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POOL NEWS www.euroslot-online.com
Let’s Play Pool
Excel Leisure move to Oldham
S
ome years ago I bumped across an old friend who was spending a
week’s holiday on the Yorkshire coast with his   family. The
teenage son, a  rather ill-mannered  young man, kept interrupting my
conversation  with the words: “Let’s play pool.” F
ollowing the decision by the Aston-uinder-Lyne based Excel Leisure to
merge with Simply Pool, of Oldham, the former company moved to the
His rudeness has long been forgiven and forgotten. His request has latter’s offices and workshops at Unit 2, Austerlands Mill, Huddersfield Road,
not. In fact I think these days  BAPTO and its members should adopt Austerlands, Oldham OL4 2GB on March 16. The new company which
those words as a  slogan at all pool playing sites where members incorporates Excel Leisure, will be called Simply Pool Ltd. Stan McKenna and
operate and on any publicity material  they  issue. Dave Tippman have joined Bob Underhill, Simply Pool’s dales director, in
The idea occurred to me when I read in my daily paper recently Oldham where Tipman will continue to be involved in sales but McKenna will be
that  it is not the price of alcoholic drinks but the smoking ban that has mainly concerned with the commercial aspect of the new company and its
been the main cause of so many public houses closing. Considering business development both at home and overseas.
that the number of closures has accelerated since the ban became law Announcing the move McKenna said: “This move has been underway for the
there is probably a lot in it. I have mentioned before that pool is the past few weeks. It gives us extra manufacturing capacity and it is vital to all of
victim of economic circumstances and not the cause of them. If fewer us to ensure that there is no loss of production or customer service levels during
numbers of people go to pubs  then less use will be made of the pool its early stages.”
tables. There is no more demeaning sight, in my opinion,  than a Bob Underhill said: “Business in the pool industry became rather severe
huddle of respectable men and women, all law-abiding, having to enjoy towards the end of last year. We at Simply Pool were doing quite well for sales
a cigarette or a pipe in the precincts of  pubs because they are not but with the merger we shall have a stronger voice. The overheads of both
permitted to smoke within. Furthermore the Chancellor might need the Simply Pool and Excel Leisure are reduced and, yes, we shall be producing the
duty lost on alcohol and cigarettes when payback time arrives for the Excel range of tables  using the Excel trademark in Oldham from now onwards
public purse to pay for the money spent on saving the banks. as well as the Simply Pool range.”
The young man of yesteryear gave pool a slogan for which it has no He also confirmed that 40 Simply Pool tables will be made available to the
need to pay. Let’s Play Pool  should appear in all places where pool European Blackball Association for its World Masters Pool Championships to be
tables are sited. Advertising men say auto-suggestion is a good way to held in the Bridlington (East Yorkshire) Spa Royal Hall during April. He said:
sell a product. The slogan is to be recommended. “We believe in subsidising tournaments such as this with sponasorship. It gets
our tables known among some of the best pool players in the world even
though  it does cost us money to provide such sponsorship.”
Successful
Superleague show Where the heart is
E
ric Lewis, director of Hazelgrove  Superleague. has
confirmed to Euroslot that his company enjoyed a T
his feature mentioned a few weeks ago that Alan Marshall, whose Universal  Pool
Promotions introduced international pool competitions to Bridlington’s Royal Spa
successful and worthwhile Intergame Show in the Ibis Hall, was instrumental in encouraging pool to be played in  the town’s  establishment for
Hotel, London at the end of January. He said: “Our those with learning difficulties. Now I hear that Gamestec, a large operator of
electronic table, in particular, created a lot of interest and amusement machines and pool tables, has donated two of the lattert to the Redwood
we received some complimentary remarks. More to the Group, a  Salford  community group within the Probation Service. It supports an Adults
point, perhaps, we  took some orders to which we are with Learning Difficulties scheme which was in desperate need of  two new pool tables
giving attention and continuing to watch that our products as  its others  were falling apart. The Gamestec gesture  enabled the continuation of pool
are deserving of the Superleague name.”  competitions on the scheme’s premises.
Lewis said some customers made suggestions about the The Community Payback Project manager, Ken Gee, said the self-funding group could
new tables and these were being considered by the not have afforded to buy the replacement tables and Gamestec’s help was appreciated.
production team. “Where it is possible to meet individual Players needed coaching in the game and several previous offenders came back as
suggestions we shall endeavour to do so,” he added. volunteers to make their contribution.
26
APRIL 2009
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