The club was formed in 1871 on a ‘capital of a few shillings’
16:06, 30 Dec 2025Updated 07:27, 03 Jan 2026
Husband and wife, Carl and Louise Rollinson, President and Vice President, respectively, with Secretary/Treasurer Alan Hunter, of The Holbeck Working Men’s Club(Image: Samuel Port)
The oldest surviving working men’s club in the UK is still going strong in a Leeds neighbourhood after 155 years.
The Holbeck, in Jenkinson Lawn, boasts a rich history and has become a matchday hot-spot for Leeds United fans. It’s home to the Holbeck Working Men’s Club, which was formed in 1871, and has been located at the premises since 1878.
On the side of the premises, a blue plaque reads: ‘No other working men’s club has been in continuous operation for so long.’ It’s also known for its huge Gordon Strachan mural emblazoned upon the side of the building.
It was painted by local artist Kieran Bradshaw in January, 2025, and was commissioned by the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust. Scottish legend Strachan captained the side to become First Division champions in 1992.
Alan Hunter, Secretary and Treasurer of The Holbeck, on Jenkinson Law(Image: Samuel Port)
The working men’s club’s story begins in the year 1871, amid the back-to-back houses and factories of Holbeck. The inner city area, just south of the city centre, was known for its steel works, flax mill and a workhouse.
It was formed by supporters of the Holbeck Cricket Club “who set forth with nothing but common sense and determination to place their ideas into action,” according to the club’s centenary brochure, be it with the “capital of a few shillings”.
Elsewhere in the world, German Empire was born and the Paris Commune collapsed, violently. The world was entering the Second Industrial Revolution, a period marked by the transition from steam power to electricity, telegraph poles were cutting edge technology, the telephone was in its infancy as an invention – it was almost named the “talking telegraph” – and someone had invented a steam powered automobile. The first practical gas powered automobile wouldn’t come around until 1886.
‘No other working men’s club has been in continuous operation for so long'(Image: Samuel Port)
The club’s original home was in at different building in Ebenezer Place, before moving to its current premises in 1878. There must have been some form of ceremony as it was opened by an alderman, a type of senior government official at the time. His name was Alderman Garbutt, according to the centenary brochure, written in 1978, which chronicles the interesting affairs the club has in its history.
The club members voted to donate two guineas to the Lord Mayor’s Titanic disaster fund in 1912, along with aid to similar disasters involving Hunslet Steelworks, £5 in 1913, Bentley flooding, £2 in 1932, and the Lofthouse Colliery, £50 in 1973.
Electric fittings were installed in the club in 1919. Electricity had gradually been spreading through the country since the 1880s, and it was in general use in homes from the 1920s. Then came a telephone installation to the building, beside the bar, in 1924.
The Holbeck Gordon Strachan mural(Image: Samuel Port)
A microphone and speaker were installed for concerts in 1935. Ernie Wise, of Morecambe and Wise, was known to have performed in the club, when he was new to the entertainment industry, long before he met his comedy partner.
The club were diligent in following government guidelines in 1939, after the outbreak of the Second World War, by cancelling all weekend concerts. Business was completely suspended during air-raids a year later.
Back in 1932, the topic of “ladies smoking in the club” was discussed for a full minute, before the committee decided to “rescind” whatever that conversation must have consisted of. In 1959, members’ wives were made “Lady members” with a capital L.
Members of the Holbeck Working Men’s Club during the centenary year of 1978(Image: Samuel Port)
Fast-forward to the 21st Century, and the club was in decline around the time the smoking ban was enforced. Eventually, Holbeck-based theatre company Slung Low took over the premises and club began to grow once again in 2018, and it was run by a community of volunteers.
The club premises was renamed The Holbeck in 2019 and applied for a pub license. It was during this time that it was awarded a blue plaque for the longest continuous operation for a working men’s club. The theatre company left in 2022 and a team of volunteers remained.
Alan with a historic picture of The Holbeck Working Men’s Club(Image: Samuel Port)
Alan Hunter, 50, became involved in the committee in 2022, and a year later, was made the club Secretary and Treasurer. The dad-of-four spoke about how club’s growing status as a destination for Leeds fans has helped it not only survive but thrive with hundreds of visitors on matchdays.
The success of former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa also helped the club grow. Bielsa coached the team between 2019 and 2022, taking the club back into the Premier League after 16 years in the lower divisions. Above the bar reads the sign ‘All Holbeck Aren’t We’.
Alan said: “When Bielsa took over it put more belief into the actual city around the club. We really saw the numbers increasing then. Numbers wise, now, it’s phenomenal what we’re getting here on a matchday. It really keeps the club going.
Alan showing off the club’s large event space upstairs(Image: Samuel Port)
“On a Friday night, sometimes we might have three or four people here. On a matchday Friday, sometimes we’ve got two or three hundred people in here. The midweek ones are a little bit hit-and-miss here with traffic issues. With travellers coming up the motorways, if there’s traffic issues, they’ll bypass us to the ground, if it’s tight for time.”
The Holbeck is situated about a half an hour’s walk from Leeds’ Elland Road Stadium which makes it a convenient stop for Leeds fans to visit ahead of the games. They get coachloads of supporters ahead of the games on matchdays and others trailing in from the city centre, after visiting The Moot Hall Arms.
Alan Hunter, Secretary and Treasurer of The Holbeck(Image: Samuel Port)
Alan said: