John Rea (snooker player)
| Born | 5 December 1951 |
|---|---|
| Sport country |
 Scotland
|
| Nickname | King of the Baize |
| Professional | 1984–1994 |
| Highest ranking | 62 (1986/1987) |
| Career winnings | £53,565 |
| Highest break | 147 (1989 Scottish Professional Championship) |
| Century breaks | 4 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Non-ranking | 1 |
John Rea (born 5 December 1951) is a retired Scottish snooker player.
Rea turned professional in 1984, recording his first victory over Jack Fitzmaurice in the Grand Prix; he reached the last 32 of this tournament, losing 1–5 to David Taylor. A run to the last 48 at the UK Championship followed this, but Joe Johnson eliminated Rea 9–6 at this stage.
Rea's campaign at the next season's UK Championship ended at the first attempt, as he recovered from 4–8 to 8–8, but eventually succumbed 8–9 to three-time world champion Fred Davis, who became, aged seventy-two, the oldest player ever to win a professional match.
He defeated another multiple world champion, Ray Reardon, in the 1986 British Open, but lost in the last 32, 5–0 to John Virgo.
Several quiet years ensued, but the 1988/1989 season provided an upturn in form for Rea; a run to the last 32 at the International Open - where he lost 4–5 to Taylor - was followed by the only professional title of his career - the 1989 Scottish Professional Championship. In his first-round match against Ian Black, he recorded a 147 maximum break, also his first century break, becoming the first Scot ever to achieve this feat. He defeated Murdo MacLeod 9–7 in the final.
This performance appeared to spur Rea on, and in the 1989 World Championship, he defeated Dennis Hughes 10–3, Pat Houlihan 10–5 and Ray Edmonds 10–7 to reach the last 48. Requiring one more victory to make his debut at the Crucible Theatre, Rea was drawn against Steve James but, despite recovering from 2–9 to trail only 7–9, he lost the match 7–10.
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