The 1985 Black Ball Final: Carnage at The Crucible

The 1985 Black Ball Final: Carnage at The Crucible

From Sport Is History by SpiritLand Creative

April 30, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

The episode reflects on the iconic 1985 Black Ball Final between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor, highlighting the rise of snooker in the UK during the 1980s.

On one Sunday night back in April 1985, 18 million people tuned-in to watch two men in bow ties try and pot a snooker ball in a theatre in Sheffield. Steve Davis vs Dennis Taylor was a game that had it all, some might say on paper the final was a mismatch but what occurred was in fact a night of surprise and a finish that has resonated down the ages. Mark and Marcus look back fondly on the rise of snooker during the 1980s in the UK, they highlight some of the outlandish characters that built the game as well as unearth their own memories covering the sport. Every week, Mark Pougatch and Marcus Buckland unpack unbelievable stories from the world of sporting history. ⁠Tik Tok⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Produced by Spiritland Creative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Pougatch, Marcus Buckland

Topics covered

  • snooker
  • 1980s sports
  • sports history
  • television events
  • memories

Keywords

  • snooker
  • 1985 Black Ball Final
  • Steve Davis
  • Dennis Taylor
  • sports history
  • UK snooker
  • television audience

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Sheffield

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