THE REFEREE for this year’s World Snooker Championship final has been named – and he will be familiar to some for one moment of drama in the recent past.
Stockport native Rob Spencer has been given the honour of taking charge of ‘s .
Snooker referee Rob Spencer has been assigned to the World Snooker Championships final in MayCredit: Rex
He is known for refusing a request from Yan Bingtao at the 2022 tournamentCredit: PA
The former police officer has been building up to this moment since stepping into the world of professional in 2013.
And in those 13 years of experience, one moment stands out above others – when he stood his ground against Yan Bingtao in the 2022 worlds.
Bingtao was locked in a fierce battle with defending champion , including the pair putting up a record-breaking 85-minute frame, the longest ever at the tournament.
But at 10-7, it was Bingtao and Spencer who got into something of a brief standoff.
The Chinese cueist had spent a minute examining whether he could bend the cue ball onto the brown around the blue, which seemed to be blocking his path by the narrowest of margins.
But then Bingtao turned to Spencer and asked if he could clean the cue ball, a process that would require the official to pick up and replace the ball, potentially giving the player the tiniest extra angle that he needed to make the shot.
Spencer gave a wry smile and shook his head dismissively, shutting down any potential antics.
Commentator David Hendon said: “That’s out of order, really. There’s no chance of Rob Spencer succumbing to that request.”
Bingtao managed to pot the brown by his own devices, and went on to win the match 13-10.
Snooker icon was full of praise for Spencer after the strange frame, saying on TNT: “That’s an unwritten rule amongst snooker players.
List of all-time Snooker World Champions
BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport.
The first World Championships ran from 1927 – with a break from 1941-45 because of and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport.
Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
and share the record for the , with seven each.
- 1969 – John Spencer
- 1970 –
- 1971 – John Spencer
- 1972 – Alex Higgins
- 1973 – Ray Reardon (2)
- 1974 – Ray Reardon (3)
- 1975 – Ray Reardon (4)
- 1976 – Ray Reardon (5)
- 1977 – John Spencer (2)
- 1978 – Ray Reardon (6)
- 1979 – Terry Griffiths
- 1980 – Cliff Thorburn
- 1981 –
- 1982 – Alex Higgins (2)
- 1983 – Steve Davis (2)
- 1984 – Steve Davis (3)
- 1985 –
- 1986 – Joe Johnson
- 1987 – Steve Davis (4)
- 1988 – Steve Davis (5)
- 1989 – Steve Davis (6)
- 1990 –
- 1991 –
- 1992 – Stephen Hendry (2)
- 1993 – Stephen Hendry (3)
- 1994 – Stephen Hendry (4)
- 1995 – Stephen Hendry (5)
- 1996 – Stephen Hendry (6)
- 1997 –
- 1998 –
- 1999 – Stephen Hendry (7)
- 2000 –
- 2001 –
- 2002 –
- 2003 – Mark Williams (2)
- 2004 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (2)
- 2005 –
- 2006 – Graeme Dott
- 2007 – John Higgins (2)
- 2008 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (3)
- 2009 – John Higgins (3)
- 2010 – Neil Robertson
- 2011 – John Higgins (4)
- 2012 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (4)
- 2013 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (5)
- 2014 –
- 2015 –
- 2016 – Mark Selby (2)
- 2017 – Mark Selby (3)
- 2018 – Mark Williams (3)
- 2019 –
- 2020 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (6)
- 2021 – Mark Selby (4)
- 2022 – Ronnie O’Sullivan (7)
- 2023 –
- 2024 –
- 2025 –
Most World Titles (modern era)
- 7 – Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan
- 6 – Ray Reardon, Steve Davis
- 4 – John Higgins, Mark Selby
- 3 – John Spencer, Mark Williams
- 2 – Alex Higgins
“Fair play, Rob Spencer has stood his ground and said no. He could put that cue ball back slightly wrong and Bingtao then could have an easy shot.
“It is something you don’t do. It might have been Bingtao being under pressure and thinking of anything to win, but you don’t do that in snooker.”
Spencer’s handling of the incident may have been one of many contributing factors in earning him the right to referee on the big Sheffield stage later this year, and he is clearly excited about the opportunity.
He said: “It is a massive personal achievement. Anything you do, you always strive to get to the top. The World Championship final is always the top refereeing match.
“When you start it is a dream, you don’t expect to do it, as that would be like a footballer saying they want to play in the Premier League the first time they kick a ball. It is what you aspire towards.
“You always have nerves around every single match, which is a good thing. Anybody who says they aren’t nervous, I don’t believe them. There is adrenaline building before you go out there.
“It will be the realisation that I’ve achieved it and it won’t seem real until I’m stood there and announced into the arena. That is when it will become reality. I can’t wait.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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