Whatever happened to Bourne Sports?

Okell

Just reading the recent thread about Sports Direct made me think about Bourne Sports in Stoke on Trent

Back in the 1980s (possible even as far back as the 1970s) they were pioneers in selling sports equipment via mailorder.

They sold everything. You name some arcane piece of sports equipment and they had it or could get it for you.

They also had a massive bricks and mortar shop on - I think - Church Street. I visited it once and could have stayed in there for days. It was an Aladdin's cave of sports kit.

Does anyone know what happened to them?

user1977

Assuming it's this (later renamed) company it was wound up in 2019:

ROUBEN LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

flaneurs_lobster

A

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6673175/whatever-happened-to-bourne-sports

Want to guess, yep Sports Directified.

The one that upsets me is Lillywhites, only place that always had the most obscure bits of sports kit - usually in a choice of colours and sizes. Where else could you get that emergency lacrosse stick or a cricket scoring book.

Ashley's got that one too.

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040725#Comment_82040725

That's them. 36 - 42 Church Street. A family business it would seem.

Fascinating

Pity.

Thank you

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040729#Comment_82040729

I'd forgotten Lillywhites.

Yes - that was definitely ruined when it became a SD.

eskbanker

Isn't this a pretty tenuous connection (if any) with consumer rights?!

Okell

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82040895#Comment_82040895

It has no connection at all.

Sorry!

It was just reading the SD thread and reminiscing about all the great British sports retailers subsumed into the Ashley empire made me wonder whatever happened to Bourne sports