Cookstown club make a 'big break' on the national pool stage

A COOKSTOWN pool team reached the semi-finals of the Ultimate Pool Leagues UK grand finals after an impressive run in the competition, with a second team from The Cabin Sports Club also qualifying for the national event.

Cabin Crew progressed to the last four of the grand finals, held at The Cue Club in Leicester and televised on TNT Sports, while Team Christopher narrowly missed out on a place in the last 16.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for The Cabin Sports Club in Cookstown, which opened in November 2025, and comes after the two teams competed in the inaugural season of the Ultimate Pool League.

The team, made up of Stephen Hope, Paul Currie, Tony Currie, Raymond Conway and Jonny Beggs, finished top of their league after a 14-week campaign that began in April, before continuing their run through the UK competition.

Team captain Stephen Hope said the league had proved highly competitive, with only a couple of points separating the four leading teams.

After sitting fourth following the opening week, Cabin Crew moved to the top of the table by week three and remained there until the end of the league.

The team then faced a difficult challenge in the last 32, travelling to JMacs Pool Hall in Navan to take on a side featuring a professional player and a world champion.

Hope described it as the toughest match of their season, with nerves playing a significant part as Cabin Crew found themselves on the verge of elimination after the opening two matches.

However, they fought back to take the tie, with the outcome going down to the last ball, securing their place in the grand finals in Leicester.

The team made a strong start at the finals, winning their last-16 match 31-14 before recording a 38-14 victory in the quarter-finals to book their place in the semi-finals.

Their run eventually came to an end in the last four after a difficult start left them 19 points behind following three matches.

Although they were only four frames behind, the competition's bonus-point system made a comeback increasingly difficult. The team was unable to close the gap and exited the tournament at the semi-final stage.

Despite the disappointment, Hope said the overall experience had exceeded expectations.

“The whole experience was amazing and something that wasn't even a thought when we put the team together, we just wanted to enjoy the craic of the league and hopefully watch one of our teams make it on the TV, we never thought it would be us until the last week of the league.”

The Ultimate Pool League format sees five players from each team compete across five singles matches under International Eight-Ball rules. Matches feature a 30-minute match clock and a 30-second shot clock.

Points are awarded for frames won, with an additional five-point bonus for winning a match. The UPscore handicap system allows players of different abilities to compete, with higher-rated players starting on a minus-frame score based on the difference in ratings.

The overall team result is determined by the total points accumulated across all five matches, meaning individual performances can remain important even when a player loses their match.

Hope said Cabin Crew used tactical team selections and made the most of the shot clock and handicap system throughout the league.

The team was assembled after Ultimate Pool contacted The Cabin in February, inviting the club, along with 31 others, to participate in the new league format, which was based on American pool leagues.

Hope shared the opportunity in the club's group chat and, following considerable interest, the decision was made to enter the competition.

He initially considered playing alongside Nathan Moore, one of The Cabin's owners, and Conrad McCann, the club's tournament organiser. However, as he had only been playing pool for around two years, Hope encouraged them to focus on putting together the strongest possible team.

He subsequently approached six players he believed would work well together.

The team had only known one another since The Cabin opened, but went on to secure the league title and progress deep into the national competition.

Hope, originally from Belfast, moved to Cookstown and is a chef who owns Dawson's Restaurant in Castledawson. His involvement in competitive pool began after a friend asked him to play a match for a team at the Gasworks in Dungannon.

He enjoyed the experience and began playing every week. After around a year, he met Moore at a pool tournament at the Sit N Sip in Drummullan, where the idea of opening a pool hall was raised.

The pair later joined forces with Columba Eastwood, who was also considering opening a pool hall in Cookstown. Following a meeting, they decided to work together, eventually transforming a large building on the town's main street into The Cabin Sports Club.

Since opening in November 2025, the club has developed into a hub for local players, bringing people together through leagues, tournaments and trips to competitions across Ireland.

Hope said one of his ambitions before the club opened had been to see local players travel to major tournaments in England and the United States. Seeing that happen has been particularly rewarding, with 12 Cabin players also due to travel to North Carolina to compete in the Ultimate Pool USA grand finals.

Looking ahead, the club plans to place a greater emphasis on introducing beginners and young people to the sport, with coaching sessions, beginner leagues, tournaments and exhibitions among its plans for next year.

Hope is now the official Ultimate Pool League operator for the north, with the second season of the league scheduled to begin on January 4.

The Cabin is also encouraging pubs and clubs interested in running a league to get in touch.

The club thanked everyone who supported its teams throughout the season and gave special recognition to Hope and Robert Kirk Flooring for sponsoring the teams' shirts.

With plans to enter the next season and potentially form new teams, the club hopes to build on the success of its debut campaign.

The teams are likely to change for the next season, as is common in pool, with players potentially splitting up and forming new sides.

For The Cabin, however, the first season has already delivered a memorable achievement, with Cabin Crew reaching the national semi-finals and both Cookstown teams representing the club on the UK stage.