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.
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.
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.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here