Snooker table dismantling, transportation and relocation – use GCL Billiards for this specialist service

We are getting a lot of inquiries to remove full size snooker tables and just getting rid of them , TAKE THEM AWAY FREE people say , this is not a FREE SERVICE I’m afraid , two fitters wages van use Fuel insurances all have to be paid for .
We offer a recycling service at a cost of removing , but we have to take the table all apart and remove all none recycling waste from it, cloth rubber metal tacks screws and bolts all have to be removed for our recycler to take the wood away , the slate is also recycled into fire places , but these have to be polished cut to size to make into a fireplace .
the cost to remove a table and recycle is down to distance , BUT please note we do not now take tables up or down stairs , we only remove Ground floor tables with no more than a couple of steps involved which we can ramp .
We used to do the stair work but as you get older this has become too much for us .
We are both in our 60’s now .

I came out of the Army in the year of 1976 , and started to work for my uncle’s firm Trent Valley Pool & Snooker tables Leisure firm in Chettles industrial Estate and office on lincoln Street basford .
I worked alongside my cousin Gary Hume and A sub contract billiard fitter called Mick Robb who had a firm called Belvoir billiards .
I stayed at Trent Valley Leisure for 4 years , then on advice from Mick Robb , I left and moved to Elston & Hopkin of Goldsmith Street Nottingham .
although I still did a bit of work for my Uncle Ron and cousin Gary over the years while I worked for Elston & Hopkin , mainly at weekends or evenings
and my boss at Elston & Hopkin did knew that I helped them out now and again . although their work and sales where nationwide and E&H where local east midlands mainly very little outside a 50 to 80 mile radius
.so no conflict of interest .
John hopkin was a very good Employer and Boss .

In 1980 Elston & hopkin where just being relocated from the very old Empire Theatre Building on goldsmith Street Nottingham where they had a billiard hall and a very fine fitted out Solid Mahogany sales counter for billiard table spares . cue sales and so on .
I also got married in 1980 to my Wife Carol , who I am happy to say we are still together after 39 years of marriage and have two Daughters Helen and Kimberley and in 2018 our first Grand child Emily arrived .~
Sorry no Boys to carry on the business .
Elston & hopkin moved into a workshop on Canal Street , also now demolished , and then into the Newark Street premises from 1980 .
having a 18 table billiard hall , office and workshop on the top floor .
of Davisella house right on the corner of Newark street & Manvers Street .
Elston & hopkin moved out in the early 2000s and sold out to Universal logic in 2004 , I went with the firm to work out of a warehouse in Gainsborough Lincolnshire for the next 7 years .
I look back on the 43 years I have been working as a Billiards fitter .
I have learnt from everyone around me from my Uncles firm and Gary Hume to Mick Robb who was a big influence in my work , to Roger Perczynski and Alan Pykett at Elston & hopkin .
I also learnt a bit of Computer presentation and promotion from my last boss Ted Roberts .
I have had my ups and downs , but became self employed in May 2012 when I had started GCL billiards .


I have met some characters , and worked for some very famous people , as you can imagine it is not everyone who has a room for a full size billiard table , and most celebs and sports personalities do at sometime in their life have ownership or inherit through a house sale a full size table .
But I get as much satisfaction working for normal working folk like myself as I do the high society and famous clientele .
I look upon myself as the Caretaker in my time period of the billiard tables I work on .
I am now approaching 65 years of age , and starting to feel the aches and pains of fitting such heavy tables .
a bit of arthritis , a bad knee joint from my football days , and the normal getting old feeling that you feel creeping up on you .
To the point that upstairs locations are now null and void and no go areas .
let the younger fitters lift slate upstairs or into a basement .
So I do not do this type of heavy lifting anymore , one bad job could put me off work for a long time so why risk it , just ground floor to ground floor locations and the van loading if I wish to carry on to my 70’s
I do not know how long I will be doing this line of work , but I do aim to get to 70 years old at least full time .
So at least another 5 years and two months to go yet .
HEALTH PERMITTING of course .
and maybe do 3 days a week then 2 days a week until retirement , but it is not unusual for 80 year old fitters to still be fitting tables and doing Re-cloths , At Elston and Hopkin they had an old fitter called Joe doing it until he was 80 odd years old .
he fully retired just before I started there .

