Charlton, Eddie (1929-2004), was an Australian champion snooker player. Snooker is a form of billiards played by two people. Charlton won the Australian championship 20 times from 1964 to 1985. He was the runner-up in three World Snooker Championships and two World Billiards Championships. He is the only player to have been world championship runner-up in both snooker and billiards without winning either title.
Charlton was born on Oct. 31, 1929, at Merewether near Newcastle in New South Wales. He began playing snooker at the age of 9 at his father’s club. Charlton played his first exhibition game, against the Australian champion Walter Lindrum, at the age of 11 and won. Charlton was an all-round athlete, competing in boxing, cricket, rollerskating, soccer, surfing, and other sports.
Charlton worked as a coal-miner until his early 30’s before becoming a professional snooker and English billiards player in 1963. He won the Australian Snooker Championship the following year. After that, he won the title every year, except one, until 1985. Charlton was the runner-up in the World Snooker Championship in 1968, 1973, and 1975. He was the runner-up in the World Billiards Championship in 1984 and 1988. He won the high-profile international Pot Black series in 1972, 1973, and 1980, and the World Matchplay title in 1976. Charlton was consistently ranked in the world top three.
Charlton was known as “Steady Eddie” for his methodical tactics and cautious way of playing the game. After retiring from professional play, Charlton coached and played in exhibition matches throughout Australia and New Zealand until his death on Nov. 7, 2004.
