Mark Wildman
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![]() | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (May 2011) |
Born | 25 January 1936 |
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Sport country | ![]() |
Professional | 1979–1992 |
Highest ranking | 24 (1983/1984) |
Highest break | 115 (1982 UK Championship)[1] |
Century breaks | 2[2] |
Best ranking finish | Semi-final (1984 Classic) |
Markham Wildman (born 25 January 1936) is an English snooker and pool commentator and a retired professional snooker and English billiards player. He made the first televised century break (107 points) in November 1960 on ATV.[citation needed]
He won the World Professional Billiards Championship in 1984 and was runner up in 1980 and 1982.
Biography[]
Wildman was born on 25 January 1936.[3] He was the British under-16 champion of English billiards in 1951, and the British under-19 winner in 1952 and 1953. He was also the 1952 British Boys Champion in snooker, and British Junior snooker champion in 1954.[4] In 1968, he won the English Amateur Billiards Championship by defeating Clive Everton 2,652-2,540 in the final.[5]: 224
As a snooker professional, he lost to Terry Griffiths, 10–8, in the first round of the 1984 World Championship.[citation needed]
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Wildman was a snooker commentator for ITV until snooker was dropped by the channel. Between September 1999 and September 2002 he was Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). In recent years, he resumed commentary for Sky Sports and British Eurosport, but was dropped by Sky Sports when they ceased coverage of WPBSA-backed tournaments in 2004. He was also dropped by Eurosport as a commentator in 2004. In July 2006, Wildman returned to Eurosport as the leading commentator of their coverage of the new International Pool Tour (IPT).[citation needed]
The IPT folded later in 2006, and Wildman has since retired.[citation needed]
Wildman was a coach/mentor to a number of billiards players, including former English Champions Matthew Sutton and Phillip Welham.[citation needed] He also ran a Junior Academy at Raunds which produced three national Junior Billiards Champions in a five-year period.[citation needed]
Wildman is also a former coach of 2005 World Snooker Champion Shaun Murphy.[citation needed]
Career finals (English billiards)[]
These World Billiards Championships were held on a knockout basis, organised by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.[5]: 214
Outcome | No. | Date | Opponent in the final | Score |
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Runner-up | 1 | November 1980 | ![]() |
2,064–3,037 |
Runner-up | 2 | 1982 | ![]() |
1,785–3,000 |
Winner | 1 | 1984 | ![]() |
1,045–1,012 |
References[]
- ^ "CueTracker - Career Total Statistics for Mark Wildman - Professional Results - Snooker Results & Statistics".
- ^ "Centurions". Snooker Scene. July 2004. pp. 14–15.
- ^ Hayton, Eric; Dee, John (2004). The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker: The Complete Record & History. Lowestoft: Rose Villa Publications. pp. 1013–1014. ISBN 978-0954854904.
- ^ Everton, Clive (1979). The History of Billiards and Snooker. London: Cassell. pp. 182–185. ISBN 0304303739.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Everton, Clive (2012). A History of Billiards. englishbilliards.org. ISBN 978-0-9564054-5-6.
- 1936 births
- Living people
- English players of English billiards
- English snooker players
- Snooker writers and broadcasters
- Snooker coaches, managers and promoters
- Pool writers and broadcasters
- World champions in English billiards
- English snooker biography stubs