View source for 1977 World Snooker Championship

{{Short description|Professional snooker tournament}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox individual snooker tournament
|tournament_name=[[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]] [[World Snooker Championship]]
|logo=
|dates={{Start and end dates|1977|04|18|1977|04|30|df=y}}
|venue=[[Crucible Theatre]]
|location=[[Sheffield]]
|country=England
|organisation=[[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association|WPBSA]]
|format=[[List of snooker ranking tournaments|Ranking event]]
|Total prize fund=£17,000
|winners_share=£6,000
|highest_break={{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}} (135)
|winner={{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}}
|runner_up={{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}
|score=25–21
|previous=[[1976 World Snooker Championship|1976]]
|next=[[1978 World Snooker Championship|1978]]
}}

The '''1977 World Snooker Championship''' is a professional [[snooker]] tournament that took place from 18 to 30 April 1977 at the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]]. [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]] won his third [[World Snooker Championship]] title by defeating [[Cliff Thorburn]] by 25 {{cuegloss|frame|frames}} to 21 in the final. It was the first time the championship was held at the Crucible, which has remained as the venue for the Championship. The tournament was sponsored by cigarette manufacturer [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]].

Qualifying matches took place from 28 March to 7 April 1977 at [[Hounslow Civic Centre]] and Fisher's Snooker Centre, Acton, to select eight qualifiers to play against the eight top-seeded players from the [[Snooker world rankings 1976/1977|1976/1977 snooker world rankings]] in the main tournament. [[Ray Reardon]], who had won the annual championship each year from [[1973 World Snooker Championship|1973]] to [[1976 World Snooker Championship|1976]], was defeated 6–13 by Spencer in the quarter-finals. There were six [[century break]]s at the championship; Spencer scored 135, the tournament's highest break, in the sixth frame of his semi-final match against [[John Pulman]]. Spencer was the first player to win the championship using a two-piece {{cuegloss|cue}}. As champion, he received £6,000 from the prize fund of £17,000. The World Championship was the only [[Snooker world rankings|ranking]] event of the [[1976–77 snooker season]].

==Overview==
[[British Army]] soldiers stationed in India invented snooker, a [[cue sports|cue sport]], in the late 19th century.<ref name="Williams2015">{{cite book |first=Victoria R. |last=Williams |title=Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lpDdBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA286 |date=28 April 2015 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara |isbn=978-1-61069-639-5 |page=286 |access-date=3 September 2020 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905220523/https://books.google.com/books?id=lpDdBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA286 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joe Davis]] won the first [[World Snooker Championship]], which the [[Billiards Association and Control Council]] (BA&CC) organised in [[1927 World Snooker Championship|1927]].<ref name="FARCE">{{cite book|first=Clive|last=Everton|title=Black Farce and Cue Ball Wizards: The Inside Story of the Snooker World |date=2012|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-1-78057-568-1}}</ref>{{rp|23}}<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Snooker – a Timeline |url=https://www.wpbsa.com/about/history/ |website=wpbsa |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |access-date=21 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418140049/https://www.wpbsa.com/about/history/ |archive-date=18 April 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the "modern" era of the sport, which started in 1969 when the World Championship reverted to a knockout format,<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=John Higgins eyes more crucible titles |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/5276218/John-Higgins-eyes-more-Crucible-titles.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=5 May 2009 |access-date=13 April 2020 |url-access=registration |quote="the modern era, which began in 1969 when the World Championship became a knockout event." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430020307/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/snooker/5276218/John-Higgins-eyes-more-Crucible-titles.html |archive-date=30 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> snooker has become increasingly popular worldwide, especially in East and Southeast Asian nations such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand.<ref name="Mf3Af">{{cite web |title=The Rise of China |website=wst.tv |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |date=26 February 2018 |access-date=13 March 2019 |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/the-rise-of-china/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419145915/http://www.worldsnooker.com/the-rise-of-china/ |archive-date=19 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Bill |date=24 April 2015 |title=Snooker looks to cue up more big breaks in China |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32429022 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305033819/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32429022 |archive-date=5 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=17 March 2018 |title=Snooker world champion, Hongkonger Ng On-yee aims to change image of male-dominated game |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2018/03/17/snooker-world-champion-hongkonger-ng-yee-aims-change-image-male-dominated-game/ |work=Hong Kong Free Press |access-date=9 May 2020 }}</ref> Since 1977, the championship has been held at the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]], England.<ref name="ESC">{{cite web |title=World snooker championship 2022 – when is Crucible main draw, how to watch with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump in action |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/world-championship/2021-2022/world-championship-2022-how-to-watch-as-mark-selby-looks-to-defend-title-with-ronnie-o-sullivan-judd_sto8864182/story.shtml |publisher=Eurosport |date=4 April 2022 |access-date=5 April 2022  }}</ref>

