Food & Drink
Legendary student pub The Footage has suddenly closed its doors
Another blow for the Manc pub and bar scene in 2024.
Danny Jones -
28th May 2024 
Beloved student stomping ground and long-standing pub The Footage has suddenly closed its doors as university regulars and city centre locals have been left in shock.
The Oxford Road institution, which served as one of the busiest and most affordable student pubs for more than three decades and was rejuvenated back in 2014, looks to have sadly posted a closure notice over the May bank holiday weekend.
Formerly The Grosvenor Picture Palace, hence its modern-day name, the ex-cinema turned public house was also a great spot for student deals on no-nonsense pub grub and a go-to spot for watching live sport, having only recently shared a post welcoming England fans ahead of the Euros.
Unfortunately, it all looks to have been premature as The Footage is now listed as “permanently closed” online and the team has now shared a statement on their website.
The brief statement simply reads: “We will no longer be trading after Saturday, 25 May. It has been a pleasure serving the community and we shall miss you!”
The Footage was previously a branch of the Riley’s Snooker Club and pool hall chain before first opening as a pub, first called Flea and Firkin, back in 1990. The pub was then renamed to The Footage and Firkin prior to the takeover which saw the suffix ultimately dropped.
People reacting online have been left gutted by the news, with one user on Reddit commenting, “The last hold out of Scream Pubs from circa 2004. A sad day” and another going on to say, “Can’t believe it’s gone! I always go there for the football and it’s always busy?!”
Social media is full of people mourning the pub and reminiscing years of watching live sports inside the Grade-II listed building and spending uni socials there. A third Redditor wrote: “One of my favourite bars in the mid-90s. So many nights spent with the bouncers asking us to stop dancing on the tables.”
Read more:
- There are two pubs in Stalybridge holding Guinness World Records – for opposite reasons
- Beloved Manc drinking spot Font is reopening as a brand-new music venue and Irish bar
- Albert’s Schloss – Manchester’s busiest nightlife hotspot is also serving some serious roasts
Operated by Crafted Social as part of the wider Stonegate Pub Group, The Footage was one of several Manchester boozers said to be under threat earlier this year.
Stonegate is said to be in approximately £2.2 billion of debt and had to pay more than £300 million refinancing costs in 2023 to try and keep the various locations in their portfolio afloat.
They operate 4,400 pub and bars around the UK in total, including dozens across Greater Manchester. We approached Footage and their owners for a comment on the abrupt closure but are yet to receive a response.
Rest in peace to a truly great pub that we ourselves spent many an evening in, you will be sorely missed.
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Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Footage (via Facebook)
