Sheffield trading room

No doubt there would be some interest but unlikely to be enough.

What are your setup costs and running costs going to be in total? Think of how many bums on seats you need at £25ish a time and it's going to be a fair few every single day just to break even.

the best thing you could do is to speak to some really jaundiced ex owners and get their take on it

you could also start a post asking for views from people who have used trading rooms but given up and ask why

try to get the blackest picture possible and see if you can find a way around it

thank you for the replies..yes ive considered the costs/outlay and I'm very dubious.turf TV computers etc etc...My take on things were 5 regulars at £25 =£875 per week gross..(assuming 7 days a week)
less costs and having to work/open up 7 days a week..late openings in summer

....nobody turning up in the winter when there is only the AW on SIS and the boys don't want to play because they know the pics are too slow. Lots of people these days don't really want to play on the SIS tracks regardless and then you've also apparently got plenty of competition now from courses setting up their own rooms. But then those that go there have got the expense of going to different locations and only for one meeting a day.

+ you need parking for sure

Tread carefully. These rooms have never really worked in London with its huge catchment area and that should tell you something about the demand.

plus obviously you'll have the added expense of kennels for all the whippets, and a decent hat stand for the flat caps.

thanks everyone for the replies

...except for Richard

dont forget sawdust

I dont think they eat sawdust...its snuff we like

seriously tho. the very first thing you need to do is find if there is any market there at all. I suspect not because to make it pay you'll need a 7 day business and that means having enough aspiring pro punters within 20 or 30 miles. Prob there is that even if there are, a good proportion will find out that they can't do it so there will be churn. You'd be better off opening a lap dancing club.

thanks beetle..i tend to agree..on balance i think its a no goer...ill stick to pigeon fancying and trout tickling

Best plan is to share the costs between a few of you if you can. Come out level on the costs and make your money in running.

the only way I can think to make it pay is if you doubled it with another activity along the lines of a sporting club. One room racing, one room footy etc and another room as an internet cafe/bar. Big investment tho

Can't imagine anybody going to one of these places for the footie. Sure, for the racing they get pics they can't get a home but that's it.

loads of non televised footy

Oh, you mean via overseas sources?

I would be interested plums,but would have to insist on bread and dripping on tap!

Seriously though I would be interested.

You'd need to operate a selective door policy, plums. Allowing Wednesday supporters in would really take the place downmarket.

even £875pw not enough to break even

Is your national in Yorkshire still tripe and onions?

The Visionary 12 Jan 14:18


Can't imagine anybody going to one of these places for the footie.



Not even if it's got a Dreambox or 3 in it showing live football from around the world?

re the live footie

my local pubs all start with the lunchtime EPL game & lunch time SPL game if that is on too, then a choice of 2 maybe 3 live EPL games at 3pm, then the 5.30 game, the 7 and 9 oclock spanish games, with the evening italian stuff on another tv and the german game if you request it. That's near enough 12 hours round the clock footie with a choice of games, beer beer (& burgers delivered from next door if you want) live music in the evening... and it doesn't cost £25 a seat

then, same again on sundays

The problem with Sheffield is that you are presumably looking at town centre. On the Moor you've got Lads, Hills & Baldies then moving into town you've got Hills, lads & Jo Cora ls. I think there is an independent office somewhere too.

A lot of these are virtually empty these days, nowhere near as busy as they were. Also if you were looking at parking, I'm not sure where you'd get a city centre pitch that had private parking, unless you went down some sh!tty side street and a lot of people wouldn't like leaving there at night in the dark.

I'd think carefully about this before taking the plunge if I were you. I'm not sure if I would call Sheffield a punting town as such. Most people just go anywhere with a screen and use mobile.

thank you for all your comments

There is/was a trading shop in Askern, just outside Doncaster. Not too far from Sheffield so it may give you some idea of whether or not it's viable. Personally speaking I'd say it looks high risk.