In the 1977 championship, 16 professional players competed in one-on-one snooker matches in a [[single-elimination tournament|single-elimination]] format, each match being played over several {{cuegloss|frames}}.<ref name="SCENER" /> [[Ray Reardon]] was the defending champion, having defeated [[Alex Higgins]] 27–16 in the final of the [[1976 World Snooker Championship]]<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk"/> The top-eight players in the [[Snooker world rankings 1976/1977|1976/1977 snooker world rankings]] were exempted to the main tournament, where they each faced a player from a qualifying competition.<ref name="EMB" /> The championship was organised by the governing body for professional snooker the [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]] (WPBSA),<ref name="Harris2020">{{cite book |editor1-first=John |editor1-last=Nauright |editor2-first=Sarah |editor2-last=Zipp |title=Routledge Handbook of Global Sport |first=Luke J. |last=Harris |chapter=21. Snooker and billiards |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htTHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT277 |date=3 January 2020 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |location=Abingdon |isbn=978-1-138-88723-7|pages=227–237 |access-date=3 September 2020 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905220525/https://books.google.com/books?id=htTHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT277 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Promoter (entertainment)|promoted]] by [[Mike Watterson]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Morrison|first=Ian |date=1989 |title=Snooker: records, facts and champions |publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd |location=Enfield |isbn=978-0-85112-364-6 |page=36}}</ref> with sponsorship by cigarette company [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Mackenzie |title=Final Curtain: Last World Snooker Championship to be held away from the Crucible (1976) |url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/andrew-mackenzie-final-curtain-last-world-snooker-championship-be-held-away-crucible-1976-2442638 |work=The Scotsman |date=16 April 2010 |access-date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727204700/https://www.scotsman.com/sport/andrew-mackenzie-final-curtain-last-world-snooker-championship-be-held-away-crucible-1976-2442638 |url-status=live }}</ref> Watterson chose the Crucible after his wife Carol Watterson, saw a play there and recommended the venue.<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk"/><ref>{{cite web |title=1977: Spencer sparkles in Sheffield |date=18 April 2003 |publisher=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953737.stm |access-date=1 April 2022 |archive-date=8 April 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040408121005/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2953737.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=World Snooker Championship Trivia|url=http://www.embassysnooker.com/trivia.html|publisher=Embassy Snooker|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204143354/http://www.embassysnooker.com/trivia.html|archive-date=4 December 2004 |access-date=25 May 2012}}</ref> Watterson booked the venue at a cost of £6,600, and made personal financial guarantees for the championship before Embassy's sponsorship had been secured. Audience members purchased tickets at prices ranging from 75p to £3.50, and the event made a surplus of £12,000.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mike Watterson |newspaper=The Times |date=16 March 2019 |issue=72796|page=88}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=[Advertisement for the] Embassy world professional snooker championship |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=April 1977 |page=15}}</ref> Highlights of the semi-finals and final were broadcast on the national television channel [[BBC2]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=1981 |title=The Guinness Book of Snooker |publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd |location=Enfield |isbn=978-0-85112-230-4 |page=8}}</ref><!--Everton says "BBC coverage was extended to the last three days"--><ref>{{cite news |title=BBC2 |newspaper=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=28 April 1977 |page=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=BBC2 |newspaper=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=30 April 1977 |page=10}}</ref>

===Prize fund===
The breakdown of prize money for 1977 was:<ref>{{cite book|last=Downer|first=Chris|title=Crucible Almanac |location=Bournemouth|year=2019|pages=146}}</ref> 
{{div col}}
* Winner: £6,000
* Runner-up: £2,000
* Semi-final: £1,200
* Quarter-final: £750
* Last 16: £350
* Highest break: £500
* Total: £17,000
{{div col end}}

== Tournament summary ==
[[File:Sheffield, Crucible Theatre - geograph.org.uk - 495326 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Crucible Theatre]], Sheffield (pictured in 2005) has been the venue for the [[World Snooker Championship]] since 1977.]]

