A View from the 30's...
Billiards Championship for Earl Shilton Boy:
A report of the National Youth Billiards Championship in the Hinckley Times of 1932.
BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR EARL SHILTON BOY.
John Trevor Wright's Remarkable Success in National Tourney.
BROTHER OF REG. WRIGHT WHO IS TO MEET LINDRUM.
The Hinckley district has achieved further notable success in the realm of sport as a result of young John Trevor Wright's achievement in the Boys' Billiards Championship. Young Wright, who is only 14 years of age and is a scholar at Hinckley Grammar School, is the son of Mr. C. Wright, the manager of the Earl Shilton Social Institute. He went to London, with his mother, to compete in the championship scarcely expecting that he would secure National honours.
The boy's progress to the final was not easy, but playing wonderful billiards he won each round with comparative ease, his victims including Swinhoe, last year's finalist. In the course of the earlier rounds Wright made the highest break of the competition, an admirably played 54 unfinished.
THE FINAL GAME.
In the final Wright met Geraint Jenkins. of Glamorgan. For a long time the boys kept very close together. Wright took the lead at 162-151 with a break of 24 and followed it up with 24 and 22 so that when an interval was taken the scores were called 253-200 in his favour.
When the game resumed Jenkins began in great form with a break of 40, and continued with 26 which took him in front again. Wright regained the lead by making 26, and added a good 31 and 19, to his opponent's best of 29 and 21, and at the second interval he still led 401-395.
In the third period Jenkins got just in front to begin with, but Wright then put on 22, and a well played 41, and this gave him his lead of 50 points again.
WRIGHT LEADS BY A HUNDRED.
This had its effect on Jenkins whose confidence at last seemed to desert him and he failed to add to his score for quite a long time while Wright was increasing his lead to a full hundred.
Wright made a good 25, most of it with only two balls on the table. His best achievement came when he lost the object white with the first stroke of a break, and went on with only the red, to make an excellent 34, and when he passed into the eighth hundred Jenkins had 595 to his credit.
Then Wright ran out with a fine 38 unfinished, again making the most of them with his opponent's ball off the table, and the final score in his favour was called 838-596.
SIR NEVILLE PEARSON'S CONGRATULATIONS.
So great was the interest taken in the championship that a "house full" notice had to be posted outside Burroughs Hall where the final took place. Sir Neville Pearson, deputising for his wife (Miss Gladys Cooper) presented the cup to Wright congratulated him upon his fine performance.
As a subsidiary prize Wright chose a cue and case given by Walter Lindrum. Incidently the Earl Shilton youth won more than the championship prizes. He secured a gold medal with the cup and a silver medal for the highest break in the competition (55 unfinished in the second round). He made the highest break in the exhibition match (56), while his other prizes included a handsome volume on billiards.
Commenting on Wright's play, Sydeny Lee (the amateur champion) said. "With sustained practice, Wright will make a very good adult player. There is an impatience observable in him when he is in the middle of a break. That causes him to miss shots at times; but, then, impatience is a characteristic of every one of these boys."
Willie Smith, the famous English cueist, also spoke highly of Wright's ability as a billiards player.
Following the championship final an exhibition match was played between the north, Swinhoe and Cruickshanks; Midlands, J. Wright and W. Heath.
The Midlands won by 350 to 300, Jack recording the highest break, 56.
More on the Wright family can be found at -
A Family History