Snookered By The Spoons?

The pool scene in St Andrews

For all that the addition of the Wetherspoons has brought, it has quietly trimmed the St Andrews pool scene. For many, pool is a stress release and a healthy dose of recreational competitiveness; for others, it’s their main sport. So how has the change in the Union affected the St Andrews pool players?

Across St Andrews’ pubs, there’re only two with pool tables: Molly Malones and The Rule. Players looking for time on these tables may have to wait with their coins lined up on the side for a while, given their popularity at peak times. 

Oliver Thompson-Lilliesköld, a casual pool player, bemoans the lack of tables across pubs in St Andrews: “Having only two pool tables outside of the one in the Union is crazy. It feels like an opportunity missed because pool is such a fun thing to do with mates at the pub.”

With each game costing upwards of £2, a session of a few games can easily rack up. A common fixture at these tables is the ‘king of the ring’ style, where challengers pay for a game against the previous victor. 

Despite the pool tables being removed from the ground floor of the Union building, there’s still a high-quality table located upstairs, but the sole table means that play can be slow. 

Vice-President of the St Andrews Pool Society, Codi Johnston, is optimistic about the future of pool in the Union. “We’re looking forward to working with the Union to develop the space and atmosphere of the top floor to ensure the space is better equipped to host social pool events.”

So there’s still hope for the pool and wider student community that more tables will be made available in the future.

Johnston added, “A greater opportunity to play pool would greatly improve pool and social culture within the Union and St Andrews in general.”

With space so limited in many of the town’s locals, and with most opting for the increasingly popular dartboards, St Andrews pool enthusiasts are left asking whether there is room for a dedicated pool hall, or pool nights in one of the community spaces. 

The St Andrews Pool Society’s B-team captain, Andrew Robinson, shed light on St Andrews’ competitive scene: “We have two teams which play in the East Neuk league, including teams in Crail and Anstruther. We are the only team that plays in St Andrews, so it would be nice to see some other pub teams forming in town.”

“The community aspect of the [East Neuk] league is very good,” said Robinson. 

“We get to know lots of lovely people in the local Fife community, and they get to know the students personally rather than as a general cause of annoyance!”

He reflected on how the East Neuk league brings together the community in a unique way, uniting students and locals through a friendly but competitive atmosphere — no doubt helped by a few drinks.

Despite the assumed setback of cutting down the number of pool tables within the Union building, the setting for both competitive and social pool in St Andrews is being framed.

Photo Credit: Kayla Obayashi