# 1981 UK Championship

The 1981 UK Championship (officially the 1981 Coral UK Championship) was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place at the Guild Hall in Preston, England, between 22 November and 5 December 1981. This was the fifth edition of the UK Championship, the fourth staging of the competition in Preston, and the fourth consecutive UK Championship to be sponsored by Coral. The televised stages were shown on the BBC from 28 November through to the end of the championship.

## Tournament summary

* Steve Davis retained the first of his major titles by defeating Terry Griffiths 16–3 in the final.
* Jimmy White, fresh from his success in the Langs Scottish Masters and Northern Ireland Classic, which took place earlier in the season, beat Clive Everton, John Virgo, Dennis Taylor and Ray Reardon, in reaching the semi-finals at his first attempt, but then was whitewashed 0–9 by the reigning World and UK Champion Steve Davis.
* Two other young players, Tony Knowles and Tony Meo, also enhanced their reputations: Knowles by beating Fred Davis and Doug Mountjoy in reaching the quarter-finals, and Meo by defeating Rex Williams, Cliff Thorburn and Alex Higgins in reaching the semi-finals.

## Main draw

| Last 24 Best of 17 frames | Last 24 Best of 17 frames | Last 24 Best of 17 frames | Last 16 Best of 17 frames | Last 16 Best of 17 frames | Last 16 Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Quarter-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames | Semi-finals Best of 17 frames | Final Best of 31 frames | Final Best of 31 frames | Final Best of 31 frames |
| | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 9 | | | | | | | |
| Willie Thorne | Willie Thorne | 9 | Willie Thorne | Willie Thorne | 2 | | | | | | | |
| Willie Thorne | Willie Thorne | 9 | Willie Thorne | Willie Thorne | 2 | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 9 | | | | |
| Ray Edmonds | Ray Edmonds | 4 | | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 9 | | | | |
| Ray Edmonds | Ray Edmonds | 4 | | | | Bill Werbeniuk | Bill Werbeniuk | 5 | | | | |
| | | | Bill Werbeniuk | Bill Werbeniuk | 9 | Bill Werbeniuk | Bill Werbeniuk | 5 | | | | |
| Kirk Stevens | Kirk Stevens | 9 | Kirk Stevens | Kirk Stevens | 7 | | | | | | | |
| Kirk Stevens | Kirk Stevens | 9 | Kirk Stevens | Kirk Stevens | 7 | | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 9 | |
| Mike Hallett | Mike Hallett | 4 | | | | | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 9 | |
| Mike Hallett | Mike Hallett | 4 | | | | | | | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 0 | |
| | | | Dennis Taylor | Dennis Taylor | 5 | | | | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 0 | |
| Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | | | | | | | |
| Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | | | | |
| John Virgo | John Virgo | 6 | | | | Jimmy White | Jimmy White | 9 | | | | |
| John Virgo | John Virgo | 6 | | | | Ray Reardon | Ray Reardon | 8 | | | | |
| | | | Ray Reardon | Ray Reardon | 9 | Ray Reardon | Ray Reardon | 8 | | | | |
| Joe Johnson | Joe Johnson | 9 | Joe Johnson | Joe Johnson | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| Joe Johnson | Joe Johnson | 9 | Joe Johnson | Joe Johnson | 7 | | | | | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 16 |
| John Spencer | John Spencer | 5 | | | | | | | | | | Steve Davis | Steve Davis | 16 |
| John Spencer | John Spencer | 5 | | | | | | | | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 3 |
| | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 9 | | | | | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 3 |
| Graham Miles | Graham Miles | 9 | Graham Miles | Graham Miles | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Graham Miles | Graham Miles | 9 | Graham Miles | Graham Miles | 4 | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 9 | | | | | | |
| Pat Houlihan | Pat Houlihan | 5 | | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 9 | | | | | | |
| Pat Houlihan | Pat Houlihan | 5 | | | | Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | Doug Mountjoy | Doug Mountjoy | 6 | Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 5 | | | | | | |
| Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 9 | Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 9 | Tony Knowles | Tony Knowles | 9 | | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 9 | | | |
| Fred Davis | Fred Davis | 6 | | | | | | | Terry Griffiths | Terry Griffiths | 9 | | | |
| Fred Davis | Fred Davis | 6 | | | | | | | Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 3 | | | |
| | | | David Taylor | David Taylor | 5 | | | | Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 3 | | | |
| Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 9 | Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 9 | Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 9 | Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dave Martin | Dave Martin | 4 | | | | Alex Higgins | Alex Higgins | 4 | | | | | | |
| Dave Martin | Dave Martin | 4 | | | | Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | Cliff Thorburn | Cliff Thorburn | 6 | Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 9 | | | | | | |
| Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 9 | Tony Meo | Tony Meo | 9 | | | | | | | | | |
| Rex Williams | Rex Williams | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Final

Final: Best of 31 frames. Referee: The Guild Hall, Preston, England, 4 and 5 December 1981. :
| Steve Davis England | 16–3 | Terry Griffiths Wales |
| First session: 28–60, 102–13 (87), 74–12, 76–24, 72–1 (65), 69–20, 75–45 (63) Second session: 84–37 (58), 116–1 (56), 73–62 (54), 0–127 (96), 111–8, 64–44, 57–32, 27–77 (77) Third session: 90–22, 113–9 (52), 81–26 (59), 54–37 |||
| 87 | Highest break | 96 |
| 0 | Century breaks | 0 |
| 8 | 50+ breaks | 2 |

## Qualifying

Best of 17 frames
| Winner | Score | Competitor |
| Group 1 |||
| Paul Medati | 9–6 | Eddie McLaughlin |
| Paul Medati | 9–7 | Jim Donnelly |
| Group 2 |||
| Mike Hallett | 9–4 | Vic Harris |
| Mike Hallett | 9–6 | Dennis Hughes |
| Group 3 |||
| Matt Gibson | 9–6 | Jack Fitzmaurice |
| Clive Everton | 9–6 | Matt Gibson |
| Group 4 |||
| Joe Johnson | 9–6 | Tommy Murphy |
| Mike Watterson | 9–4 | Bernard Bennett |
| Joe Johnson | 9–3 | Mike Watterson |
| Winner | Score | Competitor |
| Group 5 |||
| Pat Houlihan | 9–1 | Kingsley Kennerley |
| Pat Houlihan | 9–4 | Ian Black |
| Group 6 |||
| Geoff Foulds | 9–7 | Billy Kelly |
| Group 7 |||
| Eddie Sinclair | 9–6 | Mark Wildman |
| Eddie Sinclair | 9–0 | Sid Hood |
| Group 8 |||
| Rex Williams | 9–3 | Doug French |
| Colin Roscoe | 9–7 | Murdo MacLeod |
| Rex Williams | 9–4 | Colin Roscoe |
| Winner | Score | Competitor |
| Round of 32 Best of 17 frames. |||
| Willie Thorne | 9–6 | Paul Medati |
| Mike Hallett | 9–5 | Patsy Fagan |
| Jimmy White | 9–4 | Clive Everton |
| Joe Johnson | 9–5 | Cliff Wilson |
| Pat Houlihan | 9–4 | Jim Meadowcroft |
| Tony Knowles | 9–1 | Geoff Foulds |
| Dave Martin | 9–7 | Eddie Sinclair |
| Rex Williams | 9–4 | John Dunning |

## Century breaks

* 131 – Terry Griffiths
* 126 – Willie Thorne
* 120, 105 – Steve Davis
* 120 – Alex Higgins
* 120 – Kirk Stevens
* 107 – Tony Meo
* 103 – Rex Williams
* 102 – Tony Knowles