Roger Bales (born 15 August 1948) is an English former professional snooker player.
Born in Birmingham on 15 August 1948, Bales first played competitive snooker in 1974, playing in that year's Pontin's Spring Open, a pro-am event, where he lost his first match 0âÂÂ4 to Mario Berni. In the 1978 edition of that event, he whitewashed Cliff Wilson 4âÂÂ0, but was defeated in the next round 3âÂÂ4 by Dennis Taylor.
Partnering with Clive Everton, Bales won the national pairs snooker championship in 1977. He won the Pontins Autumn Open in 1983.
Having gained experience in the amateur game, Bales turned professional in 1984, aged 35. At the International Open, his first professional tournament, he defeated Dessie Sheehan, Tommy Murphy, and Mick Fisher to reach the last 48, where he led Dean Reynolds 4âÂÂ2 but could not prevent Reynolds from coming back to beat him 4âÂÂ5. Despite winning eight matches in his first professional season, he did not gain any ranking points, and was ranked 100 at the season's end.
In the 1985/1986 season, Bales reached the last 32 in a ranking event for the first time at the 1986 British Open; there, he beat Maurice Parkin 5âÂÂ1 and Taylor, now the incumbent World Champion, 5âÂÂ4, to set up a meeting with the veteran Rex Williams. In their match, Bales again led 4âÂÂ2 but went on to lose 4âÂÂ5.
Although he began the following season inside the top 64 of the rankings, at 57th, Bales earned only ã1,695 in prize money during 1986âÂÂ87, due to a sole last-32 finish which came at the International Open; he had beaten Fred Davis 5âÂÂ4 and Kirk Stevens 5âÂÂ3 to qualify, but was eliminated 1âÂÂ5 by Wilson.
Over the course of the next five years, Bales' ranking declined steadily as he was able to produce only intermittently good results. He reached the last 32 in three more ranking events - the 1987 Grand Prix, where he lost 2âÂÂ5 to Willie Thorne, the 1989 British Open, where Mike Hallett whitewashed him 5âÂÂ0, and the 1989 International Open, where he was beaten 5âÂÂ1 by Alain Robidoux - but, having begun the 1991âÂÂ92 season ranked 116th, he finished it, having lost 1âÂÂ10 to Chris Cookson in qualifying for the 1992 World Championship, without a ranking.
Bales entered ten tournaments during the 1992/1993 season, but won only one match - in the sixth round of qualifying for the International Open. He lost 3âÂÂ5 to Mark O'Sullivan in the seventh qualifying round for the 1993 World Championship, and did not play competitive snooker thereafter.