Bill Werbeniuk
 |
|
| Born |
14 January 1947 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
|---|---|
| Died | 20 January 2003 (aged 56) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Sport country |
 Canada
|
| Nickname | Big Billy B |
| Professional | 1973–1992 |
| Highest ranking | 8 (1983/84) |
| Career winnings | £126,338 |
| Highest break | 143 (1985 World Championship) |
| Century breaks | 17 |
| Best ranking finish | Quarter-finals x6 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Non-ranking | 2 |
William Alexander "Bill" Werbeniuk (/ˌwɜːrbɛˈnɪk/ WURR-ben-IK; 14 January 1947 – 20 January 2003) was a Canadian professional snooker and pool player. Recognisable for his girth, he was nicknamed "Big Bill".
William Werbeniuk was born on 14 January 1947 in Winnipeg. His paternal grandfather had immigrated to Canada from Ukraine; his father, according to Werbeniuk, "was one of the biggest fences in Canada" and "committed armed robberies, peddled drugs, every larceny in the language." His father also owned Pop's Billiards on Logan Avenue in Winnipeg, where Werbeniuk began playing snooker as a child. Werbeniuk spent a portion of his youth traveling with Cliff Thorburn and playing pool for money.
His playing record included an 8–9 quarter-final loss to John Pulman in the 1975 Canadian Open and quarter-final losses in the 1978 and 1979 World Championships to Ray Reardon and John Virgo respectively. He reached the semi-finals of the UK Championships (when it opened to non-UK based residents) but lost 3-9 to the reigning world champion Terry Griffiths. He suffered a third World quarter-final loss to Reardon in 1981 by 10–13.
In the Lada Classic 1983, Bill reached his first major final, but was beaten by Steve Davis 5–9. Werbeniuk again reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships, in the same year, losing 11-13 to Alex Higgins, and reached his second major final in the summer, losing 3-7 to compatriot Cliff Thorburn in the Winfield Masters in Australia.
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