Joe Johnson (snooker player)
| Born |
29 July 1952 Bradford, West Yorkshire |
|---|---|
| Sport country |
 England
|
| Professional | 1979–2004 |
| Highest ranking | 5 (1987/88) |
| Career winnings | £770,315 |
| Highest break | 141 (1992 World Championship qualifying) |
| Century breaks | 49 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
| Non-ranking | 3 |
| World Champion | 1986 |
Joe Johnson (born 29 July 1952, Bradford, West Yorkshire) is an English former professional snooker player. He is best known as the surprise winner of the 1986 World Championship.
Johnson was National Under-19 champion in 1971 and three times Yorkshire Champion. He was runner-up to Terry Griffiths in the English Amateur championship of 1978 and, with Griffiths being a Welshman, Johnson qualified as England’s representative in that year’s World Amateur in Malta. He gave a very good account of himself and reached the final where he lost to Cliff Wilson. This prompted Johnson to turn professional in 1979.
In Johnson's first season as a professional he was unranked. Johnson turned professional alongside other notable players of the future, including Tony Meo, Mike Hallett and Cliff Wilson. Johnson's first match as a professional came in the non-ranking 1979 Canadian Open. In Round 1 he beat Steve Baruda 5–4. The match included a break of 100, Johnson's first century break as a professional. In the second round Johnson beat John Bear 9–7 and then lost in the last 16 to Kirk Stevens by 9 frames to 2. In the next event, the 1979 UK Championship, Johnson lost his opening match, a last 24 encounter with Bill Werbeniuk by 9 frames to 3. At the 1980 British Gold Cup, Johnson had Willie Thorne and Ray Edmonds in his qualifying group. Johnson lost 3–0 to Thorne but beat Edmonds 2–1, which was not enough for Johnson to qualify out of his group. At the 1980 World Championship Johnson beat Roy Andrewartha 9–5 in Round one and progressed to the last 48 where Johnson lost 9–6 to Pat Houlihan. Johson won just £100 in his first professional season, received no ranking points and he finished the season unranked.
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