Jimmy Sansome
Jimmy (aged 90) with his Montagu Cup trophy from 1954 in which he scored the winner.
Jimmy beat Fred Davis, John Pullman, Ray Reardon, John Spencer and John Donaldson. Donladson was World Champion at the time that Jimmy beat him - Jimmy was just 15.
Dalton born, Jimmy Sansome, scored the only goal as Silverwood beat Ings Lane in the 1954 final - this is just one of his proud memories. More on 1954 final at www.montagucup.com/1954
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Incredibly, Jimmy has beaten FIVE World Snooker Champions. He also narrowly lost to Joe Johnson (on a black ball) the year before he won the World title.
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Jimmy's heyday came in the decade before money came into snooker, otherwise he would have been a household name.
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The day after the Montagu Cup final, Jimmy and his Silverwood team mates had to play in the Rotherham Charity Cup final. A fatigued side lost to New Stubbin at Millmoor.
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A couple of years before this, Jimmy had represented the British Armed Forces at the Olympic Stadium, Berlin. He was the only player not assigned to a League Club.
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Sheffield United wanted to sign Jimmy at some stage, but his real passion was snooker.
Jimmy seated centrally at Millmoor the day after the Mont
Jimmy on the floor at Millmoor the day after the Mont
RETRO: A world beater - aged just 15
Article by Ray Hill for the Shaffield Star (link at the end)
“About 70 years ago a young man of 15 years walked into the Dalton Progressive WMC with his father.
“He had been given a special one-day membership so he could play snooker against the then world champion Walter Donaldson who had taken over from Joe Davis who had relinquished the title.
“The young man was Jimmy Sansome and he beat the world champion 3-0 .
“He was given a bottle of pop and a packet of crisps and then he had to leave the club, such were the rules back then.
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“He also in the following years beat four other world champions, Fred Davis, John Pullman, Ray Reardon and John Spencer, and narrowly lost to Joe Johnson who later went on to become world champion.
“Jimmy was also one of the top local players and won many titles
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“He won the double of open and handicap titles in 1966.
“It was thought he was the first to do this feat but it was discovered that the wellknown ‘Staffy Brittle’ had done it previously.
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“In the early 60s I played against Staffy because he wanted some practice before he played a match. If he had given me 50 start he would have easily beaten me.
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“Jimmy feels if he had been born a few years later he could have been appearing on TV with other famous names of the sport. Jimmy is an active 86-year-old who likes his horse racing on TV.”
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Ray said that Jimmy had just celebrated his birthday and is as fit and lively as a man many years younger.
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These days someone 0f Jimmy’s talents would probably be a household name, well known for competing at the Crucible .
The Sheffield theatre has hosted snooker’s greatest tournament since 1977, when John Spencer won the title.
https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/retro-world-beater-aged-just-15-457932
