Ten years ago childhood friends dreamed of one day opening their own snooker and pool bar - they just did it

For years, it’s been said that young people in Carmarthen have nowhere to go and not a lot to do. Apart from pubs and bars for those old enough to drink, the town has not exactly built itself a reputation as somewhere with a plethora of options for those looking for a recreational hobby.

In generations past, snooker and pool were two of the most popular sports in Carmarthen. Several leagues would take place on a weekly basis, welcoming players of all ages and all abilities, while Pensarn Snooker Club acted as a home-from-home for those who either wanted a quick few frames of escapism, a serious match against a friend or snooker foe, or just somewhere to simply ‘hang out’.

When that club closed in 2004, a void was left in Carmarthen. While some continued to dust off their cues by playing at another private venue, it was felt that snooker and even pool was off-limits to the masses - unless you wanted to hang around in the odd smoky (until 2007’s smoking ban) pub. You can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire news by signing up to the local newsletter here.

READ MORE: Most peaceful holiday you'll ever have in a horsebox by a river

DON'T MISS: Historic town church with pipe organ and choir stalls can be yours for £90k

Now, thanks to the vision of three local men, snooker and pool are making a comeback in Carmarthen. Towy Sports Bar has just opened in Station Approach, opposite the town’s railway station, and for the first time in years it offers people - including youngsters - somewhere where they can feel a part of something.

It seems like such an obvious idea and one destined for success that it’s amazing nobody thought of it sooner. In fact, they did, more than 10 years ago, when childhood friends and snooker-mad Ryan Burt and Ray Barney would talk about opening their own place. Both played snooker and pool to a high standard in their youth - Ray beat professional Ryan Day in a national championship at 16; while both have represented and won trophies for the county team at pool. Ray has had a break of 123, while Ryan scored a break in the high 80s (and joked that it would have been a century had he not been put off!).

After years of talking and dreaming about opening their own club, three months ago they - together with another local, Matthew Dagnall - decided to make a break for it by taking on the lease of a building which they felt was the perfect spot for snooker.

“You’d get places in Carmarthen here and there with maybe one snooker table, but you need two or more tables really because sometimes you would turn up hoping for a game and you’d be waiting for hours,” said Ray Barney. “Here, we have five snooker tables and six pool tables, and you can pre-book a time slot before you arrive so you can just turn up and play.

“We've been desperate to open somewhere like this for more than 10 years - Ryan kept hassling me to get on with it and open one! We went to see another venue in the centre of town but it needed thousands of pounds worth of work, so when the lease on this place came up we came to see it, loved it and signed on the dotted line. That was about three months ago and now here we are - Towy Sports Bar is finally open for business, and we have so many people to thank who have helped us to make it all possible."

The new venue is just down the road from where Pensarn Snooker Club (affectionately known as ‘Terry’s’ after Welsh legend Terry Griffiths) used to be; set across a footbridge from town centre shops and Carmarthen Bus Station. Its location - being one of the first things people see when they step off a train at Carmarthen - could be one of its key assets, and it offers more than just somewhere to play snooker; it’s somewhere for young people to socialise, meet new friends and enjoy themselves in a safe environment, to “get them off the street”, as Ray puts it.

“We want to give people something to do,” he said. “When I was younger I used to play down in ‘Terry’s’ with Matthew Stevens (Carmarthen-born former Masters and UK Champion and twice World Championship runner-up) for eight hours a day, and I totally fell in love with snooker. It would be great if we can give the young people of today the opportunity to do the same. We have pictures up around the snooker room of some of the best players the world has seen over the years - Matthew Stevens included - and the dream for us is to one day have someone else on that wall from Carmarthen who has made it to the top of the world game.”

As well as the five snooker tables and six pool tables, Towy Sports Bar also has two dart boards and a full bar serving alcohol, soft drinks, teas and coffees, while hot food will soon be on the menu too. Even if snooker and pool aren’t the games for you, there are large TV screens dotted around showing live football, cricket, rugby, or anything you can find to do with sport. It feels like something Carmarthen has not had before - a dedicated sports bar offering so much to people of all ages.

“We obviously love the game of snooker but it’s also to do with providing for the community as well,” said Ryan. “We want to give something back to the town. There isn’t much to do for young people in Carmarthen. There is a youth project that’s been running for a few years and we’d like to maybe work with them and give youngsters the chance to play down here. We can provide coaching sessions and hopefully that will start them off in the game. This town and the surrounding area has produced around 30 or 40 Welsh pool internationals over the past 30 years or so - and that’s thanks to local pool clubs like Pensarn Snooker Club and the Jubilee Club which have both long since closed. We want to bring some of that back."

Many local friends and traders have got their hands dirty to make sure the new bar was ready for its opening date last week, but it's been worth the wait, according to Matthew. "Opening something like this has been a dream of mine for many, many years," he said. "Carmarthen has been missing this. A place to enjoy a game of snooker or pool with friends and family. It's been tough going getting it transformed and ready to open, but the hard work really was worth it. I can’t wait to see it grow and to watch it bring the community together because that’s what it’s all about."

Ryan agrees: “I think opening somewhere like this will actually benefit the rest of Carmarthen, including pubs that already have pool tables. When the previous snooker club was open it would attract a lot of young people and it’s where I met so many of my friends. We all got into pool and then you start playing elsewhere as well, so it’s a good thing for other pubs, some of which have been really struggling of late.”

Ray, Ryan and Matthew’s vision is to make Towy Sports Bar a social hub for people of all ages. They want to enter teams into local pool and snooker leagues, create a ladies’ team, and start a snooker academy which will teach children from the age of 10 the basics of the baize. Open seven days a week - 12pm until 11pm, Monday to Friday and 10am until 11pm on weekends - people can book a pool table for £5 an hour or a snooker table for £7 or £8 an hour (depending on the table).

“Between the three of us I think we have the skills and the experience in different fields to make this a success,” said Ryan. “The great thing about this building is that the snooker and pool rooms are cut-off and separate from the bar area. The bar is a brilliant place for those who just want to watch live sport, and we also plan to have quiz nights, karaoke, open mic nights and live music, so we want to be much more than just a snooker club. We want to provide people with a social outlet and make snooker and pool really popular in this town again."

With Ray, Ryan and Matthew's passion for running a sports bar - which has been festering for more than a decade - they are sure to succeed in that aim. The people of Carmarthen have always loved snooker and pool, but for years they just didn't have anywhere to play. They do now.