A 100-year-old workingmen's club faces closure after brewery bosses put the building where it is based up for sale.

Members of Cob Wall WMC, Daisy Lane, Blackburn, held an urgent meeting with a Club and Institute Union (CIU) official at the club to discuss its future after it was put on the market for £70,000.

The club, one of the oldest in East Lancashire, is going to double the number of people on its committee and launch a membership drive to bring more cash in to club coffers. The oldest club is King Street in Accrington, which was set up in 1894 and has also just been put on the market.

Members of Cob Wall fear for the future of the club if the building is sold. They are worried a new owner may want to use it for another purpose and members will have to join another club.

President Les Smith said: "The brewery didn't tell us they were going to advertise the club for sale. I've been trying to negotiate with them to give us a bit more leeway."

Les said the club had three loans with Bass totalling around £80,000 taken out before he was made president. Efforts to alter the repayment arrangements to give the club "breathing space" had been turned down by the brewery.

"The CIU is going to contact Bass to try to get it to take the club off the market and get them to come and see us and talk to the members," added Les.

"The club's future is in the hands of the members. If we get their support and they join in we would get more cash coming in and there would be a good cash flow which is what the brewery is looking for. We don't want the club sold."

One member, who asked not to be named, said: "There's a determination amongst members that the club won't shut. They want to keep it going.

"There's around 300 members here but many don't use it as often as they should."

Another member, who would not be named, added: "When it came to this site nearly 30 years ago the club was thriving. Things have changed since then. There's TV and computers and other attractions that keep people away." The committee will meet again tomorrow to set a date for a general meeting of members to decide the club's next move.

The sale is being handled by property agents Gillman Jones. The club is advertised as "a substantial single storey club premises close to the town centre within a densely populated area. The building includes a lounge bar, snooker room, concert room, beer cellar, offices and extensive parking."

The club started in two neighbouring terraced houses in nearby Peter Street at the beginning of the last century before moving to its current site in 1971. It became a member of the CIU, the organisation which oversees WMCs, in 1913.

A spokesman for Bass said: "Whilst we cannot comment on the details of our trading relationships with customers we can confirm we have worked closely with the Cob Wall club to try to solve their financial position with our company."

He said various options were discussed with club representatives including a voluntary sale.

The spokesman added: "The club is responsible for informing members of the current financial situation via its usual communications process.

"Bass Brewers is in the process of helping its customers create successful, vibrant outlets and wherever possible we work closely with customers to address any commercial problems they have."

Picture: President Les Smith (left) and these members of Cob Wall WMC hope that they are toasting a new future for the 100-year-old club