News

World Cup Sank Pool Club

From left to right: Keith Wyer, Paul Cooper & Paul Thompson, CJM Asset Management

The entire contents of a Cottingham pool club . . . including its championship tables . . . are to go under the hammer at an auction in Scunthorpe next week following the collapse of the business after a catastrophic fall in trade during the World Cup.

The Pool Room on King Street in Cottingham closed its doors for the last time a month ago. Now liquidators Jackson Jolliffe Cork of Hull have instructed industrial auctioneers CJM Asset management to sell off the club’s fixtures, fittings and equipment.

Everything ranging from the bar equipment, including the remaining stock of drink, to the eight championship class slate-bed pool tables is to be auctioned off at CJM’s saleroom on Brigg Road in Scunthorpe on Tuesday (22nd August).

CJM Director Paul Cooper said: “The Pool Room was a new venture when it was launched a year ago. Despite achieving some success in attracting local pool teams to play their league matches at what was a smart venue, developing the wider customer base proved a slow process.”

“According to one of the directors, the World Cup hammered the final nail in their coffin. Trade just evaporated during the tournament and prompted their decision to put the business into liquidation.”

“We’ve moved everything to our Scunthorpe saleroom because there would not have been enough space to stage an auction on the premises in Cottingham.”

“The star lots are the eight pool tables. They’re all made by Supreme and they’re free-play tables, which is to say that they do not have coin slots. They’re just a year old and obviously they have not had a lot of use.”

“Each table is being sold with a set of lights, two sets of balls and various cues and rests. We have been getting interest from various people in the pool hall business but each of the tables is to be auctioned individually, so members of the public who fancy having a table at home have just as good a chance as anyone else. We think they are likely to sell for £150-£200 a time.”

“We’ve also been sent some very futuristic bar stools and tables from the club, bottle fridges and the grills and griddles from the kitchen that were never even installed and are still in their boxes.”

Tuesday’s auction will also see stock from office furniture and equipment suppliers Office Plus go under the hammer. Based at Pegasus Square on Innovation Way in Grimsby, the company has gone into liquidation.

“This is one of the fields of business where the market is becoming increasingly difficult as firms have to compete with Internet rivals, selling high volumes on tight margins.”

“We’ve been sent about a hundred lots ranging across desks, chairs, bookcases, filing cabinets and office supplies. The furniture’s all brand new, indeed a lot of it has never been out of the boxes. It will make what it makes but at auction new office furniture tends to make 20%-30% of its catalogue price. “

Other highlights of the sale include a two-seater electric golf buggy, converted to a four seater, and a two seater dune buggy, both expected to sell in the £300-£500 range.

In all the sale extends to just over 800 lots. The viewing sessions are on Monday (21st August) 1pm-7pm and on Tuesday morning from 8.30am until the start of the sale at 10 am. Catalogues are available from CJM or can be downloaded free of charge from the firm’s website: www.cjmasset.com

For further information or comment please contact Paul Cooper at CJM Asset Management on 01724-334411.        

David Newman - Newman Walker Associates - 17th August 2006