Walter and Horace Lindrum were Uncle and Nephew cueists from Australia. Between them they won many snooker and billiards tournaments.

Walter Lindrum became the best billiards player the game has ever seen while his nephew was amongst the best snooker players in the world for a great many years.

Walter Lindrum defeated Joe Davis for the world billiards title in 1933 and 1934 by what appears to be a slender margin. However I believe that Joe was receiving a significant handicap.

Walter made huge breaks mainly using the nursery cannon, this was a means of scoring that grouped the three balls together and with great touch and skill, kept them close. This allowed many cannons to be scored with frightening swiftness.

Walter’s highest recognised break was 4.137, which was largely dominated with this scoring method. Lets not be fooled by this statistic because Walter Lindrum was brilliant at all round billiards as well.

Moving on to Horace Lindrum for a moment, I personally feel that the fact that his world championship win in 1952 is not recognised appears from a historical perspective, somewhat churlish. Horace Lindrum and Clark Mc Conachy played what in effect became a challenge match for the world snooker title as all other professionals had withdrawn due to a dispute with the governing body.

It seems to me that the time is long overdue for this decision to be reviewed, Horace unfortunately passed away in the mid nineteen seventies so can not benefit other than in a kind of restored reputation sense from any new decision considered at this late date.

My own personal view is that his win is not that different in principle to some of John Pullman’s great wins in the fifties and sixties. The game of snooker as a public spectacle was in decline and therefore not many top players could make a living at the game. John Pullman was amongst a small group of players that retained professional status and therefore competed for the world crown. The championship was often played for on a challenge basis with Mr Pullman and one other player.

No one seeks to deny John Pullman of his rightful place among those that have held the same championship as Ray Reardon, Alex Higgins and Steve Davis, so why keep the gate closed on the flamboyant and apparently entertaining Mr Lindrum?

I believe that Joe Davis’s first win in the championship was against Tom Dennis in the back room of this gentleman’s own pub, should Joe’s tally be retrospectively reduced to fourteen?

If you get the chance, please take a look at the book between frames by Ted Lowe and when you have zeroed in on the sections concerning Horace Lindrum ask yourself if this was the type of man who should have been denied his rightful place in the history books?

From a psychological point of view, I am not surprised that Horace Lindrum didn’t win the tournament again. The additional pressure on him to do so must have been immense. I have noticed that pressure seems to affect those players most who’s game depends on flair and inspiration. Look at Jimmy White, a man who senses his place in the history of the game as well as you or I. I suspect and yet he has not managed to lift the very trophy that for him eclipses all others. Take a moment to look at his record in the world matchplay championship however, he not only won it, but retained it, what does that suggest about the added effects of the world championship on this type of player?

Please feel free to pass on any opinions to me for future publication.

David Smith