===Qualifying===
The WPBSA first published official world rankings for players on the [[World Snooker Tour|main tour]] for the [[1976–77 snooker season|1976–77 season]]. Players' performances in the previous three World Snooker Championships—[[1974 World Snooker Championship|1974]], [[1975 World Snooker Championship|1975]], and 1976—contributed to their points totals. These rankings were used for [[seed (sports)|seedings]] for the tournament. As defending champion, Reardon was seeded first and was also number one on the ranking list.<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk">{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Chris|title=World Professional Championship|url=http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416080933/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/world.html|archive-date=16 April 2013|work=cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk|publisher=Chris Turner's Snooker Archive|access-date=24 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="SCENE76">{{cite magazine |title=Official rankings |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=August 1976 |page=10}}</ref> Originally, the top 14 players were due to be seeded into the last-16 round, but the WPBSA members voted 11–10 to change this so that only the top eight players were exempted to the last-16.<ref name="EMB" /> The draw for the tournament was conducted by journalist Janice Hale at Albany Hotel, [[Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=New qualifying system |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=February 1977 |page=18}}</ref> The 1977 World Championship was the only ranking event of the 1976–77 season.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Official world rankings |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=June 1978 |page=28}}</ref>

Qualifying matches were scheduled from 28 March to 7 April 1977, and took place at [[Hounslow Civic Centre]] and Fisher's Snooker Centre, Acton.<ref name="EMB" /><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Embassy world professional snooker championship |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=March 1977 |pages=5}}</ref><ref name="SCQ" /> In the first round, [[John Virgo]] eliminated [[Roy Andrewartha]] 11–1. In the next round, Virgo won four consecutive frames to go from 7–6 against [[John Dunning (snooker player)|John Dunning]] to win 11–6. [[Willie Thorne]] won six consecutive frames to complete an 11–6 defeat of [[Bernard Bennett]]. [[Jim Meadowcroft]] gained a 6–3 lead against [[Patsy Fagan]] but lost 9–11 after the pair had been level at 8–8. [[David Taylor (snooker player)|David Taylor]] defeated [[David Greaves]] 11–0 and made a [[century break]] in the fourth frame. There were two other 11–0 defeats: by [[Cliff Thorburn]] against [[Chris Ross (snooker player)|Chris Ross]] and by [[Dennis Taylor]] against [[Jack Karnehm]]. Veteran [[Jackie Rea]] was 8–6 and later 9–8 ahead of [[1977 Masters (snooker)|Masters]] champion [[Doug Mountjoy]], a first-season professional who was the reigning [[1978 World Amateur Snooker Championship|World Amateur Champion]]. Mountjoy won three consecutive frames to win the match 11–9. [[Maurice Parkin]] withdrew from the tournament due to illness, giving [[John Pulman]] a [[win by default]].<ref name="EMB" /><ref name="SCQ">{{cite magazine |last=Green |first=Trevor |title=Embassy world professional snooker championship: qualifying section at Hounslow Civic Centre |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=May 1977 |pages=7–9 }}</ref> Fagan, Virgo, Mountjoy and Thorne qualified to make their World Championship debuts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Patsy Fagan at the World Championship|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=92&tourns=WC&plStat=2|publisher=Snooker Database|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828201450/https://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=92&tourns=WC&plStat=2#PlayerResults|url-status=live}}<br>{{cite web|title=John Virgo at the World Championship|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=93&tourns=WC&plStat=2|publisher=Snooker Database|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828205729/https://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?PlayerKey=93&tourns=WC&plStat=2#PlayerResults|url-status=live}}<br>{{cite web|title=Doug Mountjoy at the World Championship|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=54&tourns=WC&plStat=2|publisher=Snooker Database|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305220722/http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=54&tourns=WC&plStat=2#PlayerResults|url-status=live}}<br>{{cite web|title=Willie Thorne at the World Championship|url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=94&tourns=WC&plStat=2|publisher=Snooker Database|access-date=17 September 2012|archive-date=28 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828192641/https://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/PlayerDetails.aspx?playerKey=94&tourns=WC&plStat=2#PlayerResults|url-status=live}}</ref>

