Shutters down for Bar Sport

A West Midlands sports bar chain today shut its doors, days after revealing that it had gone into administration.

The shutters were down today at Bar Sport's venues in Walsall and Cannock with no signs of activity inside.

It was revealed on Saturday that the company, which also has branches in Rugby and Loughborough, had gone into administration.

At the time, owner Scott Murray told the Express & Star that the bars would be remaining open but today his award-winning operation appeared to have stalled.

His phone was only taking messages and he could not be tracked down.

Birmingham-based Butcher Woods have been called in as administrators.

Bar Sport Ltd, which has branches in Bridge Street, Walsall, and High Green, Cannock, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year but Mr Murray said at the weekend that there had been a dramatic downturn in fortunes for the chain.

Earlier this year he had spoken of plans to franchise the company, with plans to open in Gibraltar, France and Cyprus.

But at the weekend he said he had timed his dreams of expansion wrongly, as it coincided with the global credit crunch.

Bar Sport opened in 1998 in Cannock and became a winning concept with its sports memorabilia and multi-screens concept.

Bar Sport Walsall opened in 2001 and was followed by Rugby and Loughborough.

In 2005 a £500,000 Premier Suite opened at the Cannock branch.

The chain has won a number of awards including The Publican Awards Entrepreneur Bar Of The Year.