Jonathan Barron

Barron was born on 2 March 1937. He started playing snooker when he was about 10, on a three-quarter size table above his father's shop in the village of Mevagissey.^[1]

He first reached the final of the English Amateur Championship in 1962,^[2] where he was defeated 9–11 by Ron Gross.^[3] He won the 1962–63 Television Tournament, a pro–am event, and also a televised amateur tournament the following season.^[2] He was runner-up again in 1969, 9–11 to Ray Edmonds.^[3] He gained the title in 1970 by defeating Sid Hood 11–10 in the final, and retained it in 1971 with an 11–7 defeat of Doug French.^[3] In 1972, he was again the champion, prevailing 11–9 against Edmonds,^[3] thereby becoming the first player to win the title in three consecutive years.^[4] He was the first English Amateur champion since 1961 not to turn professional.^[5] Barron travelled with Ray Reardon to South Africa in 1967. Reardon played Jimmy van Rensberg in the South African Challenge. Reardon beat van Rensberg winning by two matches to one.^[6]

Barron represented England at the 1970 World Amateur Snooker Championship, winning five of his six group matches to reach the final, where he defeated Hood 11–7 to win the title.^[7] Attempting to defend his title at the 1972 World Amateur Snooker Championship, he won all three of his group matches, but then lost 6–8 to Edmonds in the semi-finals.^[7]

According to Barron, he retired from most competitive snooker after the 1972 World Amateur Championship (held in January 1973) to allow more time to focus on his family and business,^[1] although he did continue to play in local league games until 2000.^[8] He ran a curio shop in Mevagissey.^[4]