Eddie Charlton promoted the event in Melbourne with World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) approval.

[8] In response to player complaints that the BACC was taking too large a percentage of income from the tournament, the BACC claimed that the championship "has always been, and in theory is to be, regarded as an affair of honour and a test of merit", and that "every effort is made to arrange terms advantageous to the professionals competing in the championship, compatible with securing an equitable return for the promoters of it, the B.A.& C.C.

[13] Only two of the leading professional players, Horace Lindrum and Clark McConachy, had declined to join the PBPA, and they were the only two entrants to the BACC's 1952 World Snooker Championship.

[15] There were ten participants, and the two finalists in the 1951 World Snooker Championship, Fred Davis and Walter Donaldson, were given byes to the semi-final stage in opposite halves of the draw.

[21] Even before losing the match, Donaldson declared that he would not enter the championship again, saying he could not give enough time to the practice he felt was necessary.

[22] Davis retained the title in 1955, taking a decisive lead of 37–34 against John Pulman in the final,[13] and 38–35 after the remaining dead frames were played.

[26][27] Having won the first five editions of the World Professional Match-play Championship, Davis didn't participate in 1957, which again attracted only four competitors.

[38] In 1988, Barry Hearn promoted an invitational tournament, called the World Matchplay, for the top twelve players in the provisional rankings.

It was held in the UK annually until 1992, and the 1988 event was the first snooker tournament to offer a six-figure winner's prize, £100,000.