===First round===
The first round took place from 18 to 21 April; each match was played over three sessions as the best of 25 frames.<ref name="DOWNER" /> Reardon and Fagan each won four frames in their first session,<ref name="T19A">{{cite news |title=World champion held to 4–4 by Fagan |newspaper=The Times |date=19 April 1977 |issue=59981 |page=8}}</ref> before Reardon opened a 10–7 lead during the second session and won the match 13–7 the following day.<ref name="T20A">{{cite news |title=Reardon reaches last eight |newspaper=The Times |date=20 April 1977 |issue=59982 |page=10}}</ref> [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]] was three frames behind Virgo at 1–4 and 4–7 but won three successive frames to equalise both times, and won the match 13–9.<ref name="T19A" /><ref name="SCENER" /> [[Graham Miles]] was one frame in front of Thorne at 4–3 after their first session,<ref name="T19A" /> and from 5–4 ahead, Miles won eight consecutive frames to win the match.<ref name="SCENER" /> Pulman led his fellow former world champion [[Fred Davis (snooker player)|Fred Davis]] 5–3,<ref name="T19A" /> and then 11–6, winning 13–12.<ref>{{cite news |title=Last frame to Pulman |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=21 April 1977 |page=17}}</ref>

[[Eddie Charlton]] won seven of the first eight frames against David Taylor, made a 105 break in the 12th frame and progressed to the next round with a 13–5 win. Thorburn won seven successive frames during his 13–6 defeat of [[Rex Williams]]. Dennis Taylor concluded a 13–11 win against [[Perrie Mans]] with a break of 76, the highest of their match, in the 24th frame.<ref name="SCENER" /> The second seed Alex Higgins was 9–7 ahead of Mountjoy after two sessions but Mountjoy won the opening frame of their third session with a 102 break, and then four of the following five frames. Higgins won the following two frames and led by 36 points in the {{cuegloss|deciding frame}}. Higgins missed an attempt to pot the {{cuegloss|pink ball}}, and a break of 31 by Mountjoy immediately afterwards terminated when he failed to {{cuegloss|bank shot|double}} the final {{cuegloss|black ball}}. Two visits later, Mountjoy potted the black to win the match.<ref name="T22A">{{cite news |title=Mountjoy chases new title |newspaper=The Times |date=22 April 1977 |issue=59984 |page=15}}</ref>

===Quarter-finals===
The quarter-finals were played as best-of-25-frames matches over three sessions on 23 and 24 April.<ref name="DOWNER" /> Reardon was never ahead of Spencer, who won the match 6–13, eliminating Reardon. The ''[[Snooker Scene]]'' match-report assessment said: "Even when the title was slipping away from [Reardon] he never seemed able to focus his concentration and stop making mistakes".<ref name="SCENER" />{{rp|16}} Pulman reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1970 by defeating Miles 13–10.<ref name="SCENER" /> The reporter for ''Snooker Scene'' said Pulman played "the smooth, attractive snooker of his great days" in the final session.<ref name="SCENER" />{{rp|16}}

Thorburn and Charlton were level several times at 3–3, 7–7, 10–10 and 11–11. Charlton won the 23rd frame on the final black but lost the match when Thorburn won the next two frames to win the match 13–12.<ref name="T23A" /><ref name="SCENER" /> Mountjoy won the first three frames of his match against Dennis Taylor but then lost the next five frames.<ref name="T23A">{{cite news |title=Fine start for Mountjoy |newspaper=The Times |date=23 April 1977 |issue=59987 |page=7}}</ref> Each player won four frames in the second session, then Taylor won the opening frame in the third session to lead 10–7. Mountjoy won the next two frames, each on the final black ball, but lost the 20th frame after he went {{cuegloss|in-off}} the last black.<ref name="SCENER" /> Taylor won 13–11.<ref name="SCENER" />

