonathan Birch* Drew Henry* 5-4
1990 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Anthony Hamilton* Joe Swail* 5-1
1991 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Drew Henry John Read 5-2
1992 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Nick Walker Anthony Harris 5-3
1993 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Peter Lines Andrew Hannah 5-1
1994 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's John Read Craig Edwards 5-2
1995 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Graeme Dott Stephen Lee 5-1
1996 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Matthew Couch Gary Ponting 5-4
1997 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's James McGouran* Matthew Couch 5-3
1998 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Matthew Couch Brian Salmon 5-1
1999 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Craig Butler* Matthew Farrant* 5-4
2000 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Kuldesh Johal* Colin Morton 5-3
2001 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Sean O'Neill* Rodney Goggins* 5-1
2002 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Tim English* Brendan O'Donighue* 5-4
2003 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Mark King Craig Butler 5-4
2004 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stuart Bingham Mark Davis 4-2
2005 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Joe Swail Dave Harold 5-3
2006 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ryan Day Jamie Cope 5-2
2007 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jamie Cope Lee Page* 5-0
2008 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Craig Steadman* Leo Fernandez* 5-0
2009 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Michael Georgiou* David Donovan* 5-2
* = Non-Professional

Pontins World Pro-Am Series
This event began in 2006 and consisted of six qualifying events, open to amateurs and main tour professionals, played in the summer and autumn. Points are awarded for each event with the best five results counting towards a merit table. The leading 64 players qualify to play in the series final. Although a pro-am, the event is included due to the large number of leading professionalswho take part. It is only the final event of each season that I have included here.

Year Venue Sponsor Winner
Runner Up Score
2006 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Ken Doherty Ricky Walden 4-2
2007 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Joe Perry Ricky Walden 4-2
2008* Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Jamie Cope Craig Steadman 4-1
2009 Pontin's Prestatyn Pontin's Stuart Bingham Ken Doherty 3-1

*Final held in January 2009

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©Chris Turner 2008