Earlier this year while showing the World Cup matches live, Comptons of Soho proved to be such a hit that General Manager Matthew and his team are now going to be showing a whole range of sports in the Soho mega venue. Dave Cross chatted to Matthew to find out more.
Hi Matthew, how has 2018 been so far at Comptons?
2018 has been amazing. It’s been one year and four months since I became General Manager here and the time has been great. I am so proud to run such an iconic venue in Soho and it’s wonderful that the Grande Dame of Soho is as busy as ever.
Were you surprised at how successful the World Cup was at Comptons?
LGBTQ people are so diverse I really don’t think it’s a surprise that there are loads who are interested in sport and sometimes this is overlooked on the scene. For those who watched matches at Comptons you’ll know we were rammed for a lot of them, especially upstairs with the big screen, and of course the England match on Pride showed how many gay people want to watch football. The whole of Old Compton Street singing Three Lions was a sight I didn’t think I would ever see!
So now you are going to be showing more sports at the venue?
We really think there is a niche in the market which isn’t catered for on the scene and we are installing Sky Sports into Comptons. I’ve already had a lot of customers ask about watching football, rugby and other sports which are exclusively on Sky and it is exciting to be able to show them now. We have had some updates and enhancements to our TVs and now we have a HUGE screen with an HD projector in the upstairs bar. But don’t worry, it’s not all sports – of course we will still be showing Eurovision and next year will be bigger than ever!
Will this be just football or will you be showing other sports?
We will be showing whatever people want to watch. We are already a sponsor of the Kings Cross Steelers and of course we will be showing as much rugby as possible.
What about non team sports like gymnastics or tennis?
I personally love tennis so that’s a definite.
But maybe not curling?
Maybe not, no.
How do people find out what you will be showing?
We will advertise on our screens inside the venue and of course on our social media, so please follow us for updates.
And can you tell us how to book a table or a party with drinks deals?
We are always taking bookings, not just for sport. If you go to comptonsofsoho.co.uk you can make a table or area booking and we have special drinks packages which can be pre-booked so when you arrive you don’t even have to wait at the bar!
Entry is free.
Booking information from comptonsofsoho.co.uk
Comptons, 51-53 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1.
Recommended for you
