WM Clubs in Sunderland area, long since gone!


It always looks shut, even when it's open.

Reminds me of the control room in 'Aliens' when they close the blast-shutters over the windows.
Steels wasn't really a working man's club, it was originally a private social club, don't know if, or when it ever became affiliated, but it's on its knees now, only manages to keep going, because of the wakes they cater for, other than that It's knacked.
 
Back in the day you normally became a member of the club your Dad was a member of. Downhill for me. Don't know if the few remaining clubs carry the same connection.
 
Back in the day you normally became a member of the club your Dad was a member of. Downhill for me. Don't know if the few remaining clubs carry the same connection.
Downhill used to be great on a Monday night, excellent bands, a lot playing original material, I remember when it first opened, you had to be there at 5 If you wanted to get in, the queues were massive, shame to see all that gone replaced with sweet fuck all.
 
Glendale in Houghton still gannin.
Dunno how mind. Dying a slow, inevitable death as it, and all the others , outlive their usefulness.
It's horrible but I still try to pop in.
Sentimentalism I s'pose.
 
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Washington Welfare was part of my youth and early adult life, every pub or club I go in now I compare them to the Welfare, it was brilliant, full of characters, hard drinkers, hard men and some of the best pool and snooker players I have seen. If you were a Welfare lad you had mates for life. I actually cried when it was pulled down after the travesty it was allowed to become. ( last chance ranch )
 
Only club me and the lads really go in is the North Biddick Club down Fatfield. Seems to do a decent trade judging by when we get in, gets a decent mix of young and older and even sometimes groups of lasses (probably for cheap drink before heading down the Riverbar). The cheap drink is obviously a bonus and it’s kept in decent nick, but I find it like most other clubs fairly bland to be honest.

Much prefer The Gunners in the town which our matchday lot sometimes go in, maybe because it seems to have more of a pub feel to that than your typical WMC.
 
Washington Welfare was part of my youth and early adult life, every pub or club I go in now I compare them to the Welfare, it was brilliant, full of characters, hard drinkers, hard men and some of the best pool and snooker players I have seen. If you were a Welfare lad you had mates for life. I actually cried when it was pulled down after the travesty it was allowed to become. ( last chance ranch )
They got Greenhalls in along with several others around about 84 iirc?
Awful beer.

Where on Commercial Rd was the club?
 
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Downhill used to be great on a Monday night, excellent bands, a lot playing original material, I remember when it first opened, you had to be there at 5 If you wanted to get in, the queues were massive, shame to see all that gone replaced with sweet fuck all.

Times change Teed, remember that you only had three? TV channels back in those days so I would imagine if there was nowt on the telly everyone would go to their local pub. These days you can find entertainment at the press of a button. Technology eh?
 
Washington Welfare was part of my youth and early adult life, every pub or club I go in now I compare them to the Welfare, it was brilliant, full of characters, hard drinkers, hard men and some of the best pool and snooker players I have seen. If you were a Welfare lad you had mates for life. I actually cried when it was pulled down after the travesty it was allowed to become. ( last chance ranch )

Yes, marra.

Colliery Welfare clubs were brilliant!
 
I loved the clubs.
Great bands in the late 70's in the likes of Shiney Row club, Grindon Broadway, Steels, Downhill, Boilermakers, Doxy Park.
Footy, darts & doms, all had their teams, as well as the pigeon and dog lads.
Leek & gardening clubs were popular too. The "Broth" sessions after the Leek Shows were toppa.
Times indeed have moved on, thanks to the local industry being decimated in the 80's & 90's.
I would guess a lot of the SMB are too young to have appreciated how good an institution the clubs were.
 
They got Greenhalls in along with several others around about 84 iirc?
Awful beer.

Where on Commercial Rd was the club?
Going through old footy Echo’s in my late oldl man’s attic. This one was from 1973.
Sorry wouldn’t know Commercial Road WM Club was situated.
 
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