World Record in Denaby Exhibition – Fine “Red” Break By Laurence Steeples.

December 1925

Mexborough and Swinton Times December 18, 1925

Billiards
Fine “Red” Break By Laurence Steeples.
World Record in Denaby Exhibition.

An exhibition game of billiards was played at the Denaby Miners Welfare Institute, last Saturday, between Laurence’s Steeples, of Rotherham, ex-boy champion, who is 17 years of age, and Thomas Oxley, a local amateur, secretary of the British Legion club Denaby, and a semi finalist in the British Legion championship last season. Steeples is a candidate for the English amateur championship and is considered by the present holder, W. McLeod to have a splendid chance.

The exhibition game at Denaby on Saturday was memorable for a break of 354 (348 of the red) by Steeples, which is a world record going amateur, the previous best being 292. This is steeples highest break in public performance, but he has made 411 with either his in a private game.

The game was one of 750, Oxley receiving 300. Steeples first breakup now was 45, and he compiled 213 while Oxley was collecting 56. Steeples went on to make a 25 and a 90, the latter break being stopped by a double baulk. At the interval steeples was 376 and Oxley 403. With the scores level, steeples made a faultless 12 for, followed by a 44 and a 49.

His score stood at 728 when he began his break of 354. Oxley’s score was 469, when his opponent ran out.

The previous record break by an amateur was made by J. R. Roper at Sydney in 1920. The holder of the English amateur record was J. Merlin of Runcorn Liberal club, who made 286 while playing in the Liverpool amateur billiards championship, only two days before Steeples lowered it Denaby. The previous amateur English great record was 256 by Sidney H. Fry, in 1920.

Lawrence Steeples is a son of Mr J Steeples of the Grapes Hotel, Dalton, and has been playing billiards since he was seven years old. Recently he had been engaged in exhibition play with some of the best players in the country. Including John Davies, of Chesterfield.