1988–89 snooker world rankings explained

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the governing body for professional snooker, first introduced a ranking system for professional players in 1976, with the aim of seeding players for the World Snooker Championship. The reigning champion would be automatically seeded first, the losing finalist from the previous year seeded second, and the other seedings based on the ranking list. Initially, the rankings were based on performances in the preceding three world championships. The list for the 1986–87 snooker season was the first to only take account of results over two seasons, and the rankings for 1988–89 were also based on results from the preceding two seasons.

Being ranked in the top 16 exempted players from the qualifying rounds for the World Snooker Championship and also meant inclusion in certain invitational events.[1] The top 32 ranked players were exempt from the early qualifying rounds of the other ranking tournaments.

The top three players in the 1987–88 rankings retained their positions for 1988–89. Steve Davis was ranked first, with 59 points, ahead of Jimmy White with 44 and Neal Foulds with 34. In fourth place, with 33 points, was Stephen Hendry, who rose from 23rd position on the previous year's list. The other players to join the top 16 were Peter Francisco, John Virgo, and Cliff Wilson.

The players dropping out of the top 16 were Alex Higgins, Rex Williams, Dean Reynolds and Doug Mountjoy. It was first time since the rankings were instituted in 1976–77 that Higgins was not among the top 16. In April 1987, he had been excluded from competing in the first two ranking tournaments of the 1987–88 season as part of a six-month ban imposed by the WPBSA, following a hearing conducted for the Association by Gavin Lightman, a barrister.[2] [3] Higgins, who had previously been disciplined by the Association on several occasions, had earlier been found guilty in court of headbutting the tournament director at the 1986 UK Championship, and the hearing considered this and other matters including altercations with referees and a complaint by representatives of Cliff Thorburn that Higgins had alleged in newspaper articles that Thorburn used drugs.[2]

In May 1988, Thorburn had two ranking points deducted for "bringing the game into disrepute" due to failing a drugs test at the 1988 British Open. Thorburn had been found to have small traces of cocaine in his urine sample. Thorburn was also barred from the first two ranking events of the 1988–89 season as part of his punishment.[4] [5] Without the deduction of the two points, Thorburn would have been ranked a place higher, at fifth.

Of the players who had only been competing professionally for one season, Martin Clark was the highest-ranked, at 41st, with Gary Wilkinson at 44th the next-highest. Alain Robidoux received two walkovers at the 1988 World Snooker Championship before losing in the third round and gained a ranking of 102nd without winning a match.[6] [7]

Points tariff and basis of ranking

The placings in the 1988–89 rankings were determined by players' performances in the ranking tournaments held across two seasons, from 1986 to 1988. From the 1986–87 season they were the 1986 International Open won by Foulds; the 1986 Grand Prix and the 1987 British Open both won by White; and the 1986 UK Championship, the 1987 Classic and the 1987 World Championship all won by Davis.

In the 1987–88 season, Davis won four of the six ranking titles: the 1987 International Open, the 1987 UK Championship, the 1988 Classic and the 1988 World Championship.[8] Hendry won the other two, the 1987 Grand Prix and the 1988 British Open.

The rankings were based on a system of points described in the table below. The ranking order was determined as follows:

Placing!scope=col
1987 and 1988 world championshipsscope=col Other ranking tournaments 1986–87 and 1987–88
scope=row Champion 10 6
scope=row Runner-up 8 5
scope=row Losing semi-finalist 6 4
scope=row Losing quarter-finalist 4 3
scope=row Last 16 Loser 2 2
scope=row Last 32 Loser 1 ranking point or 2 merit points1
scope=row Final qualifying round loser2 merit points 1 merit point
scope=row Penultimate qualifying round loser1 merit point 1 A point
scope=row Antepenultimate qualifying round loser1 A point Frames won counted
scope=row Preliminary round loserFrames won counted

Rankings

"(NT)" denotes a "non-tournament" player, i.e. a player who was permitted to enter the world championship but no other tournaments. A "–" denotes that the player did not compete in the tournament.

