Warren Alwyn Simpson (28 March 1922 – 28 June 1980) was an Australian

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

player. He was world amateur champion before turning professional in the early 1960s.

Career

Simpson won amateur championships at state and national level before becoming world amateur champion in 1954. He played an exhibition against world professional champion Fred Davis in 1960 and later turned professional. Simpson reached the final of the 1971 World Snooker Championship, losing 37–29 to John Spencer in a match played in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in November 1970. Simpson competed in three further World Championships between 1973 and 1975. In 1974, despite suffering from

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

, he discharged himself from hospital to play in his match against

Bernard Bennett Bernard Bennett (31 August 1931 – 12 January 2002) was an English former professional player of snooker and English billiards, whose career spanned twenty-six years between 1969 and 1995. Bennett was a stalwart of professional snooker and ...

, but lost 8–2. He suffered from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

for many years and died in 1980, aged 58. He was married and had a son.

Career titles

* New South Wales Snooker Championship: 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957 * Australia National Snooker Championship: 1953, 1954, 1957 *

Australian Professional Championship The Australian Professional Championship was a professional snooker tournament which was open only for Australian or Australian-based players. History From 1963 to 1974 the Australian Professional Championship was held on a challenge basis and d ...

: 1963, 1968, 1969

References

Australian snooker players 1980 deaths 1922 births Sportsmen from New South Wales {{Australia-sport-bio-stub