The UK Boy's Championship (Inaugural Competition - 1922)
A United Kingdom Championship for Boys under sixteen years was first organised by journalist Harry Young, supported by Harry Lee who donated a fifty-guinea challenge cup. The event was open to entrants from all over the country and was played at the Old Burroughes Hall, Soho Square from 5th - 16th June 1922. Heats were 250 up and amongst the 37 entrants were Frank Edwards (Stourbridge), Willie Leigh (Derby), Walter Donaldson (Glasgow), and Sydney Lee (Streatham).
Edwards went out in the first round, but the last three named all made the semi-final together with H. Renaut (Leyton) who went on to contest the final against Donaldson. The final of 1,000 up was played over 15th-16th June 1922 and 15 year-old Donaldson proved victorious by 314 points.
The first prize was as follows:- Silver challenge cup, presented by Mr. Harry Lee; gold medal; suit of clothes, presented by Messrs. J. and H. Ellis, 201, Strand; and cue and case. This was won by W. Donaldson, of Glasgow. Medals, boots, cues, cases, and other prizes went to many of the other competitors, for which thanks went to The True Form Boot Co., Ltd., Tom Newman, C. Falkiner, S.H. Fry, W. Smith, J. P. Mannock, and Geo. Webb.
In addition, M. Inman, T. Newman, W. J. Peall, A. E. Graham, A. J. Browne, and J. McKenzie acted as referees, and Lady (Arthur) Pearson, M.B.E., attended to watch the final heat and present the prizes. The initial venture was a gratifying success, and as a result St. Dunstan's, which received all the profits, benefited to the extent of £40.
The Following is an extract from The Manchester Guardian of that date: "Master W. Donaldson, the small, exquisitely self-possessed Scottish boy who won the silver cup by beating Master H. Renaut, of London, by over 300 points in 1,000 up, could probably have given all elderly person present, with one exception, 50 behind in 100 and disgraced him. The exception was Mr. Inman; looking rather like an Eastern Buddha at a ping-pong tournament. Breaks of just under 50 were common. One boy-the loser-made nearly 40 off the red, after losing the white. A competitor who was knocked out earlier scored 250 in forty-three minutes. The spectators included many proud but mystified mamma's, several small tots of girls who wriggled in ecstasy when someone made a miraculous fluke, and a number of thoroughly disgruntled middle-aged gentlemen with blue chalk in their waistcoat pockets."
Full results:
JUNE 5.
| H. Heffell (Woolwich) beat R. Hook (Crystal Palace) by 56. |
| C. Cooper (Newport Isle of Wight), beat F. Edwards (Stourbridge) by 34. |
| A. Hadaway (R.A.F. Club, Piccadilly) w.o., A. Stewart, absent. |
| G. Glanville (Kennington) w.o., J. Butler (Regent's Park) absent. |
JUNE 6.
| C. Cooper (Newport, Isle of Wight) beat W. Webb (Kilburn) by 124. The Winner made 24 and 20. |
| C. Rawson (Southampton) beat A. Wakeling (King's Cross) by 30. The Winner made 13, and the loser 23 and 18. |
| L. Kidner (Tooting) beat R. Fry (Barnes) by 14. The winner made 25, 18, and the loser 24 and 16. |
| G. Morant (Regent's Park), w.o. |
JUNE 7.
| L. Bateman (Nuneaton) beat G. Glanville (Lambeth) by 4. The winner made 12 and 10 (twice). |
| T. L. Dennis (Nottingham) beat E. Miller (Edgware) by 51. The winner made 17, 15, and 13. |
| A. Callcutt (Woolwich) beat A. J. Curtis (Peckham) by 112. The winner made 14, 19, and 24. |
| A. Hadaway, w.o. |
JUNE 8.
| H. Heffell (Plumstead) beat S. Morley (Battersea) by 154. The winner made 18, 15, and 14. |
| C. Skipper (Notting Hill) beat P. Davenport (Regent's Park) by 165. The winner made 20, 14, and 12. |
| H. Hodges (Bournemouth) beat F. Tame (Marylebone) by 72. The winner made 32, 14, 13, and 14 (unfinished) |
| S. Lee (Streatham) beat C. Waight (Brighton) by 8. The winner made 18, 12 (twice), 14, 21, and 19, and the loser 10, 17, 12, 20, 14, and 13. |
JUNE 9.
