By Elliott West
“As a family, we have invested significantly into the Northern over the years, not simply from a financial perspective, but also in creating a well-established and highly popular venue with a wide range of clientele”.
Chris and June Williamson (Current Owners)
Introduction
The Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds has had a long and illustrious association with the game, dating back to 1974 when the Williamson family purchased the building. Hosting tournaments such as the Canadian Club Masters and pro-celebrity snooker events in the 1970s and shown on Yorkshire Television, the building is now going on the market for the first time in 47 years.
Pastures New?
This iconic building has been host to a whole list of snooker players, dating back to the days when the likes of Alex Higgins, John Pulman and Ray Reardon played there. Fondly known as ‘The Northern’, it has also held court to many of the stars of the past including Les Dawson, Fred Trueman, Bill Maynard and Kenny Lynch. A club that houses 27 snooker tables, including a dedicated exhibition area, the ‘Paul Hunter Match Arena’, six English pool tables, a stand-alone ‘Stateside Pool Lounge’, bars, conservatory and external patio seating area. Christie’s & Co are marketing the business on a long leasehold basis with a guide price of £750,000, a decision made after the major shareholder decided to retire, the purchase is hoped to be from another snooker investor with an attraction of inheriting 9,000 members from the ages of seven to over 70 and a club used by families, students and professional players. A local institution that has also heavily invested in the local community, sponsoring snooker, billiards and pool events and hosting many English Amateur events and the Ladies and World Billiards tournaments. The business also has a family-run team, who contribute to the running, management and coaching side of the establishment.
“With a strong trading track record and impressive profitability, we envisage the business will appeal to quite a wide range of buyers, from existing owner/operators, to investors seeking a new venture, to snooker enthusiasts and others associated with the game both here in the UK and further afield.”
Jon Patrick, Head of leisure and develoment at Christie’s & Co.
Summary
This business is the snooker hub of the community and will hopefully remain for many years to come. It has literally been the heartbeat of snooker for over 40 years and acts as the training ground for many of the future stars of the sport. Famous across the country and the world, the club is a hive of cue sports’ activity and remains a beacon and benchmark for the many players that flock there.
