Sheffield Steelers to open sports bar in former Rileys club

Date: 06/12/2012. Story submitted by: Gael Stigant

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The owner of the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team is to reopen Rileys Snooker Club on Birley Moor Road as a sports bar later this month.

The club closed last month when the national snooker chain went into administration - but now it will reopen as The Steelers Bar.

Tony Smith, CEO of the Sheffield Steelers, said: “This club closed and we decided effectively to bite the bullet and open it as a Steelers sports bar. It will have all sorts of memorabilia and Steelers branding.

“I grew up in a pub and have played snooker since I was ten. The Steelers organisation is flying high at the moment – we’re second in the league and top of the cup table so we’re doing really well. The timing’s not ideal for us but you have to do what you have to do.”

The building – which is the biggest snooker club in Yorkshire – was bought by the Sheffield Steelers a few years ago because they wanted to relocate Rhino, its hockey clothing company, into the building next door. The Rhino premises were sold as a package with the snooker club and four acres of land, and Rileys had rented the building from them ever since.

The club is now undergoing a three-week, £150,000 revamp ahead of reopening for snooker fans on December 19, and Steelers fans on December 20.

Improvements will include a new car park and a new kitchen, which will serve a variety of quality meals.

“It’s the snooker that people come for and they’ve got nothing left in the area as the Handsworth one has closed as well so this is their only snooker club,” said Martin.

“We wanted to keep it open because it’s a valuable asset to the community and it’s also a valuable asset for the Steelers.”

The Steelers Bar will be open from 12 noon to 12am every day and will employ ten members of staff including two general managers. Steelers season ticket holders will have free entry.

Rileys went into liquidation last month. Although a buyer was found, 25 clubs have been closed nationwide and the only remaining club in Sheffield is at Hunter’s Bar.

Maurice Kelly, CEO of Rileys, said: “The double-dip recession has put pressure on all discretionary spending in the country and we have not been immune to those problems experienced by retailers.

“We are confident that we can now create a new offering to members and customers which will excite them and it is really encouraging to be able to attract new investment to take the company forward.”

Additional info

Address: Birley Moor Road Sheffield S12 2AU

Tags: Sheffield Steelers, Tony Smith, Rileys, snooker, sports bar, Birley Moor Road