ATWSC Group A: Shaun Murphy v Walter Donaldson

Shaun Murphy v Walter Donaldson (Best of 20 frames)
Group: A
Date: November 25
Match: Four of six
Match day: Two of three
Venue: Alexandra Palace, London, United Kingdom

Vote for which of the two players you think was greater. Vote honestly, and leave your bias out of it. Don’t vote for a player just because you like them, don’t vote against a player just because you dislike them.

Consider the table conditions to be whatever conditions would have the least impact on the result.

You can use your own personal criteria for measuring greatness once it’s free of any bias towards/against (delete as applicable) players you like/dislike (delete as applicable).

I must confess I wasn't sure whether to vote for a player I have never seen but read about or a player I have seen and hate.

Here's Walter receiving the World Championship trophy in 1947 from the retired champion, Joe Davis. Joe looks as though he doesn't want to let go of it.

Here's the score card for the first of Donaldson's two World Championship wins. He also won in 1950 and was runner-up six times.

1947 World Professional Snooker Championship

FINAL
13th– 18th, 20th – 25th October, 1947
Leicester Square Hall, London

WALTER DONALDSON (Scotland) 82-63 FRED DAVIS (England)

Session 1 42-88; 65-49; 77-29; 23-91(59); 65-51; 70-21. Donaldson 4-2
Session 2 26-72; 62-43; 13-113(53); 66-60(56); 40-86; 85-36. Donaldson 7-5
Session 3 88(52)-31; 84-22; 33-50; 71-32; 49-71; 65-35. Donaldson 11-7
Session 4 63-65; 80-36; 73-56; 32-86; 87(56)-48; 34-96. Donaldson 14-10
Session 5 73-44; 95(43)-14; 64-50; 89-31; 79-23; 28-63. Donaldson 19-11
Session 6 70-38; 59-40; 30-55; 62-47; 28-82(55); 38-86. Donaldson 22-14
Session 7 80-20; 52-82; 83-43; 13-144(73); 65-36; 69-24. Donaldson 26-16
Session 8 99(97)-24; 100-24; 112(56)-5; 78(70)-45; 47-77(52); 62-61. Donaldson 31-17
Session 9 65-53; 12-112(78); 84-33; 77-24; 83-37; 25-94. Donaldson 35-19
Session 10 31-84; 50-71; 56-82; 37-64; 22-89; 32-80. Donaldson 35-25
Session 11 85-18; 72-45; 21-88; 60-46; 94-38; 70-39. Donaldson 40-26
Session 12 72-31; 90-11; 87(54)-28; 46-70; 29-79; 74-51. Donaldson 44-28
Session 13 63-41; 116-8; 96-24; 8-111(103); 65-59; 68-61. Donaldson 49-29
Session 14 16-106; 26-85; 19-119(107); 56-69; 89-42; 97(82)-12. Donaldson 51-33
Session 15 53-44; 0-139(135); 97(61)-32; 51-63; 67-37; 39-96(48). Donaldson 54-36
Session 16 57-36; 90(58)-28; 32-75(40); 103(65)-6; 65-73; 22-103(83). Donaldson 57-39
Session 17 40-67; 67-55; 30-94(62); 72-59; 82(62)-21; 20-86. Donaldson 60-42
Session 18 95-51; 119(81)-31; 51-93; 14-94; 55-64; 12-120(81). Donaldson 62-46
Session 19 51-56; 111(85)-20; 95-31; 88-23; 91-6; 86-36. Donaldson 67-47
Session 20 28-80; 57-55; 73-53; 24-86; 65-55; 101(58)-26. Donaldson 71-49
Session 21 68-66; *95-48; 77-38; 66-67; 68-23; 76-50. Donaldson 76-50
Session 22 72-53; 74-40; 44-82; 43-79; 4-114; 31-78. Donaldson 78-54
Session 23 55-65; 18-92; 77(63)-47; 23-96; 26-75; 93-21. Donaldson 80-58
Session 24 18-93(83); 26-84; 6-112(91); 46-82(73); 104(72)-33; 96-20. Donaldson 82-63

*Donaldson reached a winning lead at 73-49 in the 122nd frame.


Note. This is not an official score sheet. It is constructed from newspaper reports, hence not all breaks over 40 are shown. Some days, only the frame scores were shown - no breaks.

Radio broadcasts commentary by Raymond Glendening.

Route to final:
Donaldson
Quarter final beat Stanley Newman 46-25
Semi-final beat Horace Lindrum 39-32
Davis
Quarter final beat Clark McConachy 53-20
Semi-final beat Sidney Smith 39-32

I misread this as Scott Donaldson and I was about go all LDS on your a*s

I bet Joe was giving Fred grief during that match

Dan-cat wrote:I misread this as Scott Donaldson and I was about go all LDS on your a*s

Ooo, DC - how naughty of you!

Dan-cat wrote:I bet Joe was giving Fred grief during that match

Apparently, Joe didn't actually attend many sessions. Fred always said Joe never really gave him much encouragement at all, even as a boy.


Fred learned from this defeat and discovered that the only way to beat Donaldson was to play him at his own game - by not taking any undue risks. Because Fred generally scored the heavier of the two, Walter was forced then into pushing the boat out himself to get in. In 1947, Fred had taken chances and paid the price. It was effective but not pretty - the 1948 final and subsequent years tended to be dour affairs, with long bouts of safety dictating the play - frequently a six frame session went into three hours duration.

Donaldson wins by 11 frames to 6.