spot on. we have had working mens clubs for over a century, even the average small town still has 2 or 3 of these, indeed its around some of these that the amatuer game still revolves to some extent. a lot of these clubs struggle nowadays and i can't just see a league club working over here as it would only be busy on matchdays. as a previous poster says folk over here like to stay in with the wii and dvd nowadays. i'm not one of these

Poker machines are what makes leagues clubs money. They often have hundreds of them, and quite happily milk mug punters of all their cash. Gambling is a far worse social problem in Australia than the UK. Without poker machines leagues clubs would quickly become small pubs and have no money to speak of. With poker machines they are enormously rich.

Good call this Baz.

yeh fill it full of pokies and let the dolies and pensioners fritter away their social cheques. Great idea! How many RL "social clubs" are there that are not a front for pokie machines?

Over 2000 pubs closed last year, another 2000 expected to close this year - lots of landlords really struggling. Why anyone would thing opening a bar right now is likely to bring money into the club is beyond me.

AFAIK, Skolars sports bar closed recently - it was all locked up last time I was there - maybe someone knows better though.

Leagues clubs also work because alcohol licences are so thin on the ground in Oz. Barrie, my missus is from Engadine in the Shire. Its a suburb of 40,000. It's licenced premesis are... the Pub, the RSL, and the Bowling club. All three are like leagues clubs, i.e. a community venue, with dining rooms, gambling rooms, straight-up bars, and other entertainments. An English suburb of that size would have 50 boozers, and other competing venues for all the other activities (many of which would also be licenced). There's no real comparison, which is why leagues clubs don't work here.