Dave Harold
Encyclopedia
David 'Dave' Harold is an English
professional snooker
player from Stoke-on-Trent
, Staffordshire
, England
. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter" (conflating his home city's past pottery
industry and his profession of potting snooker balls). He is also the first player on the television circuit to sport a plaster on his chin as a guide for his cue, which is a practise now adopted by Graeme Dott. As an amateur he played as David Harold, but since turning professional in 1991 he has been registered as Dave Harold. He has three children.
He has won one ranking title, reached two further finals and several semi-finals, and spent four seasons ranked among the top 16. Harold is renowned for both his very strong defensive play and his unusual cue-action, with which he is able to unleash a great deal of power on a shot without using backswing on the cue. Despite safety play ultimately being considered his strong point, he has compiled 112 century breaks, putting him 22nd on the all time list. Steve Davis
has commented that he is not the most naturally gifted player, but makes up for this with strong tactical play. His technique and grinding play has been compared to that of Cliff Thorburn
.
9–3 in the final. Ranked 93rd in the world at the time, he became the lowest-ranked player ever to win a ranking tournament. He never repeated this achievement, although he reached his second ranking final in the 1994 Grand Prix
, losing 6–9 to John Higgins.
and 2001/2002
, reaching a career-best position of no. 11 in the world rankings in the 1996/97 season
. In the 1996 Welsh Open, he lost in the semi-finals, 1–6, to eventual winner Mark Williams
.
He contended in his first (and so far only) World Championship
quarter-final in the 1996 event
, where he lost 7–13 to Nigel Bond
. He also lost 5–6 to Bond in his 1996 British Open semi-final less than two weeks earlier.
In the 1998 Grand Prix
, he knocked out Stephen Hendry
and John Higgins en route to the semi-finals, but lost narrowly to eventual champion Stephen Lee
. 1998 also saw him reach his first semi-final in the UK Championship, where he was defeated 9–7 by Matthew Stevens
.
In the 1999 Grand Prix
Harold led Mark Williams 5–3 in the semi-finals but lost 5–6 to the Welshman. This was Harold's last ranking semi-final until 2008, although he also reached the semis in the non-ranking 2001 Masters
, defeating John Higgins and John Parrott
, but losing his semi-final 5–6 to eventual runner-up Fergal O'Brien
after having led 5–1.
. Another consistent season in 2006/2007
helped Harold back up to #30 in the world rankings for 2007/2008
.
2007/2008 was Harold's most successful season since 2002, starting with a quarter-final appearance in the Shanghai Masters, losing to eventual winner Dominic Dale
. Harold did not get past the round robin phase of the Grand Prix
, finishing fifth in his group of six players; but in the 2007 UK Championship, Harold's resurgence continued as he eliminated World Number 2 Graeme Dott
9–7 in the first round to achieve a place in the last 16 of the tournament for the first time since 1999. However, he lost 2–9 in the second round to Mark Selby
. He qualified for the final stages of the World Championship with a 10–4 win over Mike Dunn, but lost 10–3 at the Crucible in the first round proper to Shaun Murphy
.
During a preliminary round match against local wildcard Jin Long
in the 2008 China Open
, Harold, tiring rapidly after the long journey and gruelling battle locked at 4–4, took time out before the deciding frame to leave the playing arena and consume a couple of bananas, returning replenished to finish the job with a clearance on the colours. This gave rise to the affectionate nickname "Bananaman
" on the Betfair
snooker forum, referring to a children's TV character – an ordinary child who gained superhuman powers upon eating a banana. Harold also put up a determined battle against in-form Shaun Murphy
in the next round, but eventually lost 5–3 in a match which featured the longest ever frame in snooker history, lasting 93 minutes and 12 seconds.
