Horace Lindrum

Horace Lindrum (born Horace Norman William Morrell, 15 January 1912 – 20 June 1974) was an Australian professional snooker and billiards player. Although the dominant snooker player in Australia, he was eclipsed by Joe Davis who he never beat on level terms. Lindrum contested three World Championship finals against Davis, in 1936, 1937 and 1946, losing all three but coming closer than anyone to beating him. When past his best, Lindrum won the 1952 World Championship which, because of a dispute between the governing body and the players' association, was only contested by himself and New Zealander Clark McConachy.

Horace Lindrum was born Horace Norman William Morrell on 15 January 1912 in Paddington, Sydney. He was the son of Clara (known as Violet), sister of Frederick III and Walter Lindrum. Clara was an Australian women's snooker champion in her own right. Horace was the great-grandson of Australia's first billiards champion Friedrich Wilhelm Von Lindrum and the grandson of the great billiards coach Frederick William Lindrum II.

Lindrum died on 20 June 1974 at the Delmar Private Hospital, Dee Why, Sydney. The cause of death was bronchial carcinoma. He was survived by his wife, Joy, and two daughters.

Early years

Horace Lindrum made his first snooker century at the age of 16 and his first four-figure break at billiards at the age of 18. He challenged Frank Smith for the Australian Professional Snooker Championship and on 5 December 1931, at the age of 19, won by an aggregate score of 8899–8262. Lindrum accepted a challenge from Smith for a rematch and won convincingly 8060–5942. Three years later, on 24 November 1934, he also won the Australian Professional Billiards Championship, successfully challenging his uncle Fred who had held the title since 1908. Horace won by 18,754–9,143.

World Professional Snooker Championships 1936 to 1946

Lindrum was runner-up in the World Professional Snooker Championship to British champion, Joe Davis in 1936, 1937 and 1946, losing all three finals.

1952 World Professional Snooker Championship

Lindrum won the 1952 World Snooker Championship beating New Zealander Clark McConachy. There were only two entries, Lindrum and New Zealander Clark McConachy, following a dispute between the Professional Billiards Players' Association (PBPA) and the Billiards Association and Control Council (BACC). The BACC thought the championship is primarily about honour, and financial consideration should come at second place. The PBPA established an alternative 'world championship' called the PBPA Snooker Championship.

Lindrum won the 145-frame match comfortably, taking a winning 73–37 lead early on the 10th day. The remaining 35 "dead" frames were due to be played, although in the end only a total of 143 frames were played, Lindrum winning 94–49. Lindrum described the match, over two weeks in Manchester, as the toughest battle of his career. (Snooker, Billiards & Pool, Australia: Paul Hamlyn Pty. Limited, 1st edition, 1974).

Lindrum was the only Australian to win the championship until Neil Robertson in 2010, 58 years later.

Later years

He retired from competitive play in 1957 to become an exhibition player. In 1963, the Australian Professional Billiards & Snooker Association asked him to return to competitive play to combat the flagging interest in the sports in Australia. The president of the Australian Association, Dennis Robinson, described Lindrum's return to competitive play as a 'magnanimous gesture', and the program published for the event contained 'A tribute to Lindrum'. Horace Lindrum won the Australian Open title that year.

At 3 pm on 14 April 1937 the BBC showed a short, 10-minute, TV programme, "an exhibition of play by Horace Lindrum and Willie Smith. This is the first television demonstration of snooker. Both the players are expert professionals. Horace Lindrum, a nephew of the great Walter Lindrum, comes from Australia and is one of the few snooker players who can rival Joe Davis, the champion." The programme was repeated at 9:35 pm on 16 April.