We do not own a snooker or pool club , but if you do require to find a club to play local to us , try Stapleford cue Club they are the closest snooker club to me 2 mile down the road .
Stapleford Cue club is situated at
148 Derby Road behind the pizza hut take away .
Stapleford
Nottingham.
NG9 7AY
tel 01159 394 504

if you are very close to Derby then try
Cueball
under rollerworld access to right in carpark
Derby DE21 4AW
tel 01332 360924

other side of Nottingham then try
Newark cue club
41 Barker Gate
NG24 1UA
tel 01636 612030

I get many phone calls asking if we are open to book a table to play on ?
We are not advertised as a snooker club , we are a Billiards /Snooker / Pool table or as a collective a Cue sports table MAINTENANCE company
This means we work on tables repairing or maintaining them .
our other business is long term contract of coin operated pool table hire to pubs and clubs we do not own our own club .
I am sorry to say it is getting beyond a joke at how many people phone us up sometimes at 12 to 2am in the morning and Today ( Christmas Day ) of all days to ask what time we shut or are we open today.
we suspect these are Taxi Drivers knocking off work or taking a break and wanting somewhere to play snooker or pool .
I do not know of any all nighter snooker clubs most close at 12pm at the latest .

but just to refresh what we are about .

This is what we do

If you require to book a table try Stapleford cue club they are the closest snooker/pool club to me
AND THIS WHAT A SNOOKER CLUB LOOKS LIKE

stapleford cue club

Cueball in Derby pool room and plenty of full size snooker tables

Newark cue club 41 Carter gate Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 1UA ………….tel 01636 612030 for booking to play on pool and snooker tables .

Hunters Bar Grantham 1 Union Street , Grantham next to lidl’s , NG31 6NZ……………… tel 01476 579493
Hunters bar has 7 UK pool , 4 american pool , and 6 full size snooker tables to play on .

We have a client with a very nice home , that is now wishing to sell their very nice modern turned leg
full size Snooker table with Victorian repro lights .
the table when purchased new was a very expensive choice of table and lighting .
We have carefully dismantled the table and bubble wrapped all wood parts .
The table is now stored on site just below Manchester in what is known as the Footballers area .
Sir Alex Ferguson lives just up the road .
As you can see the wood work is not in bad condition and the lights are Victorian reproduction copies .
We are going to list this at a price that is very good buy for the buyer .
The table may require a re-cloth , the rubber is very good for rebound value and the nets and leathers are in good order .
You may wish to choose a re-cloth when you have it set back up or just fit the original cloth if that is ok for you .
If you wish for a price for a collection and set up …please ask Geoff at GCL Billiards for a price giving your current full post code to a Ground floor installation only .
The price of the table and lights do not include delivery and set up .

The table is £1350 or Very close offers , there are a few accessories with the table , long rests and balls and triangle etc .
The Grand Victorian reproduction lighting is £850 or Very close offers .

You could send your own courier to pick up the table then have a quote from any choice of Billiards firm to set the table up for you , or you could ask for a quote for an entire package to collect deliver and install from GCL Billiards who have 49 years personal experience of fitting billiard / Snooker and pool tables in fact any cue sports table .

Please study the following photos , which shows the actual table and lighting , plus how it has been professionally dismantled and store in one of the Dry garages on site by GCL Billiards .

All inquiries to Geoff or Carol Large at …..GCL billiards please .

c.large@btinternet.com

Sorry to say but it is that time of year and work load has now taken me to the point of no return of finding spare hours never mind days to fit more work in .
I am now available to book new work in ….only from next …. January 7th 2026 onwards

We have a client who has a 8ft Snooker table for sale
Sold as in photo with accessories and lights , for just £750 . Buyer arranges collection .
the table has the important 6 legs and has three sections of thick slate bed
the table is made the proper way unlike some low cost 8ft tables .

The price doe NOT include any dismantle loading / transportation cost
and does not include delivering and setting the table back up .
Table is sold as seen in the photos .
This is a private sale direct from the seller with no middle men fees .
We recommend that any private sale if you can , go and try the table out .

this Table is based in Cheltenham .

