Revisiting Snooker History: The 1977 World Championship Final

There has been some memorable matches in the history of snooker, none more so than the final of the World Championships in 1977 between John Spencer and Cliff Thorburn. This was the first final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it is still held to this day. Snooker became increasingly popular around the 1977 tournament as the BBC televised the event for the first time, which attracted large viewing figures.
The final was won by John Spencer who beat his opponent Cliff Thorburn 25-21 to claim his hat-trick of World Championship wins, previously winning in 1969 and 1971. Strangely, Spencer’s snooker cue was damaged in a car crash, so he used a two-piece cue and became the first ever player to win with a cue of this sort. The general consensus at the time was no cue could match the accuracy of a one-piece cue, but Spencer’s victory with a two-piece cue changed the view of many and influenced modern cue technology.
The 1977 World Championship tournament is not only famous because it was the first World Championship at the now legendary Crucible Theatre, but it was also the first World Championship since the introduction of world rankings. John Spencer was seeded 8th which was the last seeding position, but he put in some great performances and deservedly won the tournament. Also the prize fund has changed significantly, in 1977 Spencer received £6,000 for winning, a huge contrast to the £250,000 Ronnie O’Sullivan scooped for winning the same tournament this year.
This was the first of many great World Championship finals at the Crucible Theatre, but was it your favourite? Let us know what you think has been the greatest final over the years!