Long Eaton's Longest Serving Publican Receives Prestigious Awards

Long Eaton’s longest serving publican – Amanda Jones of The Sportsman on Granville Road – has received a prestigious award to mark her 21st anniversary at the helm of the well-known local.

The Dedication Award was presented by the pub’s owners – Star Pubs – in recognition of the positive difference that Amanda has made to The Sportsman and the town over the last two decades. The award is the second received by Amanda this year, having already been given a Community Link Award for her contribution to the area.  

Long Eaton born-and-bred Amanda runs The Wilsthorpe Tavern on Wilsthorpe Road, too, and is the only licensee to have two pubs in the town.

Amanda, whose dad and granddad were former customers of The Sportsman, took over the pub in 2005 when it had lost its way and much of its trade. Under her stewardship The Sportsman has been transformed into a much-loved top-quality local that specialises in sports and functions. Numerous activities, such as quizzes, live music, themed discos and Caribbean food nights, bring people together, ensuring The Sportsman is a hub of the community where all ages mix.

Thanks to Amanda’s many refurbishments and upgrades over the years, The Sportsman has a stunning suntrap garden outside, complete with booth seating, and is beautifully presented inside with lots of facilities. As well as two spacious bars, it boasts a 140-seater function room that holds events of all kinds for local residents – ranging from baby showers and children’s parties to weddings and wakes. In keeping with its name, the pub is a haven for sports enthusiasts and is fitted out with pool, darts and a high-spec AV system with14 screens showing Sky and TNT Sports, making The Sportsman the place to watch big tournaments like the World Cup. Multiple pool and darts players use the pub, and on Wednesday evenings the function room hosts the local darts league with six boards in play. 

Amanda took on her first pub in Long Eaton – Buzz Bar – a quarter of a century ago. Recalls Amanda: “Back then Long Eaton had lots of pubs but sadly many of them have closed, including Buzz Bar. I’ve known The Sportsman since I was a little girl. It’s always been the heart of Long Eaton and it’s just as important to the community today as it was back then. It’s a great honour to have received these awards; we couldn’t have done it without the support of our wonderful regulars.”

Adds Adella Binney, Star Pubs area manager for Long Eaton: “These awards are well-deserved. Amanda goes to the ends of the earth to keep The Sportsman thriving for her customers and the community. It’s an exceptional local, and countless residents have enjoyed important and memorable celebrations in the function room. The pub is a tribute to Amanda’s standards, creativity and endless hard work. We wish her many more happy years.”