Embassy World Championship
Tour: Main Tour;
Date: 17-29 Apr 1978;
Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England;
Type: Ranking;
Defending champion: John Spencer (a);
Notes: See also results (16)
| Final | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Ray Reardon (a) | 25 | - | 18 |  |
Perrie Mans (a) |
 |
 In between, Reardon led only 18-17. He became the oldest ever World Champion at the age of 45 years and 203 days, a record that lasted until 2022 when Ronnie O'Sullivan won the title aged 46 years and 148 days. | ||
|
74-49 (62), 32-80, 58-17, 62-68, 106-8, 80-60, 112-14 (71), 34-83 (67), 32-96, 9-54, 71-24, 122-6 (87), 15-85 (65), 94-14, 34-84, 8-75, 51-74, 68-56, 50-70 (65), 78-29, 67-40, 87-26, 16-83, 96-28 (64), 75-33, 67-33 (66), 71-76 (RR 62), 76-48, 82-28, 44-60, 42-68, 84-39, 54-80 (RR 54), 42-64, 31-82, 107-12 (100), 86-26, 89-15, 16-64, 92-50 (53), 82-43 (81), 75-44, 60-49 Referee: John Williams |
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| 3rd/4th Playoff | ||||||||||
 |
Eddie Charlton (a) | 7 | - | 3 |  |
Fred Davis (a) |
|
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| Semifinals | ||||||||||
|
Perrie Mans (a) | 18 | - | 16 | |
Fred Davis (a) | Fred Davis' brother and formerly World Champion Joe Davis was watching in the audience and taken ill during the match. According to snooker historian Clive Everton, Joe had been "swinging in his seat this way and that as he mentally played each shot for his brother". Joe collapsed two days later and required surgery; he died several weeks after from a chest infection. | |||
|
Ray Reardon (a) | 18 | - | 14 | |
Eddie Charlton (a) |
|
Charlton led 12-9. Reardon won all seven frames in the fourth session. | ||
| Quarterfinals | ||||||||||
|
Perrie Mans (a) | 13 | - | 7 | |
Graham Miles (a) | ||||
|
Fred Davis (a) | 13 | - | 10 |  |
Patsy Fagan (a) | ||||
|
Eddie Charlton (a) | 13 | - | 12 |  |
Cliff Thorburn (a) |
|
Thorburn led 12-8. | ||
|
Ray Reardon (a) | 13 | - | 6 | |
Bill Werbeniuk (a) |
|
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|
Round 1 (Last 16) |
||||||||||
| 1 | |
Perrie Mans (a) | 13 | - | 8 | |
John Spencer (a) | |||
| 2 | |
Graham Miles (a) | 13 | - | 10 | |
David Taylor (a) | |||
| 3 | |
Patsy Fagan (a) | 13 | - | 12 |  |
Alex Higgins (a) | Fagan was 10�12 behind Alex Higgins but won three close frames � on a re-spotted black, then the final black ball and, in the deciding frame, on the final pink ball | ||
| 4 | |
Fred Davis (a) | 13 | - | 9 | |
Dennis Taylor (a) | |||
| 5 | |
Eddie Charlton (a) | 13 | - | 12 | |
Willie Thorne (a) | Clive Everton made his BBC commentary debut. | ||
| 6 | |
Cliff Thorburn (a) | 13 | - | 8 | |
Pat Houlihan (a) | Houlihan made his only appearance in the World Championship at the Crucible, aged 48. | ||
| 7 | |
Bill Werbeniuk (a) | 13 | - | 4 | |
John Pulman (a) | |||
| 8 | |
Ray Reardon (a) | 13 | - | 9 | |
Doug Mountjoy (a) |
|
Mountjoy led 7-2. | |
