“I guess Paul knows more about the game than the rest of us put together. That may be an exaggeration, but not by much.”
-Jim Wych

“He meant more to me than anyone else in the game when I was growing up.”
-Kirk Stevens

Paul Thornley, may well be the most influential Canadian in snooker history. Mentored by the legendary George Chenier in his prime, Thornley is not only a treasured link to Canada’s illustrious and influential history in the sport but Canadian snooker’s elder stateman. Equal parts historian, philosopher, sage and sports psychologist, he is the one whose advice and wisdom is sought above all others. Thornley’s dedication to excellence has been felt in literally every aspect of the sport in Canada and beyond: business ownership, coaching and mentoring, equipment design, techniques and strategy, development and promotion, and professionalism.

Born in Owen Sound on the shore of Canada’s Georgian Bay; he is probably the second most famous Canadian to hail from that small town, the first being legendary flying ace Billy Bishop. As a young man Thornley was an assistant golf pro and a scratch handicap, but after eventually concluding his swing was all wrong, he left golf for snooker.

There is a correlation between the two sports - hand-eye coordination, repetitive motion, fine motor skills and finesse - are foundational to both sports and many great snooker players are also very capable golfers. The same cerebral curiosity and lifelong love of reading and learning that fuelled Paul Thornley's discovery about his golf stroke powered his methodical approach to cue sports. Perpetually engaged in extensive study and note-taking he began systematically laying the foundation for his encyclopedic knowledge of technique, strategy and the mental game. His enviably analytical intellect led him to design new equipment and cue techniques.

Throughout the 1960s Paul Thornley was considered the best snooker player in Canada. Thornley’s first major victory was the televised CBC – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Championship of 1967. Following that success, Thornley won the Canadian Snooker Championship three years in a row from 1967 to 1969. And although he was highly capable, he chose not to challenge the legendary George Chenier for the North American Championship – a title Chenier held from 1947 to 1970 – out of respect and friendship.

In 1970, Thornley reached the final of the Canadian Professional Snooker Association Open Tournament with victories over Robert Paquette and Bill Werbeniuk before he was eventually defeated by eight-time World Snooker Champion, Fred Davis of England.

As a self-proclaimed nomadic individual, always willing to hop in his van and travel with his beloved rescue dog Rocky, he travelled frequently from Canada to the United States in the 1970s to play pool as it was more lucrative than a snooker career in Canada.

He resumed playing snooker in 1977 and participated in the 1978 Canadian Open at the Canadian National Exhibition winning a banner match against another eight-time World Champion, John Pulman, but lost in the quarter-finals to the eventual winner, fellow Canadian Cliff Thorburn.

Paul Thornley turned professional in 1979 and was occasionally active on the world tour from 1979-1991 and 1994-1996. Consistency was elusive because he did not play on the world tour full-time but he was not without success. His attempt at the 1980 World Championship ended in a 9-4 loss to Paddy Morgan of Australia in the last 48. He played sporadically over the next few years, and narrowly lost 10-8 to Mick Fisher in the first round of the 1984 World Professional Championship. He did not play in 1985 but in the 1986 Championship, Thornley scored a convincing 10-3 victory over South African Derek Mienie and a 10-7 win over Patsy Fagan. He lost to Northern Ireland’s Tommy Murphy in the last 64. In subsequent years, Thornley won occasional matches but was not a regular on tour. His last recorded professional match was in the 1995 World Championship and he resigned from the professional tour in 1996.

Paul Thornley was instrumental in making Toronto the centre of snooker and pool in Canada. He and his wife operated The House of Champions in the 1970's. He was the resident professional at Le Spot Billiards in the 1980's and the resident professional at Blues and Cues in the 1990's. Then in the 2000’s he became associate editor and contributor to Chalk and Cue, Canada’s billiards magazine.

A quiet, thoughtful and humble man, Paul Thornley has influenced generations of competitive players because of his giving spirit and willingness to share his knowledge. Over the years, he has coached and mentored countless Canadian players, including future World Snooker Champion Cliff Thorburn and Canadian Snooker Champion and World 9-Ball Champion, Alex Pagulayan. At one time or another, his counsel has been sought by every successful Canadian snooker player.

Paul Thornley has reigned as Canada’s preeminent authority on cue sports for decades and his sport honoured him with induction into the Canadian Snooker Hall of Fame in 2023.