Steven Gerrard backs new Formby sports lounge in 2026

Key Points

• Potters Sports Lounge has now opened its doors in Formby Village located at 27 Brows Lane near Emily’s restaurant after the transformation of office premises within four months.
• The premises have been developed by businessmen Jamie Rae, Sam Canning and Lee Byrne, along with the help from Steven Gerrard, Milos Kerkez and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the designing process.
• The premises contain 10 screens (one of 80 inches and nine 60 inches) displaying Sky Sports and TNT Sports, £20,000 World Championship Star snooker table gifted by O’Sullivan, five championship pool tables and three interactive darts lanes with Scolia self-scoring.
• The sports lounge has been designed by Steven Gerrard and also donated two signed shirts; the walls are adorned with signed memorabilia from Sir Kenny Dalglish, Virgil van Dijk, Luke Littler, Phil Taylor, Tyson Fury and Erling Haaland.
• Operating hours of Potters Sports Lounge are from 10.30 am till 11.30 pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 10.30 am till 12.30 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Formby (Liverpool standard) October 03, 2026 — A new sports and social venue has opened in Formby Village after a four‑month conversion of first‑floor office space at 27 Brows Lane, situated next to the popular brunch spot Emily’s. The project is led by local business figures Jamie Rae, Sam Canning and Lee Byrne, who said they aimed to deliver a “unique competitive sporting experience” that differs from traditional sports halls in the region. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the trio worked with high‑profile sporting names to shape the venue’s design and atmosphere, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, current Liverpool FC player Milos Kerkez and world snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan all playing advisory roles.

How was the venue designed and what do the owners say?

Jamie Rae told the Liverpool Echo that the past 16 weeks of work had “gone incredibly fast” despite the scale of the project, adding that the team wanted to create something “new, exciting and completely different to anything else in the region”. He said:

“There are lots of superb restaurants, cafes and bars locally, where you can get something to eat and drink, and we wanted to add to that with somewhere you can come for a unique competitive sporting experience.”

Describing the concept, Jamie added:

“This is a top‑quality sports lounge. It’s not your typical sports hall from years gone by. All the facilities are very high‑end and feature the latest technology.

” The owners have positioned the venue as inclusive, with Jamie stating:

“We are very welcoming to families, men and women, and people of all ages. It’s a very friendly and inclusive space.”

What facilities and technology are inside Potters Sports Lounge?

The venue features 10 large television screens one 80‑inch screen and nine 60‑inch screens — broadcasting Sky Sports and TNT Sports, enabling matchday viewing alongside on‑site competition. A centrepiece attraction is a World Championship Star snooker table valued at £20,000, which was donated to the venue by Ronnie O’Sullivan. In addition, there are five championship pool tables and three professional interactive darts lanes equipped with Scolia self‑scoring technology, allowing players to compete with automated scoring. The Liverpool Echo reported that the walls are lined with signed sporting shirts and memorabilia from stars and teams across football, boxing, snooker and darts. Names displayed include Steven Gerrard, Sir Kenny Dalglish, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Alisson Becker, Duncan Ferguson, Jordan Pickford, Leighton Baines, Paul Gascoigne, Henrik Larsson, Luke “The Nuke” Littler, Phil “The Power” Taylor, Tyson Fury, Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes.

Which sporting stars supported the project and what did they contribute?

Steven Gerrard assisted with the venue’s design and donated two signed shirts, according to coverage by the Liverpool Echo. Ronnie O’Sullivan contributed the £20,000 snooker table and, as noted by the owners, his profile alongside rising stars such as Luke Littler has helped inspire younger players to try cue sports. Milos Kerkez, a current Liverpool FC player, also played a role in helping the owners shape the venue’s design, the Liverpool Echo reported. At the soft launch on Friday evening, special guests included champion boxer Liam Smith, further underlining the cross‑sport support for the project.

What are the opening hours, membership offer and food and drink options?

Potters Sports Lounge will operate from 10.30am to 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 10.30am to 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. The venue is offering a £10 yearly membership free for the first 250 members or for the first 14 days, whichever threshold is reached first, Jamie Rae told the Liverpool Echo. On the food and drink side, visitors can access cocktails, wine, draught beers, bespoke wine and gin serves, matchday offers and a wide range of drinks, the report said. The owners have also expressed interest in attracting local darts and pool teams, with Jamie stating:

“We’d love to see local darts teams and pool teams come and speak to us about joining.”

Are there plans for junior academies and local team participation?

The team behind Potters Sports Lounge has indicated plans to develop youth participation in cue and dart sports. Jamie Rae said:

“We are keen to get a junior academy up and running to help children learn how to play snooker, pool and darts.”

He added that figures such as Luke Littler and Ronnie O’Sullivan have “done so much to inspire children to try these sports, so now they’ll have the opportunity to come and play”. The venue’s resident pool player is Declan Brennan, described by the owners as the Ultimate Pool Tour world number one, signalling an intention to host competitive play alongside casual use.

Background to the development in Formby

The opening of Potters Sports Lounge forms part of a wider pattern of investment in Formby’s village centre hospitality and leisure offer. Recent local reporting has highlighted new and refurbished venues in the area, including a New York‑inspired restaurant and bar in Liverpool led by a local operator, and other six‑figure refurbishments across the North West. The conversion of 27 Brows Lane from office use to a first‑floor sports lounge reflects a trend of repurposing commercial space to meet demand for experiential leisure, particularly around live sport and social gaming. The involvement of high‑profile sporting names is consistent with a broader strategy in which venues leverage celebrity associations to attract footfall and media attention, while local owners emphasise community access and inclusive programming.

Prediction: how this development could affect Formby residents and visitors

If the venue sustains its stated focus on inclusive access, competitive play and family‑friendly hours, it is likely to draw additional evening and weekend footfall to Formby Village, with potential spill‑over benefits for neighbouring businesses such as Emily’s and other Brows Lane operators. The presence of 10 large screens and matchday offers may shift some local sports viewing from home or traditional pubs to the lounge, altering spending patterns around key fixtures on Sky Sports and TNT Sports. Should the planned junior academy materialise, local children and schools could gain structured access to snooker, pool and darts coaching, potentially feeding into regional competitions and increasing participation in those sports on the Sefton peninsula. Over time, the venue’s membership model and event programming could help establish Formby as a destination for cue and dart sports in Merseyside, provided capacity, noise management and transport links are maintained to meet demand.

Background

Potters Sports Lounge occupies the first floor of 27 Brows Lane in Formby, converted from office accommodation over approximately four months. The project is led by Jamie Rae, Sam Canning and Lee Byrne, with design guidance from Steven Gerrard, Milos Kerkez and Ronnie O’Sullivan. The venue opened with a soft launch attended by guests including boxer Liam Smith, and features extensive signed memorabilia and high‑end playing equipment.

Prediction

The venue is likely to increase evening and weekend footfall in Formby Village, redirect some local sports viewing from homes and pubs to the lounge, and, if the junior academy proceeds, expand youth participation in snooker, pool and darts across Sefton.