1 reply to this topic

[PhillH]

The Willows Variety Centre Limited has gone belly up with debts of £294,610 according to the Advertiser. No wonder the Barton Pinks are struggling to pay the tax bill.

http://menmedia.co.u...-after-46-years



Curtain falls on The Willows as Salford venue goes bust after 46 years
The Willows Variety Centre Ltd, a business which ran live events for 46 years, was declared insolvent with debts of £294,610.

Since the 1970s, it had held everything from cabaret and live music to charity shows, weddings and private parties at The Willows stadium in Weaste.

The business held its final event on January 28.

It has gone into voluntary liquidation on the grounds that it can no longer afford to pay debts that were due.

Owner John Wilkinson told us the economic downturn was to blame. He said: "The business was affected like every business in this climate.

"Most of those debts are my money. It is an absolute disaster. We met every obligation – we didn’t cancel any events."

He said the smoking ban and cheap supermarket alcohol prices had affected trade and that Christmas takings had been substantially lower than previous years.

The Willows rugby ground is owned by developer Godliman and Watson Homes Ltd, which has plans to demolish it and build houses.

Salford City Reds moved to a new £26m stadium in Barton last year. Mr Wilkinson said he had hoped the Willows Variety Centre could continue trading in some form at the new stadium but this was not viable due to ‘financial and operational issues’.

Boxing nights held at the Willows Road venue over the past five years alone have raised £120,000 for charity.

Organiser Russ Arrowsmith said: "I have got a lot of memories of the venue.

"Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan fought there – it was a fantastic venue for boxing."

The Variety Centre had wedding and conference facilities, a cabaret lounge, cocktail bar and 640-seat capacity for live shows.

The final charity event run by the company, which employed 12 people, was a boxing night last month, organised by Mr Arrowsmith and featured in the Advertiser.

Letters have been sent out to creditors informing them how to claim any money they are owed.

A spokesman for Ideal Corporate Solutions, the insolvency firm, said: "Following meetings of shareholders and creditors, resolutions were passed placing the Willows

Variety Centre Limited into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation and appointing Andrew David Rosler of Ideal Corporate Solutions Limited as sole liquidator.

"The company was placed into liquidation on the grounds that it was unable to pay its debt as and when they fell due.

"As at the date of the liquidation the total level of debt stood at £294,610."

[Barnie]

A tax bill and this...... i'm waiting to hear about more council tax money being paid into the club. i might put in a freedom of information request into the council to find out how much money has been pumped into this money pit of a rugby league club.