Harold retained his Top 32 ranking, and started the 2008/2009 season ranked at #28
, his highest ranking since 2003. In the first ranking event of the new season, the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
, he got off to an excellent start, beating Ricky Walden
5–2, Graeme Dott
5–3, Stephen Lee
5–4 – despite Lee recording three century breaks – and defending champion Stephen Maguire
to reach the semi-finals, his first appearance at that stage of a ranking event for five years. He then shocked John Higgins by moving into a 5–1 lead, and fended off a fightback to win 6–4, to reach his first final since 1994, which he lost 9–3 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
. Harold's performance in this tournament moved him up to 14th in the provisional world rankings. Harold remarked after the final that, aside from claiming the World Championship, his one other remaining ambition in the game is to score a victory over O'Sullivan, who he has never beaten in a ranking tournament. The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
marked his tenth consecutive failure to do so.http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/04/19/local_tv_archive_snooker_champs_dave_harold_ronnie_osullivan_feature.shtml
Harold subsequently qualified for the 2008 Shanghai Masters
and Grand Prix
. In the former, he defeated home favourite Ding Junhui
in the last 32, before losing 4–5 (from 3–0 and 4–1 up) against Steve Davis
; however, in the latter he was eliminated in the first round by Ali Carter. A less successful run of results in the second half of the season saw him fall out of the Top 16 in the provisional rankings, largely due to his failure to qualify for the 2009 World Championship, although he will start the 2009/2010 season ranked at #19, an improvement of nine places on the previous season.
Harold appeared in the Welsh Open in January 2010 but lost in the first round 5–1 to Stephen Hendry.
A return to form in September saw him whitewash Shaun Murphy 3-0 in the newly formed World Open in Glasgow but failed to capitalise on that win and subsequently lost in the next round to Jamie Cope 3-2.
| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (1–2)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 1993
| Asian Open
|
| 9–3
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 1994
| Grand Prix
|
| 6–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2008
| Northern Ireland Trophy
|
| 3–9
|}
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player from Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter" (conflating his home city's past pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
industry and his profession of potting snooker balls). He is also the first player on the television circuit to sport a plaster on his chin as a guide for his cue, which is a practise now adopted by Graeme Dott. As an amateur he played as David Harold, but since turning professional in 1991 he has been registered as Dave Harold. He has three children.
He has won one ranking title, reached two further finals and several semi-finals, and spent four seasons ranked among the top 16. Harold is renowned for both his very strong defensive play and his unusual cue-action, with which he is able to unleash a great deal of power on a shot without using backswing on the cue. Despite safety play ultimately being considered his strong point, he has compiled 112 century breaks, putting him 22nd on the all time list. Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
has commented that he is not the most naturally gifted player, but makes up for this with strong tactical play. His technique and grinding play has been compared to that of Cliff Thorburn
Cliff Thorburn
Clifford Charles Devlin Thorburn CM, known as Cliff Thorburn is a retired professional Canadian snooker player...
.
Early career
Soon after turning professional, Harold was the surprise winner of the 1993 Asian Open, beating Darren MorganDarren Morgan
Darren Morgan is a Welsh snooker player, who won the World Amateur Championship in 1987, and played on the main World Snooker tour from 1988 through 2007. He earned just under £1 million in prize money, reached a high ranking of 8, and was ranked within the top 16 for many years despite never...
9–3 in the final. Ranked 93rd in the world at the time, he became the lowest-ranked player ever to win a ranking tournament. He never repeated this achievement, although he reached his second ranking final in the 1994 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
, losing 6–9 to John Higgins.
Top 16 (1996–2002)
After 1994 Harold did not reach a third ranking final until 2008, although he has career reached a total of ten semi-finals in ranking tournaments to date, and was a Top-16 player for four seasons between 1995/1996Snooker world rankings 1995/1996
Snooker world rankings 1995/1996: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1995/1996 season are listed below.* Peter Francisco was banned for five years.-References:...
and 2001/2002
Snooker world rankings 2001/2002
Snooker world rankings 2001/2002: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 2001/2002 season are listed below.-References:...
, reaching a career-best position of no. 11 in the world rankings in the 1996/97 season
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997
Snooker world rankings 1996/1997: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1996/1997 season are listed below.-References:...
. In the 1996 Welsh Open, he lost in the semi-finals, 1–6, to eventual winner Mark Williams
Mark Williams (snooker player)
Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...
.
He contended in his first (and so far only) World Championship
World Snooker Championship
The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...
quarter-final in the 1996 event
World Snooker Championship 1996
The 1996 Embassy World Snooker Championship snooker tournament took place at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield between 20 April–6 May 1996.Stephen Hendry won in the final 18–12 against Peter Ebdon.-Notable moments:...
, where he lost 7–13 to Nigel Bond
Nigel Bond
-External links:*...
. He also lost 5–6 to Bond in his 1996 British Open semi-final less than two weeks earlier.
In the 1998 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
, he knocked out Stephen Hendry
Stephen Hendry
Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...
and John Higgins en route to the semi-finals, but lost narrowly to eventual champion Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...
. 1998 also saw him reach his first semi-final in the UK Championship, where he was defeated 9–7 by Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens is a Welsh professional snooker player. Stevens has won two of the game's most prestigious events, the Benson and Hedges Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005...
.
In the 1999 Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
Harold led Mark Williams 5–3 in the semi-finals but lost 5–6 to the Welshman. This was Harold's last ranking semi-final until 2008, although he also reached the semis in the non-ranking 2001 Masters
Masters (snooker)
The Masters is a professional snooker tournament and the second longest running tournament outside the World Championship. Although not a ranking event, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious tournaments on the circuit, earning the second biggest prize money.-History:The tournament was held...
, defeating John Higgins and John Parrott
John Parrott
John Parrott MBE is an English professional snooker player and TV personality.He won the World Snooker Championship in 1991, defeating Jimmy White in the final. Two years earlier he had lost 3–18 to Steve Davis, the heaviest final defeat in modern times...
, but losing his semi-final 5–6 to eventual runner-up Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien
Fergal O'Brien is an Irish professional snooker player. He has won one ranking title and reached two other major finals, and spent three seasons as a top 16 player.-Career:...
after having led 5–1.
2003–present
Following a poor season in 2001–2002, Harold dropped out of the Top 16, down to number 29 in the World Rankings. A broken wrist sustained on New Year's Eve 2003 saw him drop further down the rankings, out of the top 32, although he had a better 2005/2006 seasonSnooker world rankings 2005/2006
Snooker world rankings 2005/2006: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2005/2006 season are listed below.-Note:...
. Another consistent season in 2006/2007
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007
Snooker world rankings 2006/2007: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 2006/2007 season are listed below.-Notes:...
helped Harold back up to #30 in the world rankings for 2007/2008
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The professional world rankings for the top 75 snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below...
.
2007/2008 was Harold's most successful season since 2002, starting with a quarter-final appearance in the Shanghai Masters, losing to eventual winner Dominic Dale
Dominic Dale
-External links:**...
. Harold did not get past the round robin phase of the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
, finishing fifth in his group of six players; but in the 2007 UK Championship, Harold's resurgence continued as he eliminated World Number 2 Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...
9–7 in the first round to achieve a place in the last 16 of the tournament for the first time since 1999. However, he lost 2–9 in the second round to Mark Selby
Mark Selby
Mark Anthony Selby is an English professional snooker and pool player. Runner up in the World Snooker Championship 2007, he was the 2006 WEPF World Eight-ball Champion. Selby has won the Masters on two occasions, the Welsh Open and the Shanghai Masters...
. He qualified for the final stages of the World Championship with a 10–4 win over Mike Dunn, but lost 10–3 at the Crucible in the first round proper to Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...
.
During a preliminary round match against local wildcard Jin Long
Jin Long
Jin Long is a Chinese professional snooker player. He has managed to regain a Main Tour place by winning the 2008 Asian Championship, beating Aditya Mehta 7–3 in the final, having had spells on the tour on three previous occasions...
in the 2008 China Open
China Open 2008 (snooker)
The 2008 Honghe Industrial China Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 30 March 2008 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium...
, Harold, tiring rapidly after the long journey and gruelling battle locked at 4–4, took time out before the deciding frame to leave the playing arena and consume a couple of bananas, returning replenished to finish the job with a clearance on the colours. This gave rise to the affectionate nickname "Bananaman
Bananaman
Bananaman is a British comic book fictional character. He originally appeared in Nutty as the backpage strip in Issue 1, dated 16 February 1980 drawn by John Geering.-Original strip:...
" on the Betfair
Betfair
Betfair is the world's largest Internet betting exchange. The company is based in Hammersmith in West London, England. Since Betfair was launched in June 2000 it has become the largest online betting company in the UK and the largest betting exchange in the world. Betfair claim to have over 3...
snooker forum, referring to a children's TV character – an ordinary child who gained superhuman powers upon eating a banana. Harold also put up a determined battle against in-form Shaun Murphy
Shaun Murphy (snooker player)
Shaun Murphy is an English professional snooker player, who won the 2005 World Championship. Nicknamed "The Magician", Murphy is noted for his straight cue action and his long potting. He is known for his dedication and for being a devout Christian.Born in Harlow, England, Murphy turned...
in the next round, but eventually lost 5–3 in a match which featured the longest ever frame in snooker history, lasting 93 minutes and 12 seconds.
Harold retained his Top 32 ranking, and started the 2008/2009 season ranked at #28
Snooker world rankings 2008/2009
Snooker world rankings 2007/2008: The official world ranking points for the 96 professional snooker players in the 2007/2008 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 were used to determine the rankings for the season 2008/2009.- Ranking points :...
, his highest ranking since 2003. In the first ranking event of the new season, the 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 31 August 2008 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast....
, he got off to an excellent start, beating Ricky Walden
Ricky Walden
-External links:**...
5–2, Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott
Graeme Dott is a Scottish professional snooker player from Larkhall in Scotland. He won the 2006 World Championship, which was his first ranking title after four previous runner-up spots...
5–3, Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee
Stephen Lee is a professional snooker-player from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, whose smooth cue action is regarded by some pundits as the most natural in the game. He has won four ranking titles, and spent 10 seasons in the Top 16 of the world rankings before dropping out for the snooker...
5–4 – despite Lee recording three century breaks – and defending champion Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire
Stephen Maguire is a Scottish professional snooker player.-Early career:Maguire almost qualified for the 2000 World Championships, leading eventual semi-finalist Joe Swail 9–6 in the final qualifying round before losing 9–10, but first served notice of his true potential by knocking out Stephen...
to reach the semi-finals, his first appearance at that stage of a ranking event for five years. He then shocked John Higgins by moving into a 5–1 lead, and fended off a fightback to win 6–4, to reach his first final since 1994, which he lost 9–3 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...
. Harold's performance in this tournament moved him up to 14th in the provisional world rankings. Harold remarked after the final that, aside from claiming the World Championship, his one other remaining ambition in the game is to score a victory over O'Sullivan, who he has never beaten in a ranking tournament. The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 31 August 2008 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast....
marked his tenth consecutive failure to do so.http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/04/19/local_tv_archive_snooker_champs_dave_harold_ronnie_osullivan_feature.shtml
Harold subsequently qualified for the 2008 Shanghai Masters
2008 Shanghai Masters
The 2008Roewe Shanghai Masters professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 29 September and 5 October 2008 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, Shanghai, China...
and Grand Prix
Grand Prix (snooker)
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It has previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the...
. In the former, he defeated home favourite Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
in the last 32, before losing 4–5 (from 3–0 and 4–1 up) against Steve Davis
Steve Davis
Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...
; however, in the latter he was eliminated in the first round by Ali Carter. A less successful run of results in the second half of the season saw him fall out of the Top 16 in the provisional rankings, largely due to his failure to qualify for the 2009 World Championship, although he will start the 2009/2010 season ranked at #19, an improvement of nine places on the previous season.
Harold appeared in the Welsh Open in January 2010 but lost in the first round 5–1 to Stephen Hendry.
A return to form in September saw him whitewash Shaun Murphy 3-0 in the newly formed World Open in Glasgow but failed to capitalise on that win and subsequently lost in the next round to Jamie Cope 3-2.
Ranking event finals: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
{|| valign=top width=40% align=left |
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|Legend
|- bgcolor="#e5d1cb"
| World Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor="dfe2e9"
| UK Championship (0–0)
|- bgcolor=
| Other (1–2)
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
|width="80"|Outcome
|width="20"|No.
|width="50"|Year
|width="250"|Championship
|width="200"|Opponent in the final
|width="100"|Score
|-
| style="background:#98FB98"|Winner
| 1.
| 1993
| Asian Open
|
| 9–3
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 1.
| 1994
1994 Grand Prix (snooker)
The 1994 Skoda Grand Prix took place at the Assembly Rooms in Derby in England starting on 10 October and shown on the BBC between 16 and 23 October 1994.John Higgins won in the final 9–6 against Dave Harold.-Prize money and ranking points:...
| Grand Prix
|
| 6–9
|-
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Runner-up
| 2.
| 2008
2008 Northern Ireland Trophy
The 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 24 and 31 August 2008 in the Waterfront Hall in Belfast....
| Northern Ireland Trophy
Northern Ireland Trophy
- History :First contested in 1981 and named Northern Ireland Classic. It was an invitational event held at Ulster Hall, Belfast, and Jimmy White beat Steve Davis in the final....
|
| 3–9
|}