Not to be confused with Mark Allen (snooker player)

Mark Allen (snooker player)

Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...

Mark Johnston-Allen (born 28 December 1968 in Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

) is a former professional snooker

Snooker

Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

 player. He reached the final of the 1991 European Open

Malta Cup

The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...

 while ranked #59 in the world, a run which included a 5–0 win over Stephen Hendry

Stephen Hendry

Stephen Gordon Hendry, MBE is a Scottish professional snooker player. In 1990, he was the youngest-ever snooker World Champion, at the age of 21. He has won the World Championship a record seven times and was snooker's world number one for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, and again...

, though he was beaten 9–7 by Tony Jones for the title. He reached the final of the same event again a year later, this time losing 9–3 to Jimmy White

Jimmy White

James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...

. He qualified for the World Championship

World Snooker Championship

The World Snooker Championship is the leading professional snooker tournament in terms of both prize money and ranking points. The first championship was held in 1927; since 1977, it has been played at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England...

 in 1992, and lost 10–4 to Tony Knowles

Tony Knowles (snooker player)

Anthony Knowles is an English professional snooker player. He was a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s.-Career:...

 in the first round.

At the International Open

Players Championship (snooker)

The Players Championship was a professional snooker tournament. It is the most recent name of the ranking tournament held in Scotland every year. The tournament has had a bewildering number of name changes in its history. Until recently it was commonly known as the Scottish Open, and prior to that...

 in 1995, he knocked out Hendry, Mark Williams

Mark Williams (snooker player)

Mark James Williams, MBE is a Welsh professional snooker player who has been World Champion twice, in 2000 and 2003. Often noted for his single-ball potting, he has earned the nickname, The Welsh Potting Machine...

 and Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronnie O'Sullivan

Ronald Antonio "Ronnie" O'Sullivan , is an English professional snooker player known for his rapid playing style and nicknamed "The Rocket". He has been World Champion on three occasions , and is second on the all-time prize-money list, with career earnings of over £6 million, behind only Stephen...

 before losing 5–0 to White in the quarter-finals. A month later he beat White en route to the semi-finals of the Thailand Open, where he lost to James Wattana

James Wattana

James Wattana is a Thai professional snooker player.-Career:...

. His world ranking peaked at #31 in the 1992/1993

Snooker world rankings 1992/1993

Snooker world rankings 1992/1993: The professional world rankings for the top 32 snooker players in the 1992/1993 season are listed below.-References:...

 season, but he had dropped out of the world's top 64 by 1997/98

Snooker world rankings 1997/1998

Snooker world rankings 1997/1998: The professional world rankings for the top 64 snooker players in the 1997/1998 season are listed below.-References:...

. He also holds the distinction of having won each of his three matches against Stephen Hendry.

In recent years he has worked as a commentator on Sky Sports

Sky Sports

Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...

' snooker coverage, and also as an MC

Master of Ceremonies

A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....

 at snooker events.

Ranking finals

Outcome	No.	Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	1991	European Open Malta Cup The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...	Tony Jones	7–9
Runner-up	2.	1992	European Open Malta Cup The Malta Cup was a professional snooker tournament that has been on the World Snooker calendar since the 1988/89 season. It was previously known as the European Open as the sole ranking tournament in Europe, outside the British Isles.- History :Prior to the 1988/89 season, there were no ranking...  (2)	Jimmy White Jimmy White James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...	3–9