Ranking! scope="col" rowspan=2
Name1986–87 season1987–88 seasonRanking pointsMeritA pointsFrames
IOGPUKClBOWCIOGPUKClBOWC
scope=row 1data-sort-value="Davis, Steve" align=left3366 1 10 626 6 0 10 59100
scope=row 2data-sort-value="White, Jimmy" align=left0 6 2 56 62152 3 644 1 00
scope=row 3data-sort-value="Foulds, Neal" align=left64 5 05610 0 12 434 3 00
scope=row 4data-sort-value="Hendry, Stephen" align=left13 04 04 460 36 233210
scope=row 5data-sort-value="Griffiths, Terry" align=left222324 123318 330 00
scope=row 6data-sort-value="Thorburn, Cliff" align=left50 3 1 4 05 1 3 146 31 30 0
scope=row 7data-sort-value="Parrott, John" align=left0 1 4 30 2 2 43 5423020 0
scope=row 8data-sort-value="Knowles, Tony" align=left23 3 040 23 2 41 42830 0
scope=row 9data-sort-value="Hallett, Mike" align=left022 1 1 44030 5 2 24300
scope=row 10data-sort-value="Taylor, Dennis" align=left221032 15131223 100
scope=row 11data-sort-value="Johnson, Joe" align=left101 128 01 41 2 2 23 2 00
scope=row 12data-sort-value="Francisco, Silvino" align=left341 3 122 12 2 1 0 22 20 0
scope=row 13data-sort-value="Thorne, Willie" align=left02 2 02 0 13 4 1 22 19 4 00
scope=row 14data-sort-value="Francisco, Peter" align=left411 21004 121 1 18 3 0 0
scope=row 15data-sort-value="Virgo, John" align=left1111 31 311 211 17 000
scope=row 16data-sort-value="Wilson, Cliff" align=left31032 0 121 111 16 3 00
scope=row 17data-sort-value="Higgins, Alex" align=left12410222 0 01440 0
scope=row 18data-sort-value="Williams, Rex" align=left2 50120 0 0 0 0 30 13 9 00
scope=row 19data-sort-value="Charlton, Eddie" align=left10 1 2 1 0 3 2 0002 126 00
scope=row 20data-sort-value="Drago, Tony" align=left11 300 0 0 2 0104124 2 0
scope=row 21data-sort-value="Hughes, Eugene" align=left4 0 20113 0 1 00 012 70 0
scope=row 22data-sort-value="Reynolds, Dean" align=left3 0241100010 012 70 0
scope=row 23data-sort-value="O'Kane, Dene" align=left10 1 0 0 4 0 0203 0 11160
scope=row 24data-sort-value="Mountjoy, Doug" align=left12 1 0 2 2 0001 0 2 115 00
scope=row 25data-sort-value="Newbury, Steve" align=left020000 1304 00 1082 0
scope=row 26data-sort-value="West, Barry" align=left1 002 1 1 0 01 211 1040 0
scope=row 27data-sort-value="Spencer, John" align=left0 021 3 0 10 0 12 010800
scope=row 28data-sort-value="Taylor, David" align=left20 1 03 11 01 1 0 010600
scope=row 29data-sort-value="Chaperon, Bob" align=left2 100 00 1 3 00 11 9 6 00
scope=row 30data-sort-value="Longworth, Steve" align=left0 0 2 1 0 21 01 1 0195 0 0
scope=row 31data-sort-value="Meo, Tony" align=left03 1 2 0010 11009 8 00
scope=row 32data-sort-value="James, Steve" align=left0000 1 0 2 0 00 1482 4 7
scope=row 33data-sort-value="Campbell, John" align=left01 0 2 0 1 0 02 0 118 60 0
scope=row 34data-sort-value="Jones, Wayne" align=left01 3 2 0 010 00 01 852 0
scope=row 35data-sort-value="O'Boye, Joe" align=left0 1 0000 3 0 003 07720
scope=row 36data-sort-value="Martin, Dave" align=left01 111000 03 0 07 9 00
scope=row 37data-sort-value="Stevens, Kirk" align=left0 011 2001 1 0 17 600
scope=row 38data-sort-value="Wych, Jim" align=left1 1100 1 1110007 410
scope=row 39data-sort-value="Roe, David" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 1120 2063 5 0
scope=row 40data-sort-value="Reardon, Ray" align=left101012 0 000 10 6 510
scope=row 41data-sort-value="Clark, Martin" align=left210 2 00 52 08
scope=row 42data-sort-value="Murphy, Tommy" align=left0 0 0 020 0 01 20 05820
scope=row 43data-sort-value="Fowler, Danny" align=left00 020 00 020 0 1 5730
scope=row 44data-sort-value="King, Warren" align=left1 10011 0 0000 1 5 4 3 0
scope=row 45data-sort-value="Wilkinson, Gary" align=left0200204 2 1 9
scope=row 46data-sort-value="Cripsey, Graham" align=left0 000 1 0 0200104 10 1 0
scope=row 47data-sort-value="Werbeniuk, Bill" align=left0 0 01 0 0 110 0 01 481 0
scope=row 48data-sort-value="MacLeod, Murdo" align=left0000 020 0 00 2 0411 0 0
scope=row 49data-sort-value="Jones, Tony" align=left0010 10 0 0 00 2 047 3 0
scope=row 50data-sort-value="Duggan, Steve" align=left1 0 02 1000000 0 4 5 50
scope=row 51data-sort-value="Chappel, Tony" align=left00000 0 01 2 000 3 11 10
scope=row 52data-sort-value="Bennett, Mark" align=left01 0 0 01000 1 0 0 3 6212
scope=row 53data-sort-value="Owers, Ken" align=left2 0 000 0 0 001 00 3542
scope=row 54data-sort-value="Browne, Paddy" align=left0 2 0 0 00 0 0 00 10 32 80
scope=row 55data-sort-value="Edmonds, Ray" align=left0 0 000 001 1 00 0 25 6 0
scope=row 56data-sort-value="Gilbert, Nigel" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 00235 6
scope=row 57data-sort-value="Gibert, Dave" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 00227 10