If you require Geoff at GCL Billiards to arrange a dismantle and collection team to go and fetch the table in and deliver and set back up , then please ask GCL Billiards for a quote for this .
some 8fts are made with thin frames and 4 legs and one piece thin slate and wood screw on cushions .
this one looks to be made the proper way with bolted on cushions 3 pieces of thicker slate , and 6 legs to prevent any danger of centre sagging .
You have to have a very thick beam sturdy side rail if using 4 legs
This one has 6 legs as can be seen and is very sturdy .
It may require a re-cloth , or just set up as is with old cloth refitted until funds allow a re-cloth .

Cushion bolt head shows this to be a good fixing rather than just a small wood screw

We can take our time finding the right buyer for this Scoreboard .
They do not come up for sale as complete and in such good condition complete with lower ball cabinet and penny slots often like this .

The object of the game is you have three lives , revealed when you slide out each section , hidden is a star that you pull out if you lose all three lives , every player places a penny in their clot in the lower cabinet , if you lose the three lives , you buy a star life for an extra penny in your slot , as each slot can take up to two pennies, and you can see through the glass if a player has paid for an extra life .
The winner takes all the pennies and pays the marker a penny .

A fantastic talking point in your billiard / Snooker room , an appreciating antique and priced way below its true value when you compare what others are asking for them .

As a comparison on how competitive this sale is …….. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176914049044

So priced to sell at just £1000 NO OFFERS , first come first served .

Sale is direct from private seller , based in Nottingham , buyer collects .

All inquiries to …. c.large@btinternet.com

Here we have a very nice Genuine Rotating cue rack
*Please note Cues are not included

Now you can buy a reproduction in low cost wood for around £500 and it would be very poor quality
I have seen cue racks like this Antique one advertised for as much as £1950 , but that is too much and way overpriced , , the true value is around £750 to £1000

SEE £1950 one here which is almost the same rack…….. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205500976453

So my Client is asking the bottom price for this cue rack of just £750
Sale is due to a bereavement and the process of the deceased Estate
GCL Billiards is acting as the sales agent , and to place what we think is a come and get me price

photo below , please note scoreboard and cues not included
it is just the cue rack here that is for sale .

if anyone is interested in the George wright score board above the cues that is £150 and that’s a great price too .

And the two end billiard cushion markers are £60 each or £100 for both .

Here we have a very nice raise and fall billiard dining table , priced so affordable as to allow for any costs in removing it for the new owner please no offers at this price .
Price does not include removal transportation delivery and set up , you will have to get a quote for this either from GCL Billiards or use any Billiard firm you wish closer to you .
The price is just for the table on its own no accessories , but balls and triangle are included .

As you can see the cloth is in very good condition and is ready to go

The table has a Riley click clack raise and fall system
Not sure if this is a Riley table or a table made using the patent Riley raise and fall system .
The tulip legs are not really a riley design on these type of tables .
Raise to playing height lift to hear click pin locate in raised position one end at a time , remove the table tops for play , level from screw thread shown here
To dine off a simple lift up to release the click pin slot and slowly lower down to dining height one end at a time , place a good water proof barrier on top of the cloth and then place the polished table top sections x5 to dine off .
Also place a thick heat pad dining cover before table cloth to protect the polish

The polished table tops in position and I am sure the seller will include that protective table cover which looks to be the heat thick pad type .

There looks to be a chip of wood out on top of one of the cushions . a bit of masking tape and stain it , then drop some brown wax into the damage and scrape with a razor blade to same level , then remove the tape , it looks worse here as it is a close up of a small chip out of wood .
Probably caused by the table top being put on miss aligned .
*Always put a protective spill cover over the playing surface before placing table tops on all these type of sectional table top diners .

*The table is located in Nottingham , and is part of a deceased Estate , as the only reason for sale .
This is a private sale direct from the seller , We always advise to view before buying .
It is the buyers reasonability to arrange the removal of the Billiard dining table .

*GCL Billiards has not seen the table in the flesh so to speak we are going from photos here .
Please shop around and see the price some are asking of these 8ft raise and fall billiard diners , then you will see what a Bargain the table is priced at .

All inquiries to ……………………… c.large@btinternet.com

Geoff Large
NBSA approved billiards fitter
GCL Billiards