| Ray Clarke (Tredegar) beat S. Simmons (New Southgate) by 70. The winner made 15, 14, 12 (twice). |
| W. Leigh (Derby) beat J. Halliday (London) by 141 in 48 minutes. The winner made 36, 30, 18, 16, 15, and 14, and the loser 14 and 10 (twice). |
| H. Renaut (Leyton) beat G. Williams (Wisbech) by 131 in 58 minutes. The winner made 20, 27, 20 (twice), 13, 12, and 11, and the loser 15 and 10. |
| W. Donaldson (Glasgow) beat T. Ansell (Frith) by 58. The winner made 21, 35, 12, 11 (twice), and 28, and the loser 11, 20, and 12. |
JUNE 10.
| W. Leigh (Derby) beat C. Rawson (Southgate) by 163. The winner made 14 (three times), 33, 34, and 48 (unfinished), and the loser 15 and 10 (twice). |
| T. L. Dennis (Nottingham) beat Ray Clarke (Tredegar) by 2. The winner made 22, 17, 15, 14, 12, and 11, and the loser 21, 15, 14, 13, and 12. |
| H. Heffel (Plumstead) beat L. Bateman (Nuneaton) by 1. The winner made 15, 12, and 11 (three times), and the loser 14, 11, and 10. |
| H. Renaut (Leyton) beat A. Hadaway (London) by 127. The winner made 25, 24, 15, 14 (twice), 11, and 10, and the loser 11 and 10, (twice) |
JUNE 12.
| C. Skipper (Notting Hill) beat H. Hodges (Bournemouth) by 95. The winner made 19, 17, 15, 11, and 10, and the loser 11 and 10. |
| W. Donaldson (Glasgow) beat L. Kidner (Tooting) by 176 in 46 minutes. The winner made 58 (27 off the red), 37, and 55 (unfinished), and the loser 10 (twice). |
| C. Cooper (Isle of Wight) beat A. Callcutt (Woolwich) by 30. The winner made 21, 20, 17, 16, 13, and 12, and the loser 22, 16, and 10. |
| S. Lee (Streatham) beat G. Morant (Regent's Park) by 158. The winner made 16, 12, 14, 13 (twice), 16, and 11 (twice), and the loser 10. |
JUNE 13.
| W. Leigh (Derby) beat T. L. Dennis (Nottingham) by 140. The winner made 11, 15, 22, 24, and 46 (unfinished), and the loser 11 and 10. |
| H. Renaut (Leyton) beat H. Heffell (Plumstead) by 72. The winner made 27, 13, 11 (twice), and 10 (twice), and the loser 27, 20, and 10. |
| W. Donaldson (Glasgow) beat C. Skipper (Notting Hill) by 182 in 43 minutes. The, winner made 32, 30, 23, 22, 20, 15, and 14, and the loser 13. |
| S Lee (Streatham) beat C. Cooper (Isle of Wight) by 68. The winner made 12 (twice) and 11 (three times), and the loser 35, 16, and 12. |
JUNE 14
| H. Renaut (Leyton) beat W. Leigh (Derby) by 76. The winner made, 15, 11, 19, 14, 11, 17, 22, 14, 11, 14, 12, 18, 14, 12, 12, 22, 11, and 13 (unfinished), and the loser 22, 11, 16, 18, 31, 25, 13, 17, 11, 14, and 18, |
| W. Donaldson (Glasgow) beat S. Lee (Streatham) by 161. The winner made 12, 22, 12, 12, 17, 16, 13, 15, 15, 15, 21, 20, 19, 12, 23 and 11, and the loser 24, 10, 14, 12, 11, 19, 13, 10, 10, 12, and 12. |
JUNE 15 - 16.
The final was played in four sessions, at the end of which the scores severally stood:
|
Donaldson : 250 (made in 50 minutes), 500, 752, 1,000; Renaut: 99, 306, 480, 686 Donaldson thus won by 314 points. The winner made 46, 45, 40, 39, 36, 35 (twice), 30, 29 (twice), 28, 24, 23 (three times), 22, 18 (twice), 16 (three times), 15, 14 (twice), 13 (twice), 12 (twice) ; and the loser 39, 28, 27, 23, 20, 19, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10. |