‘Dark times’ cry locals as iconic bar abruptly shuts doors after 35 years leaving regulars devastated

A POPULAR bar has abruptly shut its doors after serving regulars for 35 years, leaving locals gutted.

The Footage, in Manchester city centre, has been a hotspot for students and locals for decades.

Located right next to a university campus, the venue used to boast special offers on drinks that drew punters in from across the city.

However the bar – operated by Crafted Social, part of the Stonegate Group – has been listed as “permanently closed” on its website.

There were no other announcements on social media about the closure, according to Manchester Evening News.

Guests looking at their website were greeted with a pop-up message that read: “We will no longer be trading after May 25.

“It has been a pleasure serving the community and we shall miss you!”

The venue, which previously dubbed itself as, “the greatest bar in Manchester” had been sharing posts on social media to promote the Euros – just four days before its closure.

Punters were looking forward to watching the three lions battle it out in the upcoming tournament in their beloved bar.

Posting on social media, one person said they felt that The Footage’s closure was the “biggest loss to Manchester since Font”.

The Footage was steeped in history after it first opened as a cinema in 1915.

It was hailed as the largest cinema outside of London at the time.

The first film screened at the venue was the silent historical film Jane Shore, starring British actress Blanche Forsythe.

It later became a bingo hall before it was transformed into a pub, under the name of Flea and Firkin, in 1990.

The site was rebranded a few years later and was eventually taken over by new owners who renamed it The Footage.

Stonegate gave the pub a £360,000 refurbishment, promoting it as a craft beer and live sports venue ten years ago.

The neo-classical building was also a designated Grade II listed site by English Heritage in the 1990s.

The Stonegate chain recently revealed it was grappling with £2.3billion debt which has “casted doubt in the company’s ability to continue”.

It comes after punters were left shocked after a popular boozer with 22 sites across the UK closed a town centre pub without notice.

And a family favourite pub chain is set to close more than 200 locations and axe 1,500 jobs.