Bill Oliver (snooker player)

Bill Oliver
Born (1948-12-03) 3 December 1948 (age 75)
Sport country England
Professional1983–1994
Highest ranking77

Bill Oliver (born 3 December 1948) is an English former professional snooker player.

Biography

Bill Oliver was born on 1 December 1948.[1] As an amateur player, Oliver beat Ian Williamson 7–5 in the final of the 1981 Pontins Autumn Open.[2] He became a professional snooker player in 1983[1] but never reached the last-16 of a major tournament. His highest ranking was 77.[3] He owns a snooker club in Plymouth.[4]

He made his television debut as a player in the 1984 World Doubles Championship, partnering Roger Bales in a 4–5 loss to Terry Griffiths and John Parrott in a match that finished at 12:30 am.[5][6]

Oliver beat former champion Ray Reardon in the second qualifying round of the 1988 World Snooker Championship.[7] Later that year he joined the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), taking the place of Rex Williams.[4] In September 1990 he withdrew from the 1990 Shoot-Out after the car he was driving to the venue skidded and went off the road into a ditch. Oliver required 15 stitches and had to wear a neck brace, but his passenger Mike Hallett was uninjured.[8][9]

He entered the 2010 World Snooker Championship under an arrangement where members of the WPBSA who were not on the main World Snooker Tour could participate if they paid a fee of £200. He was beaten 1–5 by Nic Barrow[10] in what was Oliver's first world championship match since 1994.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Hale, Janice (1991). Rothmans Snooker Yearbook 1991–92. Aylesbury: Queen Anne Press. pp. 200–202. ISBN 0356197476.
  2. ^ "Brief History of the Pontins Open and Professional". Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 28 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  3. ^ Hayton, Eric (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. pp. 769–770. ISBN 0-9548549-0-X.
  4. ^ a b "Moving up – Bill Oliver". The Times. London. 14 July 1998 – via NewsBank. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Snooker Stars of future". Reading Evening Post. England. 7 December 1984. p. 20 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Into the Unknown". Reading Evening Post. England. 11 December 1984. p. 18 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Davis looks to world title after Irish win". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 28 March 1988. p. 16 – via British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Hallet in driving seat after car scare". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 28 September 1990. p. 22.
  9. ^ "International one-frame shoot-out". Snooker Scene. Everton's News Agency. November 1990. pp. 6–7.
  10. ^ "On the Crucible path to glory". Snooker Scene. No. April 2010. Everton's News Agency. p. 9.
  11. ^ Kobylecky, John. The Complete International Directory of Snooker Players – 1927 to 2018. Kobyhadrian Books. p. 181. ISBN 978-0993143311.