 Harold at the 2012 Paul Hunter Classic | |
| Born | 9 December 1966 Stoke-on-Trent, England |
|---|---|
| Sport country |  England |
| Nickname | The Stoke Potter[1] |
| Professional | 1991–2015 |
| Highest ranking | 11 (1996/1997) |
| Century breaks | 143 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Ranking | 1 |
David Harold (born 9 December 1966) is an English former professional snooker player from Stoke-on-Trent. He was known by the nicknames of "the Hard Man" and "the Stoke Potter" (conflating his home city's pottery industry and his profession of potting snooker balls). He was also the first player on the television circuit to sport a plaster on his chin as a guide for his cue,[citation needed] which is a practice now adopted by Graeme Dott. As an amateur he played as David Harold, but after turning professional in 1991 he was registered as Dave Harold.[2]
He won one ranking title, reached two further finals and several semi-finals, and spent four seasons ranked among the top 16. Harold was 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.[citation needed] Despite safety play ultimately being considered his strong point, he compiled 143 century breaks.[3] Steve Davis has commented that he is not the most naturally gifted player, but makes up for this with strong tactical play.[4] For his technique and grinding play he has been compared to Cliff Thorburn.
- ^ "Dave Harold". WPBSA. 2007. Archived from the original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
- ^ "Dave Harold Q&A". WPBSA. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2008.
- ^ "Chris Turner's Snooker Archive – Top Century Makers". 2008. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ "15. Dave Harold". BBC News. 11 April 2002. Archived from the original on 10 June 2003. Retrieved 1 May 2010.