John Dunning, a professional from 1971 to 1997, has died at the age of 82.
Dunning was 11 times Yorkshire amateur champion and won the 1964 CIU Championship.
He was in his 40s when the game went open but beat David Taylor and Eddie Charlton to reach the 1974 World Championship quarter-finals.
Dunning was also a quarter-finalist in the 1977 UK Championship and attained a highest ranking of 11th.
His finest hour came at the 1984 Yamaha Masters, which was played in three man groups all the way to the final.
Dunning beat Terry Griffiths on the way to reaching the final, where he finished third behind Steve Davis and Dave Martin.
At 56, he remains the oldest player to appear in a televised snooker final.
Dunning qualified for the Crucible in 1981 and 1982 and played his last match as a professional in 1997 at the age of 69.
7 comments:
RIP John Dunning.
Interesting detail: if he keeps on playing, Dunning's opponent in that 1984 Yamaha Masters final,
Steve Davis, could break Dunning's record in the 2014-2015 season...
RIP John Dunning
Eric.. Steve wont reach a final ever again least of all at 56 lol
The Yamaha Organs Trophy was a unique tournament with 3 finalists as David mentioned.
The early rounds were played in all sorts of weird and wonderful places with three man groups playing 3 frame round robins.
There were shocks galore.
If this event ever came back someone like Davis could once again make a final.
RIP John Dunning though, a decent guy and a fine player.
John Dunnings: RIP
John was a great lad, and kept young by being friendly and helpful to the up and comming youngsters.
John main achievement was his easy smile in difficult times and situations. Mr hey yoU. GOD BLESS.
John's main achievement was his easy smile?
I reckon he'd put his Yamaha Final ahead of that.
Oh for the good ol' days when the sport had sponsors such as Yamaha.
Some of our flagship events these days have gone years without sponsorship.
Poor
Oh for the good ol' days when the sport had sponsors such as Yamaha.
Wasn't the highest break prize a Yamaha organ - and it looked like being tied? Was it John Pulman or Dennis Taylor who said "What on earth can you do with half an organ?"?
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