Willie Smith

Willie Smith (25 January 1886 – 2 June 1982) was an English professional player of snooker and English billiards. Smith was, according to an article on the English Amateur Billiards Association's website, "by common consent, the greatest all-round billiards player who ever lived".

He studied previous Billiard players such as Melbourne Inman, Harry Stevenson, Tom Reece, Edward Diggle and George Gray, describing his play as "the combination of Gray's striking and Diggle's top-of-the-table play". Smith became a professional player in 1913.

He entered the World Billiards Championship in 1920 and then again in 1923, winning it on both occasions. Arguments with the governing body prevented him from taking part in the competition more often.

In 1930 he started writing for The Burwat Billiard Review, a magazine published by the Cue Sport Manufacturers Burroughes and Watts. These were instructional articles with accompanying illustrations and photographs.

Post-war Tournament 1945/46 1946/47 1947/48 1948/49 1949/50 1950/51 1951/52 1952/53 World Professional Match-play Championship Tournament Not Held A LQ News of the World Snooker Tournament Tournament Not Held A A A LQ World Championship A A A A LQ A A NH

Performance Table Legend F lost in the final SF lost in the semi–finals QF lost in the quarter-finals N N = position in round-robin event LQ lost in the qualifying draw A did not participate in the tournament NH event was not held