PROFILPELAJAR.COM

1972 Men of the Midlands
Tournament information
Dates	3 January – 20 March 1972
Venue	various
Country	England
Format	Non-ranking event
Total prize fund	£1,000
Winner's share	£300
Final
Champion	Alex Higgins (NIR)
Runner-up	John Spencer (ENG)
Score	4–2
	← First 1973 →

The 1972 Men of the Midlands was a professional invitational snooker tournament, that took place from 3 January^[1] to 20 March 1972.^[2] The tournament was won by Alex Higgins, who defeated John Spencer 4–2 in the final.^[2]

The competition featured a round-robin group stage, with four players progressing into the semi-finals.^[3] Higgins won 4–0 against Ray Reardon in one semi final,^[4] and Spencer defeated Graham Miles 4–0 in the other.^[5]

Higgins won the first frame of the final, after Spencer missed an easy pink, and Spencer won the second frame. In the third, Higgins made breaks of 37 and 28 to win. The fourth frame saw both players miss changes to win, with Higgins eventually taking it with a break of 48. Spencer compiled a 58 break in winning the fifth frame, before Higgins won the sixth, with breaks of 24, 20 and 27, to win the match 4–2.^[2]

The tournament was sponsored by Mitchells and Butlers, who provided a prize fund of £1,000.^[1] Higgins received £300 as winner, and Spencer took £225 as runner-up.^[2]

Round-robin

The players were divided into two groups, each of four players.^[6]

Date^[6]	Player	Score	Player	Venue	Ref.
3 January	John Spencer (ENG)	4–1	John Pulman (ENG)	Austin British Legion	^[7]
10 January	Jackie Rea (NIR)	4–3	Graham Miles (ENG)	North Walsall Working Men's Club	^[8]
17 January	David Taylor (ENG)	4–2	Geoff Thompson (ENG)	Redditch Liberal Club	^[8]
20 January	Ray Reardon (WAL)	4–0	David Taylor (ENG)	Standard Triumph Club, Coventry	^[9]
24 January	John Spencer (ENG)	4–2	Jackie Rea (NIR)	Parkinson Cowan	^[9]
25 January	John Spencer (ENG)	4–3	Graham Miles (ENG)	Wilenhall Social, Coventry	^[9]
31 January	Alex Higgins (NIR)	4–1	David Taylor (ENG)	Hinckley Liberal Club	^[9]
1 February	Graham Miles (ENG)	w.o.	John Pulman (ENG)	Whitmore Reans Conservative Club, Wolverhampton	^[6]^[10]
3 February	Jackie Rea (NIR)	w.o.	John Pulman (ENG)	Stewarts and Lloyds Club, Corby	^[9]^[11]
7 February	Geoff Thompson (ENG)	4–1	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Saffron Lane Working Men's Club	^[9]
9 February	Alex Higgins (NIR)	4–1	Ray Reardon (WAL)	Quarry Bank Labour Club	^[9]
14 February	Alex Higgins (NIR)	4–0	Geoff Thompson (ENG)	Lower Gornal Miners' Welfare	^[9]

Playoff

Due to "confusion over dates", Pulman was unable to play his scheduled matches against Miles and Rea. They faced each other in two playoff matches, which Miles won to progress to the semi-finals.^[9]

Date	Player	Score	Player	Venue	Ref.
unknown	Graham Miles (ENG)	4–1	Jackie Rea (NIR)	Whitmore Reans Conservative Club, Wolverhampton	^[9]
unknown	Graham Miles (ENG)	4–3	Jackie Rea (NIR)	British Steel, Corby	^[9]

Knockout results

The match between Spencer and Miles was staged at Longbridge Social Club, and Higgins played Reardon at British Steel, Halesowen. The final was at Smethwick Working Men's Club.^[12]

Semi-finals Best-of-seven frames		Final Best-of-seven frames

Alex Higgins (NIR)	4

Ray Reardon (WAL)	1
		Alex Higgins (NIR)	4

		John Spencer (ENG)	2
John Spencer (ENG)	4

Graham Miles (ENG)	0

References

^ ^a ^b "Snooker clash". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham. 1 January 1972. p. 16.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Higgins in repeat win". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. 21 March 1972. p. 17.
^ "Higgins in 'semi-final'". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. 10 February 1972. p. 17.
^ "Higgins too hot for Reardon". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. 7 March 1972. p. 19.
^ "Spencer plays Higgins again". Birmingham Daily Post. Birmingham. 15 March 1972. p. 18.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Men of the Midlands". World Snooker. January 1972. p. 16.
^ "Spencer beats Pulman 4–1". Birmingham Daily Post. 4 January 1972. p. 38.
^ ^a ^b "Men of the Midlands". World Snooker. February 1972. p. 14.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k "Men of the Midlands". World Snooker. March 1972. pp. 8–9.
^ "Pulman fails to turn up". Birmingham Daily Post. 2 February 1972. p. 25.
^ Townsend, Gordon (15 January 1972). "Rugby". Coventry Evening Telegraph. p. 16.
^ "Men of the Midlands". Snooker Scene. April 1972. p. 15.