scope=row 58data-sort-value="Fisher, Mick" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 0021 5 13
scope=row 59data-sort-value="Houlihan, Pat" align=left1 000 0 0 0 1 00002 1416
scope=row 60data-sort-value="Bales, Roger" align=left1000 00 010 0 002 0 10 0
scope=row 61data-sort-value="Wright, Jon" align=left0001 01 00 0 00 0 2 7 3 2
scope=row 62data-sort-value="Dodd, Les" align=left0 10100 0 000002 5 5 0
scope=row 63data-sort-value="Gauvreau, Marcel" align=left20 0000 0 0 0 0 0025 6 0
scope=row 64data-sort-value="McLaughlin, Jack" align=left0 1 0 010 0 0 0 00 0 25 50
scope=row 65data-sort-value="Miles, Graham" align=left0 0000 0 0 0 10 0 0 1 740
scope=row 66data-sort-value="Foldvari, Robby" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 6 0
scope=row 67data-sort-value="Roscoe, Colin" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 4 7
scope=row 68data-sort-value="Medati, Paul" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 7 0
scope=row 69data-sort-value="Gibson, Paul" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 10
scope=row 70data-sort-value="Rowswell, Brian" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 7 1
scope=row 71data-sort-value="Harris, Vic" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 5 10
scope=row 72data-sort-value="Smith, Martin" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 3 22
scope=row 73data-sort-value="Chambers, Jim" align=left0 1 0 0 0 0 1 125
scope=row 74data-sort-value="Donnelly, Jim" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 7 15
scope=row 75data-sort-value="Bradley, Malcolm" align=left0 001 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 5 0
scope=row 76data-sort-value="Wildman, Mark" align=left0 10 0 000 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 5 0
scope=row 77data-sort-value="Harris, Bob" align=left0001 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 6 0
scope=row 78data-sort-value="Foulds, Geoff" align=left1000 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 1
scope=row 79data-sort-value="Grace, Robbie" align=left00 1 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 13
scope=row 80data-sort-value="Kearney, Anthony" align=left000100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 10
scope=row 81data-sort-value="Rea, John" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 92 5
scope=row 82data-sort-value="Morra, Mario" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73 10
scope=row 83data-sort-value="Davis, Fred" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 67 0
scope=row 84data-sort-value="Oliver, Bill" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66 7
scope=row 85data-sort-value="Sinclair, Eddie" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 64 11
scope=row 86data-sort-value="Bear, Jim" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 54 2
scope=row 87 data-sort-value="van Renburg, Jimmy" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 0
scope=row 88 data-sort-value="Gibson, Matt" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 7
scope=row 89data-sort-value="Williamson, Ian" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 46 4
scope=row 90data-sort-value="Scott, George" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 48 0
scope=row 91data-sort-value="Rigitano, Gino" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 11
scope=row 92data-sort-value="Dunning, John" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 12
scope=row 93data-sort-value="Lawlor, Eric" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 9
scope=row 94data-sort-value="Meadowcroft, Jim" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 9
scope=row 95data-sort-value="Wilkinson, Glen" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 10
scope=row 96data-sort-value="Black, Ian" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 7
scope=row 97data-sort-value="Mikkelsen, Bernie" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0
scope=row 98data-sort-value="Watchorn, Paul" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 14
scope=row 99data-sort-value="Rea, Jackie" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 16
scope=row 100data-sort-value="Darrington, Mike" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 24
scope=row 101data-sort-value="Whitthread, Terry" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 19
scope=row 102data-sort-value="Robidoux, Alain" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
scope=row 103data-sort-value="Fagan, Patsy" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 10
