Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders purchases Sheffield pub to save it from closure
Matt Helders, best known as the drummer of Arctic Monkeys, has bought a Sheffield pub alongside eight other people in an effort to save it from shutting down. Fagan’s, located on Broad Lane in the city centre, was run by husband and wife duo Tom and Barbara Boulding for 37 years until they announced their retirement last month).
The couple took over the pub in 1985, following the departure of the previous landlord, Joe Fagan. Originally called The Barrel, the couple renamed the pub once they began their management. According to Barbara (via The Yorkshire Post), “We renamed the pub after Joe on November 10, 1985. Everybody knew it as Fagan’s as there was The Barrel on London Road, so people just called it Fagan’s. It was just the natural thing to do.”
However, now that the couple entered retirement, a nine-person-strong group have joined forces to save the pub, whose future was uncertain. Alongside Helders, James O’Hara and James Hill from the Rockingham Group, Mark Herbert and Niall Shamma of Warp, Can Studios’ Ian Stanyer, painter and decorator David House, financial analyst Tom O’Hara and joiner Ben Pickup have chipped in.
Speaking to Exposed Magazine, House explained: “We don’t want to change the heart and soul of the place, so it’s still going to look the same. We’ll be adding little touches, but we’ll still have proper Guinness. All the musicians want to stay, so there’ll still be five nights of music a week and a quiz, and, after last time, Robbie Williams is still barred from coming in! The biggest change will be having a card machine!”
Hill shared: “We want to make sure it’s doing what it’s currently doing, keeping that traditional nature, but also bringing it forward into the next 37 years of Fagan’s with some of the things that Sheffield is currently doing.”
When asked about the pub, Helders said: “You gotta pick a pocket or two!” Recently, Arctic Monkeys were nominated for two Brit Awards – ‘British Group’ and ‘Best Rock/Alternative Act’, losing to Wet Leg and The 1975, respectively.
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