IT had seemed such a simple request - could the TV be switched from showing golf to a music channel.
But the question by a woman guest at the Hopwood Unionist Club, in Rochdale, has had dramatic ramifications.
A disgruntled member complained . . . and the club's committee banned all women from the `sports room'.
Instead, female guests going along to the 125-year-old men-only institution in Heywood were banished to the club's `middle room'.
The ban then prompted a protest petition against the decision, which, in turn, led to a referendum among all the members.
And after a bitter campaign, members voted 37 to 30 to keep women out - leaving some of the more liberal punters fuming.
Greg Challender, 35, who often visits the club with his wife, Jacqueline, is furious about the decision and said: "Women were allowed in as guests of members for years. "Members who didn't want women in actually went out and canvassed.
"When it came to the election, we had members turn up to vote who only come in once a year at Christmas."
Greg, a machine operator who has been a regular at the club for more than 10 years, said the decision had sent the club `back to the Dark Ages' - and claimed that the sports-room ban had ruined a night out for couples.
"Now women are only allowed in the middle room," he said.
"But that's no use. If there's an act on in there that they don't like, they can't go anywhere else.
"And if the bridge club are in there, the women keep getting told to be quiet.
"If I want to go in the sports room with some of my single mates I can't bring my wife in - I have to leave her on her own and pass drinks over the bar. It's just ridiculous.
"We've been together for 10 years and she's my best friend, but I can't have a drink with her.
"We've complained to the Association of Conservative Clubs because it's ridiculous and blatant sexism - I'd love to know what David Cameron thinks about it."
Club secretary, Peter Burt, dismissed the complaints as `sour grapes'.
He said: "There was more to it than the TV channel thing. Those who wanted women let in canvassed just as heavily. It was a committee decision, now it's a members' decision. It was a democratic process and the vote was advertised, so everyone had the chance to turn up.
"As far as we're concerned that's the end of the matter. It's a men's club and always has been. If the vote had gone the other way the members would have accepted it. This sounds like sour grapes."
Last week, Heaton Moor Conservative Club in Stockport lifted a 127-year ban on women.
Comments
Login or Register to comment
changing the TV channel from golf to a music channel!!!
HOW DARE THEY!!!!
Seriously... I'd just not bother going there if that's the level of the entertainment.
You should go down to the town centre to watch a good fight :-)
These kind of clubs attract people who are a little bit older and whilst a big sporting event is on, be it the golf, a Test series, Wimbledon, I am sure most people would have an interest in that. Why on earth would you want MTV or the like on? It's selfish to think that just because you want MTV blasting out that so does everyone else. If you want that go to a fun pub.
I wouldn't go to a bar at the Printworks on a Saturday night and ask them to turn off Beyonce and out the Ryder Cup on.
Same thing.
Yet another case of “let’s get our 15 minutes of fame”.
Well its plain and simple, it’s a private club and they had a democratic vote so if you don’t like the outcome then don’t go in again.
He says that if he wants a night out with the boys he can’t take his wife in the sports room with him, well if you are out with the boys then your wife should not be there anyway.
Do the manly thing and go and drink somewhere else.
What year are we in again?
Maybe I should send this club a calender.
Its all gone downhill since they got the vote...
How do you join - sounds like my type of place.
Well done, the 37 men of the Hopwood Unionist Club! If you want sport, rather than MTV, good for you - and if you want to enjoy a men-only atmosphere, then good for you, again.
It's good to see that democracy is working at grass-roots level: who knows, the government might try it out if enough of us persist with it!
They look a real miserable couple on this pic.
Who wants MTV or whatever on anyway?...If you want that on, go to a different kind of pub, not a middle aged to OAP age group club.
And what's the point of running to the papers?!..If you don't like it, get on the committee and then campaign.
Exactly, if you don't like it then go elsewhere. I don't like banging music so I don't go to a banging music place.
Fancy going in and saying when the sport is on? Can I put MTV on? You wouldn't do it. It's called manners but too many these days impose their own rubbish on others.
It's like on the tram, I can just about tolerate headphones but some have their music blaring from their phones. No matter what the music it sounds awful - really tinny.
I can't stand these types who run to the paper in some kind of martyrdom/victim thing when it is they themselves who should be hiding waway embarrassed. Get some manners!
Men standing up to woman. Whatever next? Equality for men in the divorce courts perhaps. This I doubt.
What a daft story to make the papers.
Mmmmmm. I'm on the fence with this one. I can understand the nature of the club, and the members not wanting a music channel blearing out in the corner, but at the same time, clubs like these can and have been consigned to the dinosaur age because of the way they discriminate between the young and women. I know of two clubs that closed down because of their 'dislike' of coming into the 21st century. But if the club has a strong following and good financial backing, then it's their train set and they can do as they please.
Am I the only one wondering why a woman who wanted to switch from golf to mtv is so bothered about being in the sports room?
ITS A SPORTS ROOM NOT A MUSIC ROOM!! GO HOME IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO MUSIC OR GO TO THE NEAREST DISCO!!!
For those who like their male only entertainment, there are some good clubs on Canal Street - if you fancy a night out.
I really don't give a stuff about the story - but why say a Rochdale club? Heywood is Heywood.....not Rochdale!
What was this lady doing in the sports room? Surely she should have been at home, cleaning etc and making sure the dinner was ready when her husband came home.
Standards have slipped and I think the club was only trying to establish values that we seem to have lost. Things have never been the same since women were granted the vote.
Is this a story from the 1970s?
Please.... people.... stop and think about it for a second....!! do you realise how pathetic this is?
Why on earth would anybody want to go to a place like this to socialise with bigots who are obviously stuck in 1972.
Vote with your feet / hangbags and go somewhere else.
And women wonder why men want a room away from women? because they cannot agree on anything once a woman gets involved in mens activaties (sports) they go to pot. a sports room is just (a sports room football/golf etc) not music.if you want music buy yourself a ipod
At least she has gone out on a high note:-(
The next time any of them have a ann summers night for the "girls" invite the lads around..and lets see who moans then!
Pete, good pint but guess what? It's also full of women on hen nights too, so they've even gate crashed that.
Can I just say I totaly agree that sports should be on the tv but side traking from this the club is like from the 70s there are no facilities for disabled people at all this is a breech of the dda so come on pete upgrade your club to the 21st century
gizmosmummy, next you'll be asking for a big plasma TV!
Maybe the no voters were doing the women a favour have they been in a pub or club when football is on the men swear and if someones wife is there then fighting could break out.
Good decion lads, if the women want to be members of a club then let them form their own.