Snooker was huge in the 1980s. Players such as Steve Davis, Alex Higgins and Jimmy White became household names and the sport even gave its name to a top-ten hit for Chas & Dave. And if you wanted to go Snooker Loopy in Watford, Rileys was the place to head for a game on the green baize.

The club opened in the Parade in 1985 – the year when 18.5 million fans were glued to their TVs as Dennis Taylor beat Davis on the final black of arguably the most famous World Championship final – and was the go-to venue to play a few frames for around 35 years.

The future of the snooker bar looked bleak in 2020 when the chain fell into administration during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The club had several tables to play onThe club had several tables to play on (Image: Watford Observer)

However, the Watford branch was taken over and rebranded as Shots, ensuring a specialist venue to play the sport remains to this day in the heart of the town centre.

Many friendships were forged on the green baizeMany friendships were forged on the green baize (Image: Watford Observer) These pictures from our archive were taken by a Watford Observer photographer in January 1989 and may bring back memories for readers who enjoyed visiting the club for a game around that time.

Another view of the tablesAnother view of the tables (Image: Watford Observer)