===Semi-finals===
[[File:Cliff Thorburn in 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Cliff Thorburn]] (pictured in 2007) reached the final for the first time, and was runner-up to [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]].|alt=Cliff Thorburn playing snooker in 2007]]

The semi-finals took place from 24 to 27 April as best-of-35-frames matches played over five sessions.<ref name="DOWNER" /> Pulman took a 3–0 lead but Spencer recovered to 3–3 and compiled a {{cuegloss|clearance|total clearance}} of 135 in the sixth frame. Pulman then went ahead 7–3 before Spencer levelled the match by winning the next four frames. Spencer went on to lead 13–9 and 16–12, and won 18–16, qualifying for the final for the first time since 1972.<ref name="SCENER" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |title=Old master restored |newspaper=The Guardian |date=25 April 1977 |page=17}}</ref><ref name="G26A" />

Thorburn led 4–3 after the first session and was level at 7–7 with Taylor after the second session. At the start of the third session, Thorburn made a 100 break, which included a {{cuegloss|cocked-hat double}} on the final {{cuegloss|red ball}}, and led 12–9 at the close of the penultimate day. Taylor added three frames to his tally at the start of the fourth session to equalise, and four frames later, the pair were again level at 14–14. Four frames into the last session, they were at 16–16. Thorburn made a break of 111 in the 33rd frame, during which the only time he potted the black ball was at the end, then took a lead of 80–0 points in the 34th frame, which ended 98–30, meaning Thorburn qualified for the final for the first time.<ref name="SCENER" /><ref name="G26A">{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |title=Two-piece success |newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 April 1977 |page=20}}</ref>

===Final===
The tournament's final took place from 28 to 30 April as the best of 49 frames,<ref name="DOWNER" /> and was refereed by [[John Smyth (snooker referee)|John Smyth]].<ref name="DOWNERR">{{cite book|last=Downer|first=Chris|title=Crucible Almanac|year=2010|location=Bournemouth |page=159}}</ref> Spencer won his third world title by defeating Thorburn 25–21.<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk"/> The first session ended with Spencer 4–2 ahead after he won the opening three frames,<ref name="SCENER">{{cite magazine |title=Embassy world professional championship |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=June 1977 |pages=12–19 }}</ref> and he extended his lead to 5–2 before Thorburn won four of the next five frames to leave the score at 6–6 at the day's conclusion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thorburn and Spencer level |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=29 April 1977 |page=34}}</ref> When the third session ended, Thorburn and Spencer were tied at 9–9. Spencer made a break of 105 in the 18th frame.<ref name="DOWNER" />

During the fourth session, Thorburn gained a 13–11 advantage<ref>{{cite news |title=Snooker players tied |newspaper=Star-Phoenix |location=Saskatoon |date=30 April 1977 |page=17}}</ref> and extended it to 15–11 but Spencer won the next four frames to make it 15–15. The players were also level at 18–18 at the start of the final's last day. Spencer won the first three frames of the day. Thorburn won the following two frames before Spencer won the 42nd frame with a break of 67 to lead 22–20. Thorburn narrowed his deficit to one frame at 21–22 but Spencer won the next three frames to claim victory.<ref name="EMB" />

Spencer was the first player to win the title with a two-piece cue. His previous cue was smashed in a car accident just before the [[1974 Norwich Union Open]]; despite repairs, Spencer was not confident about using it so he purchased a new, two-piece implement whilst on tour in Canada. Having made several century breaks with the new cue following his return to England, Spencer decided to use it for the championship only two months before the tournament. A few months after his victory, he replaced it with a different, Japanese-made cue.<ref name="EMB" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Then and Now: John Spencer |url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25022010/58/john-spencer.html |publisher=[[Eurosport]] UK |access-date=11 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007052229/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/25022010/58/john-spencer.html |archive-date=7 October 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Snooker historian [[Clive Everton]] wrote Spencer "exploded two myths" by winning with a two-piece cue, a type of implement that was generally seen as suitable for [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] but not snooker, and having only used it for two months, when most professional players thought it took many months to become proficient with a new cue.<ref name="EMB">{{cite book |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=1993 |title=The Embassy Book of World Snooker |publisher=Bloomsbury |location=London |isbn=978-0-7475-1610-1 |pages=47–50 }}</ref>{{rp|50}} Thorburn also used a two-piece cue for the match as was common in his native Canada.<ref name="EMB"/>

