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The 147 Club | Club 200 Manchester
In our latest feature on our 147 Club members, we look at Club 200 which is a new snooker club based in Manchester with big ambitions for the future!
Opened in May 2024, the venue will be hosting its first World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) Q Tour Europe event later this month where 156 players from 29 countries will embark on the United Kingdom’s fifth biggest city with dreams of taking another step towards qualifying for the World Snooker Tour (WST).
The venue, which boasts eleven heated and tournament standard tables, has come a long way from the initial vision held by co-founders Keith and Simon.
“The vision (Keith and Simon) first had for the club was quite far off from what it’s turned into.
“It was initially only supposed to be a small venue with 3 or 4 snooker tables, a deep fat fryer round the back, and a fridge to store drinks. Thomas joined the team, one thing led to another and it turned into a plan to open a large, all-encompassing club where you can play a bit of snooker, some darts, have a sit down meal or a drink at the bar. The aim was to provide a place where people can get together with friends or family and chill out for the day.”
It has been a long journey for the team to get to where they are today, with a previous project at 200 Waterloo Road in Manchester falling through after a year of work – although this project does provide the name ‘Club 200’ for the new venue.
The team said: “We had to find a new venue quickly, which ended up being extremely run down. It needed a lot of work but the owners weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Then Tim, an old acquaintance of Keith and Simon’s, and fellow snooker fan, joined the team in October 2023.
“Safe to say it’s been a long and unexpected journey to get to where the club is now!”
As well as this month’s WPBSA Q Tour Europe event, Club 200 will also be hosting tournaments on the EPSB’s flagship English Amateur Tour, English Seniors Tour and for World Billiards before the turn of the year.
“The team are all very excited for the major national and international tournaments that Club 200 will be hosting for the first time. We can’t wait to see the club filled with snooker enthusiasts from all across the UK, never mind the globe!
“The founders never envisioned hosting any of these big tournaments. What started as a plan to open a small local snooker club snowballed; one thing led to another and all of a sudden they had top-level players and governing bodies making unexpected visits.”
The venue is part of the EPSB’s ‘147 Club’ scheme which, backed by the WPBSA, aims to promote a modern, positive and progressive perception of clubs by improving standards, boosting the junior game and encouraging new players from all backgrounds into the sport.
The team at Club 200 explains: “We hope that with your support we can more reputably get our name out there, particularly to the more elite players who we think our venue’s just perfect for.
“We think that having EPSB by our side acts as a springboard in that you’ll be opening up more opportunities for us e.g. opportunities for hosting national tournaments. Additionally, it’s important that we have your affiliation as it’ll help us attract more high-level coaches for our future ‘School of Excellence’ programme.”
Despite being open for less than 12 months, Club 200 has already made great strides and the team have big goals for the future.
“We want to establish ourselves as one of the best snooker clubs in the country, hold more tournaments and sponsor/coach more talented youth so that we can be a part of their journey.” they said.
“We’re currently working to develop the restaurant side of the club and to set up more membership benefits/loyalty programmes for our members to enjoy. We believe we have the foundations for becoming a success in Manchester and hope to help build a community with a shared interest in playing cue sports.”
