Professional billiard player and billiard hall manager Joe Davis had noticed the increasing popularity of snooker in the mid-1920's, and Davis and Birmingham billiard equipment manager Bill Camkin persuaded the Billiards Association and Control Council to recognise an official professional snooker championship in the 1926–27 season. The final of the first snooker world championship in 1927 was held at Camkin's Hall, and Davis won the tournament by beating Tom Dennis 20–11 (although Davis had reached the winning margin at 16–7 before "dead frames" were played to take the total to the agreed 31 frames) in the final.