It was the best club in the town (From Daily Echo)

It was the best club in the town

6:00am Saturday 5th March 2011

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IT FEELS empty all the time; it’s much better than the old place.

Feelings are truly mixed about the new Woolston & Sholing Conservative Club.

To survive financially, members were forced to sell the old building and move to a purpose built club-house a few yards down St Anne’s Rd in the summer of 2009.

The first-floor snooker room has three tables, one less than previously.

B team captain Ady Berry said: “It was the best club in the town. It was a beautiful club. It just cost too much in maintenance. No one wanted to see it go.

“The (new) snooker room is not as ideal as it was. We just accept it’s as good as it’s going to get.

“It hasn’t got that homely feel. It’s just a room. It feels empty all the time. You get that with new stuff, don’t you?”

Nick Wood is torn in two minds.

“I quite like it here,” he said. “The facilities are good.

“It’s not as big as the old club. I liked the old club for its character and the big matchroom and the four tables and all the seating around the sides.”

And so is Mike Griffiths.

“It’s a nice club,” he pointed out.

“The snooker room is not as good as the other one was but the club is better. It’s smaller; more compact.”

Steve Cottrell added: “It’s alright. It’s been a bit mixed because we compared it to the old room. Everybody loved it, it was ideal for watching, great conditions.

“But things don’t always stay the same. We’ve got to move on.

Danny Cook preferred the character of the old club.

“Things move on,” he said. “There’s not a lot you can do about it. I suppose we’re lucky to have a club in this day and age.”

But his son Gary reckons “it’s much better than the old place”.

“The other guys probably wouldn’t agree with me,” he smiled.

Unbelievable

TEAM-MATES still talk about Gary Cook’s “unbelievable” Town Championship first-round away win over Q World’s Chris Christodoulou in 2008.

Cook, a member of Woolston Cons B, then a Division 2 side, turned over the Premier player 2-0.

“He played like a professional,” recalled his skipper Ady Berry with pride.

Danny Cook’s son returned to Q World the following month and lost 2-0 in the second round to Christodoulou’s team-mate Steve Boterhoek.

Now aged 23, Gary, who was voted the most promising youngster in the Summer Invitation Snooker League in 2009, is back in the reckoning after finishing at university.

And he would be “more than happy” to play in the Premier.

Woolston Cons B’s chances of promotion could rest on the shoulders of three youngsters.

Carpenter James Weaver, 23, who has served five years in B side, said: “It’ll be interesting. It’ll be a nice test.”

Michael Jauncey is also waiting in the wings along with Gary Cook.

Cottrell, who has also played in the Portsmouth league with Nick Wood, said: “It would be nice to get a bit of stability into the team. It would be a shame, after the good start we had, not to go up.”

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