An article in ''Snooker Scene'' contrasted Spencer's playing style in his earlier World Championship victories, which featured "aggressive" long {{cuegloss|pot|potting}}, to the way he played in 1977, which included fewer long pots and consistent mid-distance potting, and praised his "coolness and steadiness of nerve" and his choice of shots to play.<ref name="SCB">{{cite magazine |title=How Spencer came back |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=June 1977 |page=5 }}</ref> The same magazine described Thorburn's strengths at the tournament as "concentration and consistency".<ref name="HTM">{{cite magazine |title=How Thorburn made it |magazine=Snooker Scene |date=June 1977 |page=7 }}</ref>

== Main draw ==
The results for the tournament are shown below. The numbers in brackets denote player seedings and match winners are denoted in bold.<ref name="DOWNER">{{cite book|last=Downer|first=Chris|title=Crucible Almanac|year=2010|location=Bournemouth |pages=4–5}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1977 World Championships Results Grid|url=http://snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResultGrid.aspx?EventKey=35|publisher=Snooker Database|access-date=28 October 2010|archive-date=27 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827123615/http://snookerdatabase.co.uk/EventResultGrid.aspx?EventKey=35|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Round16
| team-width=200
| short_brackets=yes
<!--Round 1-->
|18 & 19 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Ray Reardon]]|WAL}} (1)'''|'''13'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Patsy Fagan]]|IRL}}|7
|18 & 19 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}} (8)'''|'''13'''
|{{flagathlete|[[John Virgo]]|ENG}}|9
|18 & 19 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Graham Miles]]|ENG}} (5)'''|'''13'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Willie Thorne]]|ENG}}|4
|18 & 19 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Fred Davis (snooker player)|Fred Davis]]|ENG}} (4)|12
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Pulman]]|ENG}}'''|'''13'''
|20 & 21 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Eddie Charlton]]|AUS}} (3)'''|'''13'''
|{{flagathlete|[[David Taylor (snooker player)|David Taylor]]|ENG}}|5
|20 & 21 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Rex Williams]]|ENG}} (6)|6
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}'''|'''13'''
|20 & 21 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Perrie Mans]]|RSA|1928}} (7)|11
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Dennis Taylor]]|NIR}}'''|'''13'''
|20 & 21 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Alex Higgins]]|NIR}} (2)|12
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Doug Mountjoy]]|WAL}}'''|'''13'''
<!--Quarter-finals-->
|22 & 23 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Ray Reardon]]|WAL}} (1)|6
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}} (8)'''|'''13'''
|22 & 23 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Graham Miles]]|ENG}} (5)|10
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Pulman]]|ENG}}'''|'''13'''
|22 & 23 April
|{{flagathlete|[[Eddie Charlton]]|AUS}} (3)|12
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}'''|'''13'''
|22 & 23 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Dennis Taylor]]|NIR}}'''|'''13'''|{{flagathlete|[[Doug Mountjoy]]|WAL}}|11
<!--Semi-finals-->
|24, 25, 26 & 27 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}} (8)'''|'''18'''
|{{flagathlete|[[John Pulman]]|ENG}}|16
|24, 25, 26 & 27 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}'''|'''18'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Dennis Taylor]]|NIR}}|16
<!--Final-->
|28, 29, & 30 April
|'''{{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}} (8)'''|'''25'''
|{{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}} |21
<!--Parameters-->
|RD1='''Last 16'''<br/>Best of 25 frames|RD2='''Quarter-finals'''<br/>Best of 25 frames|RD3='''Semi-finals'''<br/>Best of 35 frames|RD4='''Final'''<br/>Best of 49 frames
|3rdplace=no}}

===Final===
Details for the final are shown below.<ref name="DOWNER" /> Numbers in bold and with a {{gc|frame winner}} symbol represent frame-winning scores. Numbers in brackets and italics represent breaks of 50 or more.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|-
| colspan=10 align="center"bgcolor="#ffd700" | '''Final:''' Best-of-49 frames.

