Why haven't you joined the cue? (Snooker Clubs)

Member Name: benniash

Product:	Snooker Clubs
Date:	19/02/04 (854 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap with lots of promotions, Membership to all 160 clubs

Disadvantages: No disabled access, Busy at some times

~Rileys Snooker Club - Derby, Town Centre~

Some of you may know that I damaged the cartilage in my knee back in August, right at the start of the new football season. Progress has been slow and one failed come back already has meant I?m taking it even easier now, although the doc has now passed me fit and I?ve resumed light exercise. I absolutely love football and it has been hard not being able to play for long, so I decided to start playing another of my favourite sports on a more regular basis, snooker.

So in mid September a couple of friends and I decided to check out our local Snooker hall, Rileys, just five minutes walk from Derby town centre.

Membership: For a years membership it is just £6 and one of the things that gives it the edge over other clubs is that the membership starts from the day you join, not the first day of the month or anything unfair like that. Joining is simple and consists of a single form containing the obvious profile questions such as name, date of birth, address, etc ? nothing out of the ordinary. You can join anytime, simply by turning up and filling in the form ? be warned they may ask for ID so take your driving licence or something similar. Once the form is completed you are officially a member and can use the facilities straight away. The best thing is that because Rileys is such a large chain you instantly become a member of all 160 clubs throughout the UK ? which is great if you travel around a lot. You receive a membership card that contains your unique membership number and although no photo is placed on the card, a member of staff takes a photo using a web cam and this is checked on the computer every time you enter the building.

Cost: Although membership is only £6 the rates of playing are just as fair. For an hour on either a snooker or pool table you get charged £4.20 (remember that is divided between two usually, and pool in pubs is £1.20 a game in some London bars!) although they con

stantly have offers running. If you are likely to play for a long time you can choose the option of paying ten pound and play for as long as you want, obviously this depends how long you are likely to pay for ? if it?s over two and half hours then you?d be better off. Note that should you want to take up this offer you must tell the cashier before you start playing. From Fridays through to Sundays is the quietest time (believe it or not) and tables are half price, so you?ll pay just £2.10 an hour ? this is exceptional value. Also you can collect a loyalty card from behind the bar. The card has ten spaces that you can get signed every time you spend £5 on a table. When all ten have been signed you get 50% off your next table bill. This is excellent and if you play at least once a week like myself then you?ll soon have enough for the offer. Throughout the year they constantly bring in new offers, certain weeks where the tables are half price all day, every day, and at the minute they also offer you 50% off the cost of your next table if you introduce a new member. On my Birthday I even received a book of vouchers for cheap drinks, food and table play ? always a bonus. Payment must be made when the table is finished; you are charged by the minute and this can be viewed on the computer screen behind the bar. All major credit cards are accepted. Booking of tables in advance can be done by phone at no extra cost.

Facilities: The reason I made the point that it is in Derby, town centre, is because that whilst the clubs are all linked together, they are often very different. Also note that there is another club just ten minutes outside the city centre. The one in question is above some shops and contains a well stocked bar, a large seating area, massive screen showing sky sports and of course pool and snooker tables. There are ten snooker tables at the very back, sectioned off by a glass screen to keep the noise out. Each snooker table comes with its own cues
and the usual equipment such as rests, triangle, etc. You also have a scoreboard mounted on the closest wall along with coat pegs. Chairs and a small table are also provided for drinks and food. Another good point is that about six foot up is a shelf/ledge to put your drinks on, which stops wayward cues knocking them over. The décor is not great, the place is pretty dull like most snooker halls but various snooker related pictures adorn the walls and make it more presentable. The equipment is decent enough; the main thing is that the tables are kept up to fairly high standards and run pretty true. Every time the cloth on a table becomes bear it is replaced within a reasonable amount of time. On the other side of the screen are eight American style pool tables and six normal sized ones. As already mentioned these are the same rates as the snooker tables. One of the biggest problems for both is that some are too close. I?m not talking ridiculous, but compared to other venues you don?t have as much room to move around. It isn?t a massive problem and doesn?t affect playing, but all snooker players appreciate as much space as possible. As I?ve already stated, there is a bar and seating area. Food is fairly decent although you are limited to burgers and fries. It is usually served within half hour and when you are playing you are given waitress service for both food and drink ? this is great as it means you don?t have to leave the table and of course no queues! The top row contains as many spirits as you?d find in any other pub and along with the beer is competitively priced. Bottles and soft drinks are also available with some sort of cheap offer usually available. If you can get down between 4-8pm every day then Carling is just £1.20 ? watch people buying two or more pints at five to eight!!! Even if you don?t fancy snooker it is great for watching live sport, as well as the big screen there are several televisions dotted around for viewing. Add to this the usua
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ruit machines and games, it really offers everything a normal pub would.

Bad Points: Tuesday night is a big no go. Nothing against them, but it is student night and therefore they fill the place. It is actually a big student attraction most nights really and the fact they tend to play more pool is shown in the fact that there are so many pool tables (and less snooker tables) compared to other Rileys clubs. Getting on a table is usually fairly easy before eight o?clock, although after you?ll have to join a waiting list. Probably the worst thing about the club is that being upstairs they have no disabled access, although the other club ten minutes away does.

Overall: I really enjoy playing down there and everything is competitively priced, even before the promotions! The atmosphere has always been pleasant and a mix of all ages are always there. Compared to most clubs there also seems to be a high proportion of ladies members, which is always a bonus! If you are thinking of joining a snooker club then Rileys is ideal, especially as you become a member of all 160 of their clubs. The other facilities such as toilets are always up to scratch, and the staff and both pleasant and helpful. Whats more the snooker hall is open twenty-four hours, with a late licence, so always worth popping in for a few frames and a couple of pints!

More information can be found at the Rileys website: www.cuesports.co.uk, where they also have a ?club finder? so you can find your nearest venue. Alternatively you can call for free on 0800 0855 822.

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