1985 World Snooker Championship final

Statistics prior to the final:

Statistic	Steve Davis	Dennis Taylor
	Pictured in 2010	Pictured in 2004
Nationality	English	Northern Irish
Best Finish	Winner (1981, 1983 and 1984)	Runner-up (1979)
World ranking	1	11
Referee	John Williams

The 1985 World Snooker Championship final, also known as the black-ball final, was played on the weekend of Template:Nowrap 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The final of the 1985 World Snooker Championship was between defending world champion Steve Davis and 1979 runner-up Dennis Taylor. It was Davis's fourth appearance in a final and Taylor's second. The best-of-35-Template:Cuegloss match was split into four Template:Cuegloss. Davis won every frame in the first session to lead 7–0 but only led 9–7 and 13–11 after the second and third sessions. Until the match was over, Taylor was never ahead in frames but had tied the contest three times at 11–11, 15–15 and 17–17. The Template:Cuegloss culminated in a number of shots on the final Template:Cuegloss. After both players had failed to Template:Cuegloss it several times, Taylor potted the black to win his only world championship. Media outlets reported this as a major shock: Davis had been widely predicted to win the match, having lifted three of the previous four world championship titles.

The final took place during the eighth year of the BBC's daily coverage of the championship and reached a climax in the early hours of Monday 29 April. It was viewed by 18.5 million people in the United Kingdom, which Template:As of remains a record viewing figure for BBC2, and Template:As of is still the record for a post-midnight audience for any British television channel. The total match time of 14 hours and 50 minutes is the longest ever recorded for a best-of-35-frames match. It is the only final at this venue to contain no century breaks.

The final is one of the most famous matches in snooker history and part of the reason for the surge in the sport's popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Two hour-long BBC documentaries, When Snooker Ruled the World from 2002 and Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final made in 2010, commemorated the event. The final frame was released in full on home video as "The Greatest Snooker Final of All Time". The post-match single-word responses to David Vine from Davis would later be used as a basis for a recurring caricature of him in the television show Spitting Image.

Background

The World Snooker Championship is a professional snooker tournament first held in 1927 and becoming an annual event in 1969.<ref name="hC6vY"/><ref name="World Snooker list">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=snookerscene>Template:Cite web</ref> The 1985 World Snooker Championship final was the culmination of the last world ranking event of the 1984–85 snooker season. The tournament featured a 32-participant main draw, with 16 seeded players and 16 players from a pre-tournament qualification competition.<ref name="BH3" /> Matches at the event were played over a series of Template:Cuegloss, the final being the best-of-35 frames over four Template:Cuegloss.<ref name="87HALE" /><ref name="87HALEA" /> The final was broadcast on the BBC for the eighth year in a row,<ref name="news_BBCS" /> with the winner receiving £60,000 (Template:Inflation), the highest prize for a snooker event to that date.<ref name="EVERTONG" />

Road to the final

Template:Main Steve Davis, ranked as the world number one, overcame Neal Foulds 10–8 in the opening round in what was Davis's closest match until the final.<ref name="book_Inte" /> He then played David Taylor in the second round, holding at least a three-frame lead throughout much of the match, and eventually won 13–4 after winning seven frames out of eight.<ref name="book_Inte" /><ref name="tneTs" /> Davis trailed for the first time at the event in the quarter-finals, as he played Terry Griffiths. Griffiths won the first four frames, but Davis won the next four to tie the match 4–4.<ref name="K2Lv9" /> With the scores even, Davis won six of the next eight to lead 10–6 after the second session and eventually won 13–6.<ref name="DAVGRIFF" /><ref name="prizebarrier" /> In the semi-final, Davis required just three of the four scheduled sessions to overcome Ray Reardon 16–5.<ref name="Taylor-ed" /><ref name="book_TheC" />

Dennis Taylor, ranked 11,<ref name="CrucibleDiary" /> led Silvino Francisco 8–1 in the opening session, and won the match 10–2.<ref name="Fallenhero" /><ref name="Francisco" /> In the second round, Taylor played Eddie Charlton where he won 13–6.<ref name="1N3sM">Template:Cite web</ref> Taylor played Cliff Thorburn in the quarter-finals, in a match full of slow play.<ref name="K2Lv9" /> He led 10–5 after an over nine-hour second session, but won the first three frames in the final session to win 13–5.<ref name="prizebarrier" /> In the semi-final Taylor lost the first two frames against Tony Knowles, but won 16 of the next 19 to win 16–5, the same scoreline as Davis.<ref name="book_TheC" /><ref name="Throwncue" />

Previous round scores<ref name="1N3sM" />

Round	Steve Davis		Dennis Taylor
	Opponent	Result	Opponent	Result
First round	Template:Flagathlete	10–8	Template:Flagathlete	10–2
Second round	Template:Flagathlete	13–4	Template:Flagathlete	13–6
Quarter-finals	Template:Flagathlete	13–6	Template:Flagathlete	13–6
Semi-finals	Template:Flagathlete	16–5	Template:Flagathlete	16–5

