By Elliott West
“Great place for a relaxing game of snooker, tables are excellent, friendly staff, all in all, well worth a visit”.
A club regular.
George and Vi Scott. Photograph courtesy of The George Scott Snooker Club.
Introduction
The 1980s were the boom years for snooker, a time when interest in the game reached euphoric levels and the players of the time were elevated to regal status. Yet opening a new snooker club in any era is a brave venture, a business that could flourish or crash and burn at the drop of a hat. Well, that’s exactly what George Scott and his wife Vi did 40 years ago when they opened their family-run snooker club on the 13th of April 1983, first called The Liverpool Billiards & Snooker Club situated in Derby Lane, Liverpool. A city that basks in the glory of music, culture and shipping and one that has had a long association with snooker with various amateur events including the Liverpool Open and the Merseyside Professional.
When George first open the doors to the club all those years ago, he must have done so with a touch of trepidation, worrying whether this new venture would lead to fruition. As they say, hard work pays off, turning this local business into one of the most prestigious snooker clubs in the country. A place where you are always guaranteed a warm Liverpudlian welcome and great playing conditions. In its various guises, going on to be called The George Scott Snooker Club and known as Scotties, this club thrives because it has its finger on the pulse of the local community with the very walls embracing the game of snooker.
Living the Dream
Anyone who is a keen follower of snooker and of a certain age will remember Georgia Scott as a snooker player. Scott was a very successful amateur, winning several key tournaments such as the Liverpool Open Lancashire, Inter-Counties and English Amateur Championships and the Merseyside snooker title, a staggering thirteen times. George also represented England on several occasions alongside the likes of Geoff Foulds, Steve Davis, Joe Johnson and Ray Edmonds. George turned professional in 1982 and despite not winning any ranking titles during this part of his snooker career, he still managed to climb to 37th in the world rankings at the age of 53 and got to the semi-finals of the 1988 Canadian Masters, losing to Steve Davis 1-5. A player who often got to the last 32 stages of a tournament in a professional career that from 1981 to 1995.
The Passion
George Scott loved snooker, so much so that it was his passion. His dream for over thirty years was to be the proud owner of his snooker club. Like all projects, there is always a risk of possible turbulence before an ambition comes to fruition. When George initially sought planning permission in 1980 to open a snooker club in Bedford Road, Walton, his application was turned down. A disappointed Scott had to pick himself up, brush himself down and scour the local area for alternative premises. A hunt that would last two years before he found the ideal place in Derby Lane and it would be 1983 before the club opened its doors to the local community.
A view of the snooker room at the club. Photograph courtesy of the George Scott Snooker Club.
The Liverpool Billiards & Snooker Club had 17 tables which increased to 24 a year later. A brave move but one that was influenced by the snooker boom of the 1980s. Today the club, now renamed The George Scott Snooker Club by George’s son Geoff and known affectionately as Scotties, has 25 snooker tables, 4 English pool tables and 2 American Pool tables. George Scott passed away in September 1998 but his legacy, dream and passion live on in this snooker gem of a club that he opened in 1983. A modern-day version of the great billiard hall that was previously dotted across Liverpool and many other UK cities.
