Bar Sport cash crisis

An award-winning Midland-based sports bar chain has gone into administration, with more than 100 jobs at risk.

Bar Sport Ltd, which has venues in High Green, Cannock, and Bridge Street, Walsall, called in administrators yesterday although owner Scott Murray insists his four-strong chain of pubs will not be closing.

Mr Murray said he would be doing everything he could to keep the popular spots afloat.

He said ambitious plans to expand his operation globally coinciding with the credit crunch had hit his company's finances badly.

Mr Murray spoke earlier this year of plans to open branches in locations such as Gibraltar, France and Cyprus.

The problems with Bar Sport come on the day that it was revealed the price of vacant pubs in the region are being slashed in an effort to get new freehouse landlords in. Scores of pubs have shut in recent weeks.

Mr Murray, who lives in Cannock, said today: "We are in administration, but we are not closing. It's mainly to do with our massive expansion plans. We probably timed it wrong with the current credit crunch. We've spent £4million over the past 18 months but it just hasn't worked out for us."

Mr Murray said England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 also hit the chain hard as fans stayed at home throughout the competition.

He added: "We are looking at a number of different options now as to how to move forward."

Today staff and customers were stunned at the news. One worker said: "This is a total shock to us. We haven't been told anything."

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

The Walsall branch arrived in 2001, and further venues have since opened in Rugby and most recently Loughborough, which has 100 high-definition screens.