Millions of people play pool at home, in pubs and in clubs up and down the country but when and how did pool become so popular in the UK, well let's go back to the beginning.
The game of pool was invented and has been established in the USA for decades but surprisingly it did not become a popular game in the UK until the late 1960's.
Pool first found its way into Europe in the fifties through American military bases stationed overseas. A lot of US forces were based in Germany and had pool tables in mess rooms and still today Germany has a great player base from grass roots players to professionals.
At the same time snooker was the big game in the UK for cue sports players. In 1968 some enterprising coin machine operators saw an opportunity and started to import the American coin operated pool tables and installed them in pubs that had enough room. Famous names such as Brunswick, US Billiards and Ebonite burst onto the scene and captured the imagination of the pub players.
At the same time snooker was the big game in the UK for cue sports players. In 1968 some enterprising coin machine operators saw an opportunity and started to import the American coin operated pool tables and installed them in pubs that had enough room. Famous names such as Brunswick, US Billiards and Ebonite burst onto the scene and captured the imagination of the pub players.
The American coin operated game is played with 2 1/4" object balls (i.e. spots and stripes numbered 1 to 15) and with a slightly larger cue ball 2 3/8," although some tables have the same size cue ball with magnets inserted to separate the cue ball and return it to the player after a foul shot rather than it staying in the table like the object balls.
Home tables, of course, have the cue ball the same size as the object ball as all the balls are always available. The pockets are also much bigger on American pool tables and two balls can pass side by side into a pocket to make it a great potting game. The other feature of the USA tables was the cloth which in the early days was a napless speed cloth for a very fast game.
Although the American game was popular in pubs there were two things holding it back, firstly the tables were very big and could not physically fit into a lot of the smaller pubs and secondly the UK player having been brought up watching and playing snooker wanted more of a tactical game rather than pure potting.
About this time a French company by the name of Rene Pierre started selling a smaller ball table that instead of having pockets as we know them today had holes in the playing surface with a ring surround, a bit like a bagatelle table.
Home tables, of course, have the cue ball the same size as the object ball as all the balls are always available. The pockets are also much bigger on American pool tables and two balls can pass side by side into a pocket to make it a great potting game. The other feature of the USA tables was the cloth which in the early days was a napless speed cloth for a very fast game.
Although the American game was popular in pubs there were two things holding it back, firstly the tables were very big and could not physically fit into a lot of the smaller pubs and secondly the UK player having been brought up watching and playing snooker wanted more of a tactical game rather than pure potting.
About this time a French company by the name of Rene Pierre started selling a smaller ball table that instead of having pockets as we know them today had holes in the playing surface with a ring surround, a bit like a bagatelle table.
These tables were a great success as they introduced a new skill element but they were not the complete answer and so in 1973 a pool table was produced in the UK with a ball to pocket ratio of snooker and proper pockets and that style has stood the test of time to this day.
As well as having a smaller ball set than the American pool tables the slate bed playing surface was covered in a wool napped cloth that gave the average player more control of the cue ball and this type of cloth still outsells the napless variety although some players prefer the faster napless cloth (speed cloth).
As well as having a smaller ball set than the American pool tables the slate bed playing surface was covered in a wool napped cloth that gave the average player more control of the cue ball and this type of cloth still outsells the napless variety although some players prefer the faster napless cloth (speed cloth).
The balls for the UK coin tables are 2" object balls with a 1 7/8" cue ball. This allows the cue ball to fall through a trap door and return to the player after a foul shot, although all balls are locked in at the end of the game when all fifteen object balls have been potted. The pockets are smaller and are only the width of one and a half object balls hence the extra skill required.
A new breed of pool table was born and to this day it is the most popular game in the UK and Ireland. It is also very popular in France, parts of Spain, Malta and Morocco.
Throughout the rest of the world the American game still dominates but whatever the size of table or balls the game goes from strength to strength and will be with us for many years.
A new breed of pool table was born and to this day it is the most popular game in the UK and Ireland. It is also very popular in France, parts of Spain, Malta and Morocco.
Throughout the rest of the world the American game still dominates but whatever the size of table or balls the game goes from strength to strength and will be with us for many years.
