Made In Great Britain - Since 1897
About Us
At Riley, a handmade snooker table is regarded as a thing of beauty. This belief is as strong today as it was when the first table left their workshops some 114 years ago. To maintain their superlative standards, a careful and considerate selection of materials and painstaking attention to detail are crucial in their quest to hand-craft and install the finest snooker tables in the world.
The Aristocrat Tournament Champion is the flagship of the Riley range and probably the finest snooker table available in the world today. There is no other snooker table that offers the professional tournament experience as closely.
It is immediately recognisable – the iconic silver design as seen in televised Ranking Tournaments all over the world until 2009. Modern, yet traditional, the table oozes quality and style. Since 1992, 8 different World Champions have been crowned on Riley tables, including greats of the game like Stephen Hendry, Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins.
Handmade by craftsmen in the UK, the Aristocrat Tournament Champion is constructed from specially selected mahoganies and hardwoods. Only the best Italian slate is used for the playing surface, laser honed and cut from a single piece to create the finest possible playing surface. The slate is covered with Strachan cloth, as specified for all professional tournaments and widely recognised as the best snooker cloth available today. The quality of the cushions is a key factor in determining the professional’s opinion of the overall quality of a table. Poor cushion response can end a break just as quickly as a mis-cue. It is crucial that a consistent and predictable bounce is achieved. The best quality professional tournament rubber has to be used and it has to be cut to specifications laid down by the World Snooker Association – including the pocket openings. But more than that, the Tournament Champion is fitted with Riley galvanised steels for optimum response along the entire length of the cushion. Galvanised steel is a more rigid material than wood and professionals prefer the more consistent rebound that is achieved with this construction.
The best wood, the best slate, the best cloth and the best cushions – none of this means anything if the table is incorrectly assembled and installed. At Riley we offer a full door-to-door concierge service. This means you place your order and we take care of the rest –wherever you are in the World. Our fitters have assembled the tables used in some of the greatest matches in professional snooker – they are used to creating a professional playing environment and will bring all of that experience to bear in every table they install.