Why is Snooker dieing?

irish147

The game of snooker is on its final legs here in Ireland, more clubs closed last week, and in Dublin you would have to look for a long time to find a table.

In Wexford you never see anyone playing the game, ten years ago, you could not get a table...

What can be done, to get back back on cue.

I travel to Snooker events (to take photos), and people in the game feel vry good about the new events that will be played all over the world this year.

I went to the CYMS tonight for a hour, and I was on my own...lol

'again'

zack01

As someone who has been involved in the game in Ireland for the better part of 29 years originally as a player and then a club owner i reckon i'm better tuned in to give you an insight into the game.

Yes many clubs have closed and continue to close, I believe that's not down to the game dying but increased running costs for club owners, when you have rent, rates, insurance, esb, water rates to pay it can be quite difficult to keep a business running. This has affected not only snooker businesses but indeed many other shops, stores etc.
In the early eighties there were at least 30 venues around the greater Dublin area where you would find tables.
Then we had the mid eighties which were the boom years in Irish Snooker, clubs sprouted up everywhere but these guys were just interested in making a quick buck.
But when the summer months come along ie: June July August and Sept clubs go quiet, it's been like that for the last fifty years or so.Nobody plays snooker during these months except the die hard players who continue their one or twice a week meet up for a few frames.
So basically what happened when these quiet times came along all these new club owners panicked, no revenue coming in so drastic times call for drastic measures, out go half the tables and in come pool tables slot machines arcade machines etc, now you now longer have a snooker club but an amusement arcade.All of a sudden you get a different kind of crowd coming in, your regular snooker punters stop coming in because of noise etc and within six months all the tables are gone and your left with a glorified arcade, Goodfellows in Rathmines being a prime example.
Other club owners didn't wait for this to happen, they took advantage of the ridiculous property prices and sold up, these clubs are now shops apartments etc, The Aristocrat in Clanbrassil St and Green Baize on Bolton St being two good examples.
Every sport goes through a decline and snooker certainly has had it's decline, but certainly this year I've noticed a huge upturn in business, more people started to come in and play, I feel sorry for guys who walk into the club on a weeknight and see several people waiting for a table ahead of them, but as I said Sept to May are the busiest months for clubs.
The Irish governing body are doing the best they can to promote the game again and I have seconded their proposal of again t holding their tournaments in different venues countrywide instead of every event being held in their HQ in Carlow.This way local clubs can again hold ranking events and promote local players along with their clubs.

National Snooker Coach PJ Nolan must also be commended for his great efforts and achievements in the game notably his coaching of recent champions like European Amateur Champion David Hogan.

The Dublin Snooker Leagues have always tried their best to keep the leagues going, I remember when I first played leagues in 1981, there were 11 divisions with twelve teams in each league, now with all the clubs and CYMS's that have closed down they see to their credit run the leagues albeit with fewer divisions.

In the pro game great strides have been taken in the last few months and a new dawn for professional snooker has started thanks largely to the efforts of Barry Hearn. This will all filter down to the amateur game and encourage more people to play the sport.

Club owners themselves or indeed anybody considering opening a club must also encourage people to play, good playing conditions, special rates, competitions and coaching are all nessesary to promote your business.

It's worked for my club for the past 52 years and continues to do so.

Myrddin

Its prob more the fault of rising running costs, but the last few times I played - I found the price per hour was unbelieveably high. Last I remember, the Spawell was 8.50 per hour or thereabouts which was pretty good. Then we went to a place near Cellbridge a few times, it was about 11.50 an hour there. So a three hour session, a few drinks and a bit to eat leaves you with little or no change from 50 quid. No thanks

ArmaniJeanss

EnterNow wrote: »

I found the price per hour was unbelieveably high. Last I remember, the Spawell was 8.50 per hour or thereabouts which was pretty good. Then we went to a place near Cellbridge a few times, it was about 11.50 an hour there.

Even at those prices I always wondered how a snooker hall could make money. A 12x6 table takes up about 18x12 of space (with some of the dead space shared between tables).
But thats 220 square foot which if its occupied for 8 hours a day takes in 8 x€11.50 = €92.
But 220 square feet is the size of a small clothes shop, and if a clothes shop only took in €92 a day it would soon be a shutdown clothes shop.

Admittedly the economics are a bit different when you have 6 or 10 tables as you don't really need much extra staff even as the amount of tables increase. But its still a huge amount of square footage, large chunks of it having that max income of €92. And the rental of these big buildings must be high. I guess you need to flog a lot of sandwiches and beer to the punters to make it pay. Or litter the place with poker machines. Its surely not a way to make your fortune, more the love of the game.
Zack?

gooch2k9

EnterNow wrote: »

Its prob more the fault of rising running costs, but the last few times I played - I found the price per hour was unbelieveably high. Last I remember, the Spawell was 8.50 per hour or thereabouts which was pretty good. Then we went to a place near Cellbridge a few times, it was about 11.50 an hour there. So a three hour session, a few drinks and a bit to eat leaves you with little or no change from 50 quid. No thanks

With that! I used to play regularly but it just costs too much now.

zack01

Agreed but like any other business these days you are up against it.An old friend of mine told me years ago that recessions are good for snooker clubs and I have to say my club has had an incredible year.
I put up the prices at the beginning of the year to €7 p/h before 6pm and €10 p/h after 6pm, and I have not had one grumble from any of my regulars or indeed any first time visitors to the club about the cost.
As an ex player myself I understand from a players point of view and that is to provide top quality playing conditions, I honestly don't know how some clubs got away with charging €10-12 p/h when there were rips etc on the cloth and the general playing area is substandard.

Clubs that charge that type of rate per hour will never do well it is just too much to expect people to pay, no matter what the playing conditions.

Engelbert

Too expensive on "ground-level" to play - online or console alternatives are more easily accessible and offer similar challenges found while playing in B&M snooker halls - without the dank!

On the other hand, world snooker hasn't been greatly managed and the WPBSA has a lot to answer for. I'm not calling for a tribunal or anything I just think it set itself up for a fall by being too over-reliant on tobacco companies for sponsorship and didn't invest enough at grass root level to maintain interest over a longer term.

/shpiel

Vince135792003

irish147 wrote: »

In Wexford you never see anyone playing the game, ten years ago, you could not get a table...

'

Snooker just isn't seen as a cool, appealing game to children and 1 reason is snooker has no mega appealing stars.


There's no Federer, Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods, Maywether etc... The best snooker has is a whining genius in O'Sullivan.

Snooker isn't packed right either. I'm sure Hearn will take some of the ideas he has used in darts.

fryup

well this years world final didn't help matters, probably the worst ever > first time i didn't bother to stay up till the end