But working men’s clubs in Sheffield and across the nation soon became less about education and more about entertainment, with members lapping up the cheap booze, bingo, music and comedy on offer. There were some 4,000 working men’s clubs across Britain in their 1970s heyday, a number which has reportedly more than halved since then amid rising costs and growing competition from home entertainment.
In Sheffield, working men’s clubs in Darnall, Handsworth, Woodhouse Mill and Ecclesfield are among those to have closed in recent years, though perhaps the most famous casualty is the one in Shiregreen where the final scene of The Full Monty was filmed before a live audience. Some clubs continue to defy the odds and pull in the punters, however, like the hugely popular Crookes Social Club, which was founded in 1919 as Crookes Working Men’s Club.
This retro photo gallery shows some of Sheffield’s numerous working men’s clubs during the 1980s and 1990s, when they were still a big draw despite the decline of the steel industry. Some of them are still thriving in these photos, while others are sadly boarded up or have been converted into pubs. The clubs featured include those in Pitsmoor, Burngreave, Handsworth and High Green.
All the photos featured are shared courtesy of Picture Sheffield.
1. Handsworth Working Men's Club
The concert room at Handsworth Working Men's Club, on Handsworth Road, Sheffield, in 1985 Photo: Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers
2. Burngreave Club
Burngreave Club and Institute, on Gower Street, Sheffield, in 1985 Photo: Picture Sheffield
3. Earl Marshal pub
The Earl Marshall pub, which was formerly Midhill House and Midhill Working Men's Club and Institute, on East Bank Road, Sheffield, in 1986 Photo: Picture Sheffield
4. Crookes Working Men's Club
Def Leppard unveiling a plaque at Crookes Working Men's Club, on Mulehouse Road, Sheffield, in 1995 Photo: Picture Sheffield/Sheffield Newspapers