Match report

The final was played on 27–28 April 1985 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /> Davis went into the tournament as the defending champion.<ref name="1984f" /> The two players had met twelve months earlier in the semi-finals of the 1984 World Championship, Davis winning 16–9,<ref name="DAVUND" /><ref name="WWU" /> having only lost once to Taylor in nine matches.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Davis was competing in his fourth world championship final, having reached the final and won in 1981, 1983 and 1984.<ref name="1984f" /> Taylor was contesting his second final, having lost to Terry Griffiths 16–24 in 1979.<ref name="IqRnD" /><ref name="Than and Now: Griffiths" /> Davis had never lost a prior ranking event final.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Taylor started the 1985 final with a Template:Cuegloss of 50 but lost that frame as Davis gained a firm advantage by Template:Cuegloss his opponent in the first session. Davis also won the first Template:Cuegloss of the second session to lead 8–0.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf"/> Taylor won the ninth frame on the Template:Cuegloss after Davis missed a pot on the Template:Cuegloss.<ref name="Taylor snatches final" /> Davis lost six of the next seven frames, as Taylor produced the highest break of the final, a 98, to trail 7–9 overnight.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /><ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Davis won two of the first three frames on the second day, to lead 11–8, before Taylor tied the match at 11–11.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /><ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Davis took both of the next two frames on the Template:Cuegloss to lead 13–11.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /> Taylor won four of the next six and again drew level at 15–15.<ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Davis won the next two frames to regain the lead at 17–15.<ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Taylor then won a closely fought 33rd frame, followed by a 57 break in frame 34, to level the match at 17–17 and force a Template:Cuegloss.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" />

The final frame

The 35th frame was the last of the final, and lasted 68 minutes.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /><ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Davis led 62–44, with only the last four Template:Cuegloss on the table, worth 22 points.<ref name="The greatest Crucible final" /> Taylor potted the brown ball from much of the length of the table and then the Template:Cuegloss with a slowly played Template:Cuegloss along the bottom cushion into the green pocket. He then sank a difficult Template:Cuegloss into the same pocket from the opposite Template:Cuegloss.<ref name="Snooker Scene" /> This left Taylor trailing 59–62 with only the Template:Cuegloss, worth seven points, remaining.<ref name="Snooker Scene" />

Taylor attempted a Template:Cuegloss into the left middle Template:Cuegloss. He missed, but the ball rebounded to a Template:Cuegloss position at the top of the table. Davis then played a safety shot, putting the black near the middle of the Template:Cuegloss cushion and leaving the cue ball near the right-hand cushion, a little above the corner pocket.<ref name="Taylor snatches final"/> In response, Taylor again attempted to double the black ball, this time into the top-left corner pocket. The black missed but eventually landed above the left middle pocket to a safe position.<ref name="Taylor snatches final"/>

Davis's next attempt Template:Cuegloss and left Taylor with a middle-distance pot to the green pocket.<ref name="Taylor snatches final"/> Taylor missed the pot, which commentator Jim Meadowcroft described as "the biggest shot of his life".<ref name="yout_1985">Template:Cite AV media</ref> This left Davis a thin cut shot into the top-left corner. He over-cut the black, missed the shot and left the black in a reasonably-straightforward pottable position into the same pocket. Taylor made his way to the table and potted the black to win the match.<ref name="Taylor snatches final"/> The final finished at 12:23 a.m. on 29 April 1985.<ref name="Taylor snatches final" /><ref name="Snooker Scene"/>

After potting the ball, Taylor held his Template:Cuegloss above his head and waggled his finger in celebration.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf"/> He said in a 2009 interview that the gesture was aimed at his "good mate" Trevor East, whom he had told he would win.<ref name="inde_Grea">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> In a post-match interview with David Vine, Davis commented that the loss was "all there in black and white",<ref name="Taylor snatches final" /> and Taylor commented that the match was the greatest that he had been involved in.<ref name="BBCmedia"/> Taylor noted the importance of defeating Thorburn, whom he described as the "hardest player in the world", and Davis, whom he described as the "best player in the world".<ref name="BBCmedia"/> Taylor commented that as he had defeated Davis, he was "the best this year".<ref name="BBCmedia"/>

Match statistics

The scores for the match are shown below. Scores in parentheses denote player breaks, while frames won are denoted by bold text and Template:Dagger.<ref name="EVERTONG" /><ref name="Seeding" /><ref name="1aruF" />

