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Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Monique

The news has been around for a couple of days, but here is more details

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/s ... story.html?
A snooker club started up by Willie Thorne has been ordered to shut its doors because the city council wants the building back.

The Riley's Willie Thorne club, in Charles Street, opened for the last time yesterday and it is understood the space will be used for council staff being moved out of the crumbling New Walk Centre.


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It was opened by the county snooker legend in 1980 and he ran it until about 14 years ago when it was taken over by the Riley's chain.

Professionals including Steve Davies and Alex Higgins have played there and it was also where city snooker stars Mark Selby and Joe Jogia honed their skills.

Willie, who now has no involvement with the club, said: "It's the end of an era. There are some great memories I have of the club and it's sad it will be no more. At one point nine pros were regularly playing there and every pro in the game has played there at one time."

Mark Selby added: "It's a sad day because I wouldn't be where I was without Willie Thorne's. I played there from the age of 11 to 16 and Willie's brother, Malcolm, let me practice for free and he sponsored me in my first competitions.

"I have a lot of great memories of the club."

Westley Cooper, 33, of New Parks, Leicester, takes his six-year-old son Westley Jnr to the club regularly.

He said: "They've just dropped this bombshell on us this week that it's closing down. My son was in tears when he found out.

"I've been told the council are going to use the building as offices.

"It's such a friendly place and nowhere else in town will be the same."

Paul Newman, 46, of Aylestone, said: "It is upsetting. I've been going there for seven years and it's a good crowd there and you feel really relaxed. The other clubs in Leicester are probably all a third of the size.

"I enjoy playing their socially with friends but it's also part of Leicester's history. Snooker is something the city is known for now."

A member of staff at the club, who did not want to be named, said: "It's upsetting.

"We have to be out by October 12 and it's all happened really quickly.

"The city council own the building and they want this floor back because they've got to get out of the New Walk Centre. We haven't had any notice – I was told on Monday.

"The customers are devastated because this has been the home of snooker in Leicester since 1980."

A city council spokesman said: "The lease for the snooker hall was sold by Willie Thorne some years ago and the current operators have never signed a lease.

"We gave them notice we would be ending their tenancy and they have accepted this.

"We own the building and already have some offices there. We are looking at the options for using the rest of it for office accommodation but no plans have yet been drawn up."

No one from RIley's was available to comment yesterday.


Sad and quite baffling...

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Monique

Sonny wrote:Quite baffling until you read the last bit.


Well that in itself is quite baffling. The fact that they let Riley's use the place without a lease …
Did the person - Ben Woollaston mum I think - who actually managed the place on a daily basis know this? Or does she now find herself out of a job at extremely short notice?

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Wildey

Sad news for Snooker but it seems very strange that the club is closing imediatly and the council has no plans drawn up for the building so why close in such a rush.

suerly if they want the building i guess its their right but with no definite plans wouldn't it make more sense to give them 6 months notice.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby gallantrabbit

It's a great shame. I played there a good few times in their weekend tourneys. Might they look for a new venue or is that not viable in the current economic/snooker climate?

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Witz78

i signed it a while back.

whats the latest? I saw a Great WT comment in a paper that seemed to just be accepting it was the end of an era which was surprising,

PS- the daughter is a bit tasty it has to be said.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:i signed it a while back.

whats the latest? I saw a Great WT comment in a paper that seemed to just be accepting it was the end of an era which was surprising,

PS- the daughter is a bit tasty it has to be said.

in some respect the old fashion clubs where kids walked in to play has come to an end that era is over with this club possibly the last of it kind that gave kids a real foot up in to the pro game.

these days it seems the new thing is Snooker Academy's instead of clubs.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Witz78

theres hardly any traditional clubs left in Glasgow now

virtually all the ones i used to play in years ago when i first moved here in the mid 90s are either shut or have been turned more into pubs with american pool tables replacing a lot of the snooker tables.

i love going to the bar, ordering drinks then getting the tray of balls, then heading through the door into a dark silent room with loads of tables.

the smoking ban has killed off the snooker clubs as we know them though without doubt.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Wildey

Witz78 wrote:theres hardly any traditional clubs left in Glasgow now

virtually all the ones i used to play in years ago when i first moved here in the mid 90s are either shut or have been turned more into pubs with american pool tables replacing a lot of the snooker tables.

i love going to the bar, ordering drinks then getting the tray of balls, then heading through the door into a dark silent room with loads of tables.

the smoking ban has killed off the snooker clubs as we know them though without doubt.

American pool tables take less room and with respect to Earl Strictland and co any fool can pot balls to some extent where as Snooker requires far more accuracy and people got fed up looking like tits so they can look more accomplished playing American pool with buckets.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Simone

Hi there

Exactly so. Trying to see the cuts and angles in snooker is like trying to see those with marble balls. Snooker is such a funny game also because it´s so ridicilously difficult and demanding. It definetely suits for the people with dry sense of humour, i.e old players still try to see those marble balls cuts and angles with all the cannons and breakbuilding requirements when eyesight is worsening and worsening.. Not to even mention how big table is and light mass of the balls.

It´s interesting to see how snooker goes on in China since it´s exported there. All the chinese professionals are young. Will they have the passion to continue with the game after pro careers like british definetely have.. Whether it´s businesses with snooker clubs, snooker academys, commentating, coaching, snooker legend tours, hanging there and challenging younger players etc.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby gallantrabbit

Witz78 wrote:theres hardly any traditional clubs left in Glasgow now

virtually all the ones i used to play in years ago when i first moved here in the mid 90s are either shut or have been turned more into pubs with american pool tables replacing a lot of the snooker tables.

i love going to the bar, ordering drinks then getting the tray of balls, then heading through the door into a dark silent room with loads of tables.

the smoking ban has killed off the snooker clubs as we know them though without doubt.



Bit of a strange statement Witz. What smoking did kill off is Malcolm Thorne if you read the article...
Ill sign the petition, but not sure if it'll help...

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby gallantrabbit

OK Witz. I too used to think that smoke everywhere added to the atmosphere of a snooker hall. I'm also old enough though to remember smoking on planes :roll: and at some point along the line we have to have a little progress. Pubs particularly are also closing down cos of the recession remember.

Re: Willie Thorne club closing in Leicester

Postby Wildey

gallantrabbit wrote:OK Witz. I too used to think that smoke everywhere added to the atmosphere of a snooker hall. I'm also old enough though to remember smoking on planes :roll: and at some point along the line we have to have a little progress. Pubs particularly are also closing down cos of the recession remember.

Thats Partly true But i wouldn't be Surprise if Off License Sales are increasing...

here where i Live the New Trend is Buy Booze in Off Licenses then go Round each others Houses Drinking and Smoking.