Jonathan Barron
Born (1937-03-02) 2 March 1937
Sport country England

Jonathan Barron (born 2 March 1937) is a retired English snooker player. He won the 1970 World Amateur Snooker Championship and was the first player to win the English Amateur Championship in three consecutive years.

Career

Barron was born on 2 March 1937. He started playing snooker when he was about 10, on a three-quarter size table above his father's shop in the village of Mevagissey.[1]

He first reached the final of the English Amateur Championship in 1962,[2] where he was defeated 9–11 by Ron Gross.[3] He won the 1962–63 Television Tournament, a pro–am event, and also a televised amateur tournament the following season.[2] He was runner-up again in 1969, 9–11 to Ray Edmonds.[3] He gained the title in 1970 by defeating Sid Hood 11–10 in the final, and retained it in 1971 with an 11–7 defeat of Doug French.[3] In 1972, he was again the champion, prevailing 11–9 against Edmonds,[3] thereby becoming the first player to win the title in three consecutive years.[4] He was the first English Amateur champion since 1961 not to turn professional.[5] Barron and Ray Reardon travelled to South Africa to play a "test match" series against Mannie Francisco and Jimmy van Rensberg in 1967, winning by two matches to one.[6]

Barron represented England at the 1970 World Amateur Snooker Championship, winning five of his six group matches to reach the final, where he defeated Gross 11–7 to win the title.[7] Attempting to defend his title at the 1972 World Amateur Snooker Championship, he won all three of his group matches, but then lost 6–8 to Edmonds in the semi-finals.[7]

According to Barron, he retired from most competitive snooker after the 1972 World Amateur Championship (held in January 1973) to allow more time to focus on his family and business,[1] although he did continue to play in local league games until 2000.[8] He ran a curio shop in Mevagissey.[4]

Career highlights

OutcomeYearChampionshipOpponent in the finalScoreRef.
Runner-up 1962 English Amateur Championship  Ron Gross (ENG) 9–11 [3]
Winner 1963 Television Tournament  Ron Gross (ENG) 4–3 [9]
Runner-up 1969 English Amateur Championship  Ray Edmonds (ENG) 9-11 [3]
Winner 1970 English Amateur Championship  Sid Hood (ENG) 11–10 [3]
Winner 1970 World Amateur Championship  Sid Hood (ENG) 11–7 [10]
Winner 1971 English Amateur Championship  Doug French (ENG) 11–9 [3]
Winner 1972 English Amateur Championship  Ray Edmonds (ENG) 11–9 [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Barron, Jonathan (10 January 2013). "Cornish Snooker Legends – Jonathan Barron". St Blazey & District Snooker League. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Jonathan Barron, Mevagissey". Billiards and Snooker. Billiards and Snooker Control Council. May 1971. p. 10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Everton, Clive (1985). Snooker: The Records. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 122. ISBN 0851124488.
  4. 1 2 Morrison, Ian (1986). The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Snooker. Twickenham: Hamlyn Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 0600501922.
  5. ↑ Everton, Clive (1981). The Guinness Book of Snooker. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 116. ISBN 0851122302.
  6. ↑ Everton, Clive (1986). The History of Snooker and Billiards. Haywards Heath: Partridge Press. ISBN 1852250135.
  7. 1 2 Everton, Clive (1981). The Guinness Book of Snooker. Enfield: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 150. ISBN 0851122302.
  8. ↑ Smallcombe, Mike (10 June 2018). "Cornwall's 50 greatest living sports men and women". cornwalllive.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Snooker: Barron has revenge in ITV final". Cornish Guardian. 28 February 1963. p. 11.
  10. ↑ "Barron takes snooker title". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 November 1970. p. 29.
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