Final: (Best of 35 frames) Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 27 & 28 April. Referee: John Williams<ref name="Rqakn" />
Template:Unbulleted list				17–18				Template:Unbulleted list
Players	Session 1: 7–0
Frame	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Davis	88Template:Gc	93Template:Gc (87)	49Template:Gc	65Template:Gc	95Template:Gc (55)	85Template:Gc (66)	83Template:Gc (58)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Taylor	50 (50)	0	2	38	1	6	20	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Players	Session 2: 2–7 (9–7)
Frame	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Davis	121Template:Gc (64, 57)	49	76Template:Gc (57)	48	27	19	1	0	48	N/A	N/A
Taylor	0	59Template:Gc	27	63Template:Gc	75Template:Gc (61)	99Template:Gc (98)	71Template:Gc (70)	100Template:Gc (56)	77Template:Gc	N/A	N/A
Players	Session 3: 4–4 (13–11)
Frame	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Davis	25	72Template:Gc	66Template:Gc	45	2	1	64Template:Gc	58Template:Gc	N/A	N/A	N/A
Taylor	68Template:Gc (53)	43	58	80Template:Gc	73Template:Gc (57)	80Template:Gc (55)	56	46	N/A	N/A	N/A
Players	Session 4: 4–7 (17–18)
Frame	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Davis	86Template:Gc (86)	43	78Template:Gc (66)	29	4	29	66Template:Gc	81Template:Gc	47	24	62
Taylor	13	82Template:Gc (61)	17	84Template:Gc (70)	72Template:Gc (57)	83Template:Gc (79)	6	0	75Template:Gc	71Template:Gc (57)	66Template:Gc
87				Highest break				98
0				Century breaks				0
12				50+ breaks				10
Template:Flagicon Dennis Taylor wins the 1985 Embassy World Snooker Championship Template:Dagger = Winner of frame

Legacy

The final is one of the most famous snooker matches of all time.<ref name="spor_Cruc">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="euro_Snoo" /><ref name="wst._best" /> The match holds several records. The final is the longest match ever held over the length of 35 frames at 14 hours and 50 minutes.<ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /> The concluding moments of the final were watched by 18.5 million viewers, which as of 2020 is the most ever in the United Kingdom for a broadcast after midnight and for any BBC2 programme.<ref name="CrucibleDiary" /><ref name="BBC 1985 bbf" /> Taylor lost in the opening round at the following year's event, and Davis lost again in the final to Joe Johnson 12–18.<ref name="FqAZC" /> He won the next three championships between 1987 and 1989, winning the event six times in total.<ref name="Turner World Champs" /> Davis and Taylor met on one further occasion, in the quarter-final of the 1991 World Snooker Championship, Davis winning comfortably 13–7.<ref name="aB4wE" /> Taylor never reached the final again,<ref name="Turner World Champs" /> but did win the Masters in 1987, again producing a comeback, this time against Alex Higgins.<ref name="4kuVK" />

Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor at the Crucible Theatre during an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the final

Taylor's mother had died in September 1984, the year prior, so he had dedicated his win at the 1984 Grand Prix in October to her.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His win at the world championship he also dedicated to his mother's life.<ref name="Belfast">Template:Cite news</ref> On his return to Northern Ireland, Taylor received a victory parade in a Land Rover across his home town of Coalisland in front of 10,000 people.<ref name="Parade" /> He was loaned mayoral robes on the day of the parade, and was accompanied by his wife and three children.<ref name="Parade" /> He later signed a five-year contract with promoter Barry Hearn as his manager.<ref name="qmGJs" /> The media described Davis as a "bad loser" for his silence and one-word responses to questions from David Vine at a press conference following the event.<ref name="book_Inte" /><ref name="CrucibleDiary" /> This was later used as the basis for a recurring caricature of Steve Davis on the television show Spitting Image.<ref name="book_Inte" />

Some months after the 1985 World Championship, a special programme was recorded in which both players watched the entire final frame and discussed it shot by shot.<ref name="RetroVideo" /> For the penultimate shot, where Davis missed the cut into the corner pocket, he stated "I was saying to myself, don't hit it thick" and "that's how you bottle it, by hitting it thick." He summarised: "although I missed the black, it wasn't that shot which lost the match. There were other shots earlier in the frame." In particular, Davis mentions how close he was to being able to pot a pink which he suggested changed the course of the match.<ref name="RetroVideo" /> The programme was later released on DVD as The Greatest Snooker Final of All Time by Retro Videos. The black-ball finish was voted the ninth greatest sporting moment of all time in a 2002 Channel 4 poll.<ref name="TDT BBF" /><ref name="UMtpT" />

During the 2010 World Championship, Taylor and Davis 're-created' the final frame of the 1985 final. Performed in a distinctly irreverent manner, the "rerun" was noticeable for the fact that in attempting to replicate the missed shots on the final black, they instead ended up potting it on all but one attempt. The one attempt on the black they missed was the shot Taylor potted in the 1985 match to win the championship.<ref name="nhNu6" /> BBC Two aired a one-hour documentary on the final, Davis v Taylor: The '85 Black Ball Final, presented by Colin Murray, after the conclusion of the coverage of the 2010 final.<ref name="agtsl" /> In 2025, the two players toured the UK, again "re-enacting" the last frame of the final.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

• 1985 World Snooker Championship – Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor Black Ball Final on YouTube (World Snooker Tour edit, 44 minutes)
• The '85 Black Ball Final on BBC iPlayer