Charles Chambers

Charles Chambers ( 1894 – 21 July 1941) was a referee for the cue sports of snooker and English billiards. He worked at Thurston's Hall in London for three decades and was as well known in billiards circles as the leading players. He was the referee during Walter Lindrum's world record billiards of 4,137 points in 1932. Chambers was the first referee to receive an "A class" certificate from the Billiards Association and Control Council, and refereed the final of the 1937 World Snooker Championship between Joe Davis and Horace Lindrum. His ruling in a 1938 match led to a minimum length being specified in the official rules of the game.

Snooker historian Clive Everton wrote that Chambers was "recognised as supreme in his profession".

Early life and career Chambers was born 1897.

Among the matches he refereed were the final of the 1929 World Professional Billiards Championship, and the final of the 1937 World Snooker Championship between Joe Davis and Horace Lindrum. An annual benefit match was played at Thurston's for Chambers, with professionals playing amateurs in a gala that attracted celebrities from the sporting and showbusiness spheres. He was the referee during Walter Lindrum's world record billiards of 4,137 points in 1932. (The referee is not named in the original article.) Robert Byrne wrote that as the article was reprinted in 1932, the match Priestley described "must be the one staged in 1929 or 1930"; as the original publication was 1929, it must be the 1929 final, which was refereed by Chambers. The preview in The Radio Times mentioned that he had marked for H. W. Stevenson and Tom Carpenter during a Zeppelin raid and had the text "It's an amazing thing to go into Thurston's and watch big players making their hundreds with infinitely more facility than we make our ' ten ' breaks, and perhaps it is even more fascinating to watch the marker who, unlike even the best players, never seems to make a mistake."

Alec Brown fountain-pen cue incident On 14 November 1938 Alec Brown was playing Tom Newman at Thurston's Hall in the 1938/1939 Daily Mail Gold Cup. In the third frame, Brown potted a red, after which the cue ball was left amidst several reds, with only a narrow way through to the black, the only colour not snookered, and which was near its spot. Playing this with conventional equipment would have been awkward. To the surprise of spectators, Brown produced a small fountain pen-sized cue from his vest pocket, chalked it, and played the stroke. Newman protested at this. Chambers, the referee, then inspected the implement, a strip of ebony about five inches long, with one end having a cue tip. Chambers decided to award a foul, and awarded Newman seven points. In response to questions, the referee quoted the rule that said all strokes must be made with the tip of the cue, so he did not regard the "fountain-pen cue" as a valid cue. Eight days later, the Billiards Association and Control Council, which owned the rules, met and decided to introduce a new rule, which has been developed into today's version: "A billiards cue, as recognised by the Billiards and Control Council, shall not be less than three feet in length, and shall show no substantial departure from the traditional and generally accepted shape and form." The official rules of both snooker and billiards now state that "A cue shall be not less than 3 ft (914 mm) in length and shall show no change from the traditional tapered shape and form, with a tip, used to strike the cue-ball, secured to the thinner end."

Later career and death By 1940, Chambers had worked at Thurston's for three decades, and was as well known in billiards circles as the leading players.

He died at Cheltenham on 21 July 1941 from heart failure, aged 44. called Chambers "the most efficient referee in the game", and praised his fairness and integrity.