world championship matches until professional Rex Williams gained agreement from the BACC that the world championship would be staged on a challenge basis, with defending champion Pulman featuring in the first match. Pulman retained the title in several challenges from 1964 to 1968. Pulman had been touring snooker clubs as promotional work for the tobacco brand John Player, and the company had sponsored his 1968 match against Eddie Charlton. The good attendances for the championship match led to John Player deciding to sponsor the 1969 World Snooker Championship as a knock-out format tournament, using their "Players No. 6" brand. The total prize fund was £3,500, , including £1,300 for the champion. The 1969 championship is regarded as the first of the modern snooker era. Tournament summary The closing date for players to enter the championship was 30 June 1968. There were eight entrants: four of whom had played professionally in the 1950s and four championship debutants. The new players were John Spencer, Ray Reardon, Gary Owen, and Bernard Bennett. Defending champion Pulman was drawn to meet Spencer, who had recently defeated him 14–17 in a non-title challenge match. Quarter-finals The first match, played from 18 to 22 November 1968 at the Wryton Stadium in Bolton, saw the end of Pulman's reign as champion, when he was defeated by Spencer. Spencer took a 4–0 lead, and ended the first 4–2 ahead. Spencer compiled a 110 in the 18th , on his way to establishing a 13–5 lead at the end of the second day. Spencer led 24–18 after the final afternoon session and clinched the match by winning the first frame in the evening with what was reported in The Times as a "magnificent 97 break". Owen faced Jackie Rea at the Hippodrome, Stratford-upon-Avon, from 25 to 28 November 1968. The players each won three frames in the first afternoon session. Rea took the first in the evening, before Owen claimed five consecutive frames to end the first day 8–4 ahead. On the second afternoon, the players again won three frames apiece, with Owen compiling a 68 break that turned out to be the highest break of the match. Rea took the first three frames of the evening session, to move to 10–11, then Owen won two of the next three for a 13–11 overnight lead. Owen increased his lead by winning four of the six frames on the third afternoon,