[[Crucible Theatre]], Sheffield. 28–30 April 1977.

Referee: [[John Smyth (snooker referee)|John Smyth]].
|-
| colspan=2 align="center" |

'''{{flagathlete|[[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]|ENG}}'''

| colspan=2 align="center" | '''25'''–21
| colspan=4 align="center" | {{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | First session, 28 April, 11:00{{nbsp}}a.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 1 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 2 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 3 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 4 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 5 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 6 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer  || '''63'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''98'''{{gc|frame winner}}  ||  '''79'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 41 || 28 ||  '''73'''{{gc|frame winner}} ||  
|-
| Thorburn  || 49 ||  21||  24 || '''46'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''94'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 13  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 1–0
|align="center"| 2–0
|align="center"| 3–0
|align="center"| 3–1
|align="center"| 3–2
|align="center"| 4–2
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Second session, 28 April, 3:15{{nbsp}}p.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 7 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 8 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 9
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 10 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 11
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 12 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || '''70'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(68)'' ||  39 || 11 || 29 || '''87'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(75)'' || 32  ||  
|-
| Thorburn   || 46 ||  '''77'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''72'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || '''64'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 21 || '''70'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 5–2
|align="center"| 5–3
|align="center"| 5–4
|align="center"| 5–5
|align="center"| 6–5
|align="center"| 6–6
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Third session, 28 April, 7:30{{nbsp}}p.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 13
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 14
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 15 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 16
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 17
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 18 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || 41|| 51  || '''84'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(54)''  || '''105'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(97)'' || 44 ||  '''118'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(105)'' ||  
|-
| Thorburn   ||'''90'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || '''62'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 40 || 21 || '''69'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 0  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 6–7
|align="center"| 6–8
|align="center"| 7–8
|align="center"| 8–8
|align="center"| 8–9
|align="center"| 9–9
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Fourth session, 29 April, 11:00{{nbsp}}a.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 19
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 20 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 21
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 22 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 23 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 24 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || 60 ||  '''71'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''73'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 33|| 53 || 38  ||  
|-
| Thorburn   || '''71'''{{gc|frame winner}}|| 31  || 45 || '''85'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''85'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(58)'' || '''70'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 9–10
|align="center"| 10–10
|align="center"| 11–10
|align="center"| 11–11
|align="center"| 11–12
|align="center"| 11–13
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Fifth session, 29 April, 3:15{{nbsp}}p.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 25
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 26 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 27
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 28 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 29
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 30 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || 38|| 48 || '''87'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || '''90'''{{gc|frame winner}}|| '''81'''{{gc|frame winner}} ||  '''63'''{{gc|frame winner}} ||  
|-
| Thorburn  || '''58'''{{gc|frame winner}}|| '''77'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(77)''  || 31  || 40|| 20|| 58  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 11–14
|align="center"| 11–15
|align="center"| 12–15
|align="center"| 13–15
|align="center"| 14–15
|align="center"| 15–15
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Sixth session, 29 April, 7:30{{nbsp}}p.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 31 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 32 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 33 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 34 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 35 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 36 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || 29 || '''59'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || '''78'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(78)''  || '''70'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 39 ||  46 ||  
|-
| Thorburn   || '''82'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 26 || 58 || 44 || '''75'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(75)''|| '''85'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 15–16
|align="center"| 16–16
|align="center"| 17–16
|align="center"| 18–16
|align="center"| 18–17
|align="center"| 18–18
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Seventh session, 30 April, 11:00{{nbsp}}a.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 37 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 38 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 39 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 40
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 41 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 42
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 
|-
| Spencer || '''93'''{{gc|frame winner}} ||  '''64'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''74'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || 9 || 36 || '''107'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(67)''  ||  
|-
| Thorburn  || 20 ||  51 ||  21 || '''83'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(58)'' || '''72'''{{gc|frame winner}} ||  20 || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 19–18
|align="center"| 20–18
|align="center"| 21–18
|align="center"| 21–19
|align="center"| 21–20
|align="center"| 22–20
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=8; style="background: silver;" align="center" | Eighth session, 30 April, 2:30{{nbsp}}p.m. start
|-
| style="background: silver;" align="right"|Frame
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 43 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 44
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 45
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 46 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 47 
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 48
| style="background: silver;" align="center"| 49
|-
| Spencer|| 17 || '''83'''{{gc|frame winner}}  || '''69'''{{gc|frame winner}} || '''72'''{{gc|frame winner}} ''(51)'' ||  ||   ||  
|-
| Thorburn  || '''74'''{{gc|frame winner}} || 14  || 36  || 12 ||  ||   || 
|-
|align="right"| Frames (Spencer first) 
|align="center"| 22–21
|align="center"| 23–21
|align="center"| 24–21
|align="center"| '''25'''–21
|align="center"| 
|align="center"| 
|align="center"| 
|-
| colspan=2 align="right" | 105
| colspan=2 align="center" | Highest break
|  colspan=4 align="left" | 77
|-
| colspan=2 align="right" | 1
| colspan=2 align="center" | Century breaks
| colspan=4 align="left" | 0
|-
| colspan=2 align="right" | 7
| colspan=2 align="center" | Other 50+ breaks
| colspan=4 align="left" | 4
|-
|  colspan=8 align="center"  |'''John Spencer won the 1977 World Snooker Championship'''
|}

