By Elliott West
Introduction
The humble setting of a working men’s club has long been part of the makeup of a working person’s leisure time. It’s a draw being a community atmosphere, where people gather to chat, drink or play one of the many sports that such an establishment offers including darts and snooker. In recent years, many have closed their doors for the final, now standing derelict or victims of the developer’s bulldozer but those that have managed to avoid the swing of the axe, remain vibrant, a rich source of conversation and a place that allows you to set aside the stresses and strains of life for a few hours. It is where many of the snooker players of yesteryear cut their teeth with the likes of Reardon and Spencer entertained an audience amidst a fog of cigarette smoke.
The Origins
First established as a type of private social club in the 19th century and scattered across the industrial town and cities of mainly the North of England, Midlands and the valleys of South Wales, they were designed to provide education and recreation for working-class men and their families. The earliest record of a working men’s club dates back to 1857 in Reddish, Greater Manchester where a man by the name of Gregg identified that many of his workers were shut out of their lodgings throughout the day and evening, without a place to cook or read a newspaper and so were forced to spend their leisure time in a public house. His club gave them somewhere where to relax.
The working men’s club has evolved over the years and now serve as an establishment for recreational purposes. With the main room, referred to in especially the north of England as a vault, the room is complimented with a bar area and a side room to hold events such as concerts, cabaret or a bingo night. Many clubs have a membership system where the members actually own the club, priding themselves on their history and heritage. A cooperative whose committee is elected annually and where non-members are only allowed to gain entry when a member signs them in.
Men Only
The working men’s club used to be exclusively for men but in 1978 there was a dispute at the Wakefield City Working men’s Club that led to a national campaign for equal membership rights for women. Sheila Capstick whose husband was an activist in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) had been a regular snooker player at the club before a ban was put in place to prevent women from playing snooker in the club. Her protest, A Women’s Right to Cues soon became a national campaign for equal rights or ERICCA – Equal Rights in Clubs Campaign for Action. After years of rejection, finally, in 2007 the Club and Institutes Union accepted equal membership rights for women.
The CIU has two purposes: to provide a national voice for clubs and to provide discounted products and services for clubs. It is affiliated with the Committee of Registered Clubs Association or CORCA. A member of one affiliated club is entitled to use the facilities of other clubs and there are 2,200 of these affiliated working men’s clubs across the United Kingdom.
The Smoking Ban
The biggest impact on working men’s clubs came in July 2007 when the then Labour government passed legislation to outlaw smoking in inside public environments. This meant that many people made a personal choice to stay at home where they could drink and freely without having to interrupt their night out by having to go outside for a cigarette. A political decision that caused a 73 percent drop in revenue for clubs and pubs.
The Future
Those working men’s clubs that still survive and have not been further hit by the recent Covid restrictions, still face an uncertain future with many struggling to stay afloat. A great shame because they are at the heart of the community, a place where people come to meet friends and family, play in their local pool or snooker league or just go to for a quiet pint. You always feel welcome when you walk into a working men’s and like you are part of an extended family. That is is very rare nowadays and it seems these clubs still breathe the air of a bygone age but one that never ceases to be refreshing. Long may they remain at the heart of the local community!
