His views were echoed by Eric Lewis, director of Master Billiard Supplies, who told Euroslot: “The general view seems to be watch, wait and evolve. The trade may be talking itself into gloom and doom as a result of the ban when the problem seems to be there is not a lot of money kicking about among the general public due to Gordon Brown’s stealth taxes hitting home.” Lewis did not think external pool tables were the answer to the ban. People would not want to play pool in the cold just to ”have a fag”, he said, and even if patio heaters were installed the costs might outweigh the take. There would also be the problem of possible vandalism. It was possible, said Lewis, that the smoking ban could bring a small increase in the sales of home tables as severely disgruntled punters started to build their pubs at home but, overall, he thought people would just come to accept the blanket ban. Despite the wettest summer for 300 years McKenna said Excel Leisure had done well with its Rustic outdoor tables and continued to get orders for them. Customers said the tables were performing well and some orders for export to warmer climes had also been received. Sales of domestic pool tables were on the increase, he said, as were sales of Garlando domestic football tables. “We are starting to see the benefits of having the distribution for those tables as well as the coin-operated models,” said McKenna.

He also expressed his regrets over the cancellation of the £50,000 Pub Pool Challenge saying he knew only too well, as an organiser of pool tournaments, how difficult it could be to get support.

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