scope=row 104data-sort-value="Jenkins, Greg" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 13
scope=row 105data-sort-value="Burke, Pascal" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 16
scope=row 106data-sort-value="Jonik, Frank" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 20
scope=row 107data-sort-value="Anderson, Ian" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4
scope=row 108data-sort-value="Watterson, Mike" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 20
scope=row 109data-sort-value="Rempe, Jim" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
scope=row 110data-sort-value="Kelly, Billy" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 18
scope=row 111data-sort-value="Hughes, Dennis" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 12
scope=row 112data-sort-value="Chalmers, Dave" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 30
scope=row 113data-sort-value="Ellis, François" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 19
scope=row 114data-sort-value="Fitzmaurice, Jack" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 16
scope=row 115data-sort-value="Sheehan, Dessie" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 35
scope=row 116data-sort-value="Harris, Anthony" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9
scope=row 117data-sort-value="Meakin, Steve" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9
scope=row 118data-sort-value="Smith, Jason" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 17
scope=row 119data-sort-value="Marshall, Robert" align=left0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6
scope=row 120data-sort-value="Everton, Clive" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14
scope=row 121data-sort-value="Mienie, Derek" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 19
scope=row 122data-sort-value="Hargreaves, John" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 14
scope=row 123data-sort-value="Heaton, Derek" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13
scope=row 124data-sort-value="Thornley, Paul" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13
scope=row 125data-sort-value="Greaves, David" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 28
scope=row 126data-sort-value="Hines, Mike" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6
scope=row 127data-sort-value="Parkin, Maurice" align=left (NT)0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
scope=row 128data-sort-value="Demarco, Bert" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
scope=row 129data-sort-value="Bennett, Bernard" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
scope=row 130data-sort-value="Cagianello, Joe" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
scope=row 131data-sort-value="McLaughlin, Eddie" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
scope=row 132data-sort-value="Mizerak, Steve" align=left (NT)0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 133data-sort-value="Watson, Gerry" align=left (NT)0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 134data-sort-value="Morgan, Paddy" align=left (NT)0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 135data-sort-value="Giannaros, James" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 136data-sort-value="Condo, Lou" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 137data-sort-value="Francisco, Manuel" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
scope=row 138data-sort-value="Sanderson, Wayne" align=left (NT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

References

Books

Notes and References

  1. News: Acteson . Steve . Higgins slips off edge of the world . . London . 47. 19 April 1988.
  2. News: Sydney . Friskin . Higgins banned for six months and fined £12,000 . . 7 April 1987 . 44.
  3. News: Catherine . Baksi . 6 August 2020 . Sir Gavin Lightman obituary . .
  4. News: Acteson . Steve . Thorburn sentence ridiculed as lenient . . London . 44 . 13 May 1988.
  5. News: Snooker: three players fail drugs tests but remain anonymous . . 10 April 1998 . The Independent . 3 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190416152110/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/snooker-three-players-fail-drug-tests-but-remain-anonymous-1155528.html . 16 April 2019 . live .
  6. News: Everton . Clive . Canadian in by the back door . . London . 2 January 1988 . 20.
  7. Embassy world snooker: survival of the qualifiers . . Everton's News Agency . Birmingham . May 1988 . 8–13.
  8. News: Barnes . Simon . Why Davis is hooked on winning . . London . 44 . 26 April 1988 .