==Qualifying==
Results for the qualifying rounds are shown below. Bold text denotes match winners.<ref name="CueSport Book results">{{cite book|last=Eric|first=Hayton|title=The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History|year=2004|publisher=Rose Villa Publications|location=London|isbn=978-0-9548549-0-4|page=146}}</ref><ref name="DOWNERQ">{{cite book|last=Downer|first=Chris|title=Crucible Almanac|year=2010|location=Bournemouth |page=197}}</ref>

===''Round 1'' (Best of 21 frames)===
{|class="wikitable " style="font-size: 90%"
|-
!width=200|Player
!width=60|Score
!width=200|Player
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[John Virgo]]|ENG}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–1 || {{flagathlete|[[Roy Andrewartha]]|WAL}}
|}

===''Round 2'' (Best of 21 frames)===
{|class="wikitable " style="font-size: 90%"
|-
!width=200|Player
!width=60|Score
!width=200|Player
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[Patsy Fagan]]|IRL}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–9 || {{flagathlete|[[Jim Meadowcroft]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[John Virgo]]|ENG}}'''|| align="center"|'''11'''–6 || {{flagathlete|[[John Dunning (snooker player)|John Dunning]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[Willie Thorne]]|ENG}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–4 || {{flagathlete|[[Bernard Bennett]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[John Pulman]]|ENG}}''' || align="center"|{{abbr|'''w/o'''|walkover}}–{{abbr|w/d|withdrew}} || {{flagathlete|[[Maurice Parkin]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[David Taylor (snooker player)|David Taylor]]|ENG}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–0 || {{flagathlete|[[David Greaves]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[Cliff Thorburn]]|CAN}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–0 || {{flagathlete|[[Chris Ross (snooker player)|Chris Ross]]|SCO}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[Dennis Taylor]]|NIR}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–0 || {{flagathlete|[[Jack Karnehm]]|ENG}}
|-
| '''{{flagathlete|[[Doug Mountjoy]]|WAL}}''' || align="center"|'''11'''–9 || {{flagathlete|[[Jackie Rea]]|NIR}}
|}

== Century breaks ==
There were six century breaks at the championship. The highest break of the tournament was 135, which was made by John Spencer.<ref>{{cite book|last=Downer|first=Chris|title=Crucible Almanac|location=Bournemouth|year=2019|pages=162}}</ref> 
* 135, 105 {{ndash}} [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]]
* 111, 100 {{ndash}} [[Cliff Thorburn]]
* 105 {{ndash}} [[Eddie Charlton]]
* 102 {{ndash}} [[Doug Mountjoy]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{World Snooker Championship}}
{{Snooker season 1976/1977}}

[[Category:World Snooker Championships]]
[[Category:1977 in snooker|World Championship]]
[[Category:1977 in English sport|World Snooker Championship]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Sheffield]]
[[Category:April 1977 sports events in the United Kingdom|World Snooker Championship]]