Riley (brand)
E.J. Riley, later Riley Leisure and just Riley, is a British sporting goods brand founded in 1878 by Edward John Riley,[1] an Irish expatriate living in Manchester, England.[2]
History
E.J. Riley started as a local chain of sports retail stores, before branching out into manufacturing in the 1880s.[1] The company first gained fame as a cricket equipment maker,[3] and has been described as the world's largest manufacturer of cricket bats at the time.[4]
From the 1890s, the brand expanded its range to a variety of sports and indoor games, including golf, tennis, lawn bowls, and billiards,[4] the latter becoming its main calling card around 1910.[1] It acquired rights to use Crystalate plastic in its early products,[5] and later marketed a proprietary compound called "Ri-leene".[1]
As its manufacturing business outgrew its retail division by a wide margin, E.J. Riley sold his shops in the early 1920s to focus on its Accrington factory.[1] Founder Riley died in 1926,[1] but the company kept expanding through various acquisitions, and eventually went public in 1977 amidst the British snooker boom of the era.[6]
In the 1990s, Riley's fortunes began to change and, despite exporting its products to 67 countries throughout the world,[7] the factory—by then based in Hapton—closed its doors in 2002.[8] Rights to the brand were acquired by competitor BCE (originally Bristol Coin Equipment, lated rebranded as Billiard Cues of England), who continues to use the Riley name for a segment of their product range.[6]
The Billiards Company, a Dublin-based company owned by former players John Benton and Darren Lennox, used to trade as E.J. Riley Ireland. It was formed in 1994 as a subsidiary of Riley, before going independent in 2002.[9]
Notable endorsers
- Steve Davis[6]
- Ken Doherty[7]
- Stephen Hendry[6]
- George Gray[5]
- Ray Reardon[6]
- John Spencer[6]
- Mark Williams[7]
Sports bar chain
As an outlet for its products, the company started a chain of pool halls called Rileys,[1] which is no longer part of the same group.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Clare, Peter N. (2018). "E.J. Riley". snookerheritage.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Five Greater Manchester Rileys clubs saved". manchestereveningnews.co.uk. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ Radford, Gordon (2007). "The EJR". thecuecollector.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Amazing Accrington: Industry and Art". mylearning.org. The Heritage Connection. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b Clare, Norman. "Billiard & Snooker Balls". snookerheritage.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "From a life of Riley to being snookered". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 23 December 2002. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "They're right on cue". dorsetecho.co.uk. 28 November 2000. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ Dee, John (14 December 2002). "Snooker: Henry mounts fightback as Doherty falter". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- ^ "About Us". ejriley.ie. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Rileys Sports Bars". linkedin.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.