King of the Baize

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Defined by most in the game, Joe Davis is considered to be the best player to have ever graced the green baize. Davis dominated the sport from the 1920s to the 1950s and won the World Championship, an amazing fifteen times from 1927 to 1946. Joe was also a billiards player, winning the World Billiards Championship, four times between 1928 and 1932. He was only defeated four times in his career, ironically all by his brother Fred and an unbeaten record for twenty years.

Joe was responsible for helping set up the World Championship and was the first player to score s 147 in a tournament in 1955 and even scored a 146. Cited by modern day players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis as being the best player that has ever graced the table, Steve Davis even said that he had wished he had played Joe to see how good he actually was.

Joe was awarded an OBE in 1963 and died in 1978 but his brother Fred continued his legacy becoming  the oldest player to play in the World Championship in 1978 when he reached the semi-finals stage before being beaten by Petrie Mans.His professional career spanned from 1929 to 1993 and won the World Championship eight times. His highest break was 140. Fred was given the OBE in  1977 and played his last World Championship in 1984 at the age of 70.Davis retired from the sport in 1993, aged 79 after sixty years as a player. He died in April, 1998 after a fall at his home in Denbighshire, ending the reign of the Davis brother dynasty.

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