John Phillips (snooker player)

Phillips was born in Springburn.[2] In 1952, he eliminated the reigning champion, Mark Wildman, from the 1952 British youth snooker tournament,[3] before losing to Gary Owen in the second round.[4] He won the Scottish amateur snooker championship in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964 and 1971, and was runner-up in 1975.[5]^: 130 At the 1970 World Amateur Snooker Championship he won four of his six round-robin group matches, which was not enough to qualify for the knockout stage.[5]^: 149 Whilst an amateur player, he worked as a postman.[2]

He was accepted as a professional by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) in 1981.[6] At the 1982 Scottish Professional Championship, he lost 3–6 to Eddie Sinclair, and his first qualifying round match at the 1982 World Snooker Championship resulted in a 3–9 defeat by Paul Medati.[7] He withdrew from the 1982 Bass and Golden Leisure Classic,[8] the 1982 International Open,[7] the 1982 Professional Players Tournament,[9] and the 1982 UK Championship,[7] before resigning his membership of the WPBSA in 1983.[10] Phillips was known for the high quality of his safety play.[2] He died in 2008, aged 72.[2]