Liberal Club closing? Edit.......confirmed, closing tonight (Sunday)

blackpool72 said:

Henry Irving said:

The Radical, my club, getting busier and busier on match days now which is good news for the club and fans £2.85 for a pint of London Pride!

Even had Colin Walsh in there yesterday.

Did you see a short chubby Irishman called Brian by any chance

He was there,

blackpool72 said:

Henry Irving said:

The Radical, my club, getting busier and busier on match days now which is good news for the club and fans £2.85 for a pint of London Pride!

Even had Colin Walsh in there yesterday.

Did you see a short chubby Irishman called Brian by any chance

I know the bloke you mean.
See him on the coach going Burton, reckons I moan too much.

https://deserter.co.uk/2019/03/clubland/

A top ten of CIU clubs in SE London

Vincenzo said:

Henry Irving said:

https://deserter.co.uk/2019/03/clubland/

A top ten of CIU clubs in SE London

Very impressed with the Rad, Henners. Loved it.






It's a cracker of a CIU club

Is the cup (on the grass at the front) the prize for the best buttonhole?  Some of the men appear to be sporting dahlias in their lapels!

I hope you get some identifications, and some better ideas of the occasion being celebrated by this photo.

iainment said:

Henry Irving said:

Donation of items from the Lib to the museum today including this photo.

No date but looks pre-WW1 so might be a few early Addicks in there as well maybe some relatives of some lifers

Guess that it's the rear of old Liberal Club on the Woolwich Road.

So. There may be Charlton fans in this but how do you know?

Seriously, where do you get off on this, Ben said MIGHT, he doesnt know for sure which is why he has posted it. 

Its a photo, in his opinion (with which I concur), of local historical importance. One taken at a time when the club was emerging.

We have had a number of local families who have been in contact with the museum in recent years who relatives were part of the founding moments of our club, some of then are on CL, and they may just recognise thier relatives in a photograph they have not seen before. 

You may not like Ben, you may have issues with the museum, I may be being wooshed by your comment, if I am, then sorry for acting like a dick, if not then grow up ffs, if you have nothing constructive to say then say fuck all. 

killerandflash said:

I was on the committee there back in the late 90’s early 00’s, it only ever survived then due to home games, the days of a large local non football membership were the heydays of 70’s & 80’s

The number of large manufacturing / industrial firms that have left the area hasn't helped, the days of the working man having a beer after a hard day's work went with them.

I think the working man's wages aren't sufficient to cover all the tax the government puts on beer these days. Plenty of people down on the retail park who'd stop for a drink on the way home of it wasn't £4.50 a pint. Pubs are largely a middle class venue these days.

I'm not sure the people driving to retail parks are exactly a prime market for pubs. I think the changing ethnic mix of the area has had a serious impact too on the pubs in the borough of Greenwich. Around half the people in the borough now are non white British, and either for cultural or religious reasons aren't likely to be pub goers.

Indeed a sign of the times when lower Charlton and indeed the Woolwich Road (other than the River ale house) is turning into a pub desert when Bermondsey is now crammed full of hip bars and craft breweries

GlassHalfFull said:

What is the purpose of the gathering? A sizeable number, all taking the photo seriously and dutifully posing.
No females present.
Nor any youths.
All well-dressed males varying in age up to elderly.
Maybe one or two in uniform.
Any clue in the banner and the flag?
The cup must be a significant trophy to merit such large and respectable turn-out.
A male-voice choir would account for the range of ages.
Not wearing hats, surely against the everyday convention of the period.

Good questions Alan

There is no clue on the back of the photo.

Seems too big for a choir but could be.  

That there are no women is no surprise. This was a working MAN's club.

There were a lot of Charlton Athletic items donated which I'll post on another thread but this is a thread about the Liberal club but as it was the base of the supporters' club and very close to Eastmoor St the two intertwine.

Actually, none are wearing medals so possibly not military.

Or they were military but rubbish!

The pose seems quite relaxed by the standard of the times. Maybe just a group photo of the club members and the cup for something quite ordinary, darts, snooker, football etc.

My johnny foreigner Mrs has just said "it's obviously a gay club because it's called liberal and is all men"

It taken in the summer - leaves on trees and windows open.

It looks like a gaslight.

Lots of moustaches so maybe WW1.

Doubt the Lib has any records otherwise they wouldn't have passed the photo on to us. Greenwich Heritage might know more.