Snooker World Championship: 1980-1989 Quiz

Answer: Alex Higgins

Canada's Cliff Thorburn became the first player from outside the UK to win the World Championship in the modern era. He defeated Northern Ireland's Alex Higgins 18-16 in the final. The 1980 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 22 April to 5 May.

Answer: Doug Mountjoy

The 1981 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 7-20 April. England's Steve Davis won the first of his six titles with an 18-12 victory over Welshman Doug Mountjoy in the final. This year also saw the debut of Jimmy White, who would go on to reach six finals, losing them all.

Answer: Ray Reardon

The 1972 champion Alex Higgins of Northern Ireland won his second title by defeating Ray Reardon of Wales 18-15 in the final. Reardon had himself won 6 titles in the 1970s. This was his only defeat in a World Championship final. The 1982 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 30 April to 16 May.

Answer: Cliff Thorburn

The 1983 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 16 April to 2 May. Steve Davis, winner in 1981, defeated 1980 winner Cliff Thorburn 18-6 in the final to win his second title. Thorburn had made history in his second round match against Terry Griffiths by becoming the first player to make a maximum 147 break at a World Snooker Championship.

Answer: Jimmy White

The 1984 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 21 April to 7 May. Steve Davis defeated fellow Englishman Jimmy White 18-16 in the final to win his third title. This was the first of six appearances in the final for Jimmy White, who reached five finals in a row from 1990-1994, losing all of them (four to Stephen Hendry and one to John Parrot in 1991).

Answer: Steve Davis

The 1985 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 12-28 April. Dennis Taylor of Northern Ireland won his first world title by defeating Steve Davis 18-17 in the final. Davis had led 8-0 in the final before Taylor fought back.

The final frame is remembered for a black ball finish. Both players had a chance to pot the black and win the title, but both managed to miss, before Taylor potted it.

Answer: Steve Davis

The 1986 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 19 April to 5 May. England's Joe Johnson defeated Steve Davis 18-12 in the final to win his only ranking title. Johnson was 150-1 to win the tournament having never previously won a match at the Crucible. Future seven-time champion Stephen Hendry made his World Championship debut in this year.

He lost 10-8 to England's Willie Thorne in the first round.

Answer: Joe Johnson

The 1987 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 18 April to 4 May. Steve Davis met Joe Johnson in a rematch of the 1986 final, with Davis gaining revenge for his previous defeat. He won 18-14 to claim his fourth World title.

This was the first time two players had met in the final two years running at the Crucible, where the championship had been held since 1977. The last time the feat had happened was in 1951, when Fred Davis met Walter Donaldson. Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White would go on to contest three consecutive finals 1992-93-94.

This was also the last appearance at the Crucible of six-time World Champion Ray Reardon.

Answer: Terry Griffiths

The 1988 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 16 April to 2 May. Steve Davis won his fifth title with an 18-11 victory in the final against the 1979 champion Terry Griffiths.

Answer: John Parrott

The 1989 World Snooker Championship was played at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield from 15 April to 1 May. Steve Davis picked up the last of his six titles by defeating 1991 champion John Parrot 18-3 in the final, setting a new record for the biggest winning margin (the previous record was 18-6 in the 1983 final).