Definition of "professionals" early 1970s

[philezra]

Hi.

Just reading that "professional" Ron Gross was knocked out of a tournament in October 1970.

I thought that even back then, a professional was a 'member of the WPBSA'?? Pretty sure Gross wasn't accepted until later..

This has always confused me.....

Can anyone clarify please?

[robbo mcs]

Back in those days there were a whole lot of sports with amateurs and professionals. Anyone who was an amateur lost their status and was considered a professional if they accepted a cash prize or played for money.

That was the case for many sports, especially those in the Olympics. However, also applied to more organised professional sports like tennis, golf. Also tended to apply across all sports, so there were stories of talented athletes who were excluded from the olympics as "professionals", because 10 years ago they had pocketed a small amount of money playing another sport like football or baseball etc

I suspect snooker was probably the same, you could lose your amateur status and be considered a professional if you had played for money, even if you were not a member of the WPBSA.. Maybe that is the reason?

[vmax]

Being employed in a snooker capacity was a means to be considered 'professional' ie: managing a snooker club, being a snooker club or summer holiday camp coach even though not a member of the WPBSA and active on the snooker circuit was another, winning a pro am and taking the money prize meant automatic 'professional' status even though one was not a member of the WPBSA.

[philezra]

Thanks for the replies - similarly Bernard Bennett was proprietor of Southampton SC - he entered the 1969 World Champs. Would be interesting to get a breakdown of the early pros (who was accepted by WPBSA and who was a "professional"). Graham Mile "turned pro" in late 1969 but didn't enter World's until 1973.