middleofnowhere
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I know it closed up, did Bobby ever get another one opened?
Drexeline billiards
- Thread starter middleofnowhere
- Start date
No. He’s retired. A few players from the room tried to open something in the same area, but they turned out to be tire kickers. The closest room is Markley I think, which has a new owner, new tables, and new lights.
middleofnowhere
Registered
I actually knew that he was going to lose that pool room probably before he did. Mrs Redding who owns the shopping center is a neighbor of mine. She told me one day, cuz she knew I played pool, that she owned a pool room.
Now I know she's a zillionaire and probably owns all kinds of things but a pool room! But then she told me actually there was a pool room in her shopping center and lo and behold it turns out to be Bobby's place.
I miss Drexeline.
Bob had two beautiful heated 3 cushion tables in his room.
I used to play for an hour or two on them before I moved over to the pocket billiard tables.
Great room.
I believe there were 4 dedicated one pocket tables in Drexeline also.
Bob is still around and I see him once in a while.
Yes, many of the regulars from Drexeline are now regulars at Markley's.
Bob had two beautiful heated 3 cushion tables in his room.
I used to play for an hour or two on them before I moved over to the pocket billiard tables.
Great room.
I believe there were 4 dedicated one pocket tables in Drexeline also.
Bob is still around and I see him once in a while.
Yes, many of the regulars from Drexeline are now regulars at Markley's.
Here’s an article about the closing in 2021:
(https://www.delcotimes.com/2021/03/...pment-means-last-rack-for-billiards-club/amp/)
pj
chgo
(https://www.delcotimes.com/2021/03/...pment-means-last-rack-for-billiards-club/amp/)
pj
chgo
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I thought there was some talk of reopening. Or maybe I'm thinking of a different closure.
I played on those Chevillotte carom tables…came second in a 9-ball tournament…bought a set of Rachigs off Bob.
…..liked that room, good bunch of guys
There was a lot of talk about opening a room to replace Drexeline.
One of the Housemen at Drexeline looked into it for many months but could never find a place.
Shame.
Opening in the same area as Drexeline would have a large built in clientele ready to frequent a new place.
Was that the Tuesday night 9 ball tournament?
Bob had that going for over 30 years.
Grand fathers spittoon.
Attachments
Does it still work?
Yes, it's used now as a gravy boat. I spit in vitamin water water bottles.
Sing while doing that … a spit-tune
Can’t recall. I was there for the Valley Forge thing and someone told me about the carom tables. Don’t have a decent one in Canada.
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Amazing.
Where have all of the carom tables gone?
They improve your pool game so much.
One of the biggest hurdles pocket billiard players have is not realizing that the rails are your friends.
3C teaches you that.
Things sort of happen differently for you in pocket billiards when you finally realize that.
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In all of Canada?
Freddie has a couple nice ones if you cross the border.
The shopping center deal was struck in 2016.
Bob did not expect to get another 5 years out of the room. He thought he had a year or two at most.
The mess that was to be the new pool room is due to ineptitude, cold feet, and cash. None of which includes Bob.
Bob wanted to retire. Normally, you would sell the business, but in this case, there was no longer a business to sell.
But he also saw an opportunity and didn’t want to leave a LARGE client base disappointed with no local pool room to go to anymore. Houseman was going to be the one who opened up the new pool room.
After a long time searching, they found a place that would have been perfect, and basically, Bob was going to hold his hand through the process, guide him in the beginning, give him his insights on his successful tried and true business plan that spanned 32 years on a silver platter, and then retire. Having successfully played a part in his pool legacy continuing, having helped with the startup, and handed the helm to someone else.
Then it became a mess with the guy not being able to make up his mind, not having the stones to pull the trigger, and then talking with other people about investing cash for a piece of the business. Doesn’t help when the people who wanted to invest have historically been the biggest broke agents in the pool room who everyone doubted could come up with a chunk of change.
ANY of the old regulars could have told him that this guy chirping about investing and coming up with money was a load of garbage. Didn’t surprise anyone when those plans fell through.
And even if he somehow did invest, everyone knew that that guy owning a piece of any poolroom would be it’s downfall because he would never ever be able to be a silent partner and would want to control stuff and influence things and it would eventually rip itself apart.
Pool rooms are better when they are one owner, or one couple as owners.
And that was the end of it. Everything got shelved after that nonsense.
Windows of opportunity are probably long gone by now so what’s the point.
Bob is a happy camper though. Enjoying his free time of not having to be present 7 days a week.
All that’s left is Bluegrass, Markley, and Ball Busters...
...and Drexeline memories
Bob did not expect to get another 5 years out of the room. He thought he had a year or two at most.
The mess that was to be the new pool room is due to ineptitude, cold feet, and cash. None of which includes Bob.
Bob wanted to retire. Normally, you would sell the business, but in this case, there was no longer a business to sell.
But he also saw an opportunity and didn’t want to leave a LARGE client base disappointed with no local pool room to go to anymore. Houseman was going to be the one who opened up the new pool room.
After a long time searching, they found a place that would have been perfect, and basically, Bob was going to hold his hand through the process, guide him in the beginning, give him his insights on his successful tried and true business plan that spanned 32 years on a silver platter, and then retire. Having successfully played a part in his pool legacy continuing, having helped with the startup, and handed the helm to someone else.
Then it became a mess with the guy not being able to make up his mind, not having the stones to pull the trigger, and then talking with other people about investing cash for a piece of the business. Doesn’t help when the people who wanted to invest have historically been the biggest broke agents in the pool room who everyone doubted could come up with a chunk of change.
ANY of the old regulars could have told him that this guy chirping about investing and coming up with money was a load of garbage. Didn’t surprise anyone when those plans fell through.
And even if he somehow did invest, everyone knew that that guy owning a piece of any poolroom would be it’s downfall because he would never ever be able to be a silent partner and would want to control stuff and influence things and it would eventually rip itself apart.
Pool rooms are better when they are one owner, or one couple as owners.
And that was the end of it. Everything got shelved after that nonsense.
Windows of opportunity are probably long gone by now so what’s the point.
Bob is a happy camper though. Enjoying his free time of not having to be present 7 days a week.
All that’s left is Bluegrass, Markley, and Ball Busters...
...and Drexeline memories
Great room.
I miss it especially the 3 cushion tables.
I too was following the gyrations that were going on about opening a poolroom in Delco.
Shame, it would have had a large dedicated built in clientele.
Bob was a special owner.
When Bob was in his poolroom he never stopped moving as he was always finding something to do there.
Bob listened to his clientele and if something needed fixing it got fixed fast.
The billiard memorabilia that Bob collected over his life and on display on the walls of Drexeline were of museum quality.
I was transfixed by all of the memorabilia.
Drexeline was always "Top Notch" all tables cleaned everyday, all balls cleaned & polished every day. The place didn't open until 9 AM but you had no problem getting in at 7AM (the cleaning crew loved pool too) Bob even used to let people stay & gamble after he went home at night... until some nit-wit robbed the poker machine).
It was great watching Florida Bob practice some straight pool, this guy could run a hundred like it was easy. I can't believe this place is history.
It was great watching Florida Bob practice some straight pool, this guy could run a hundred like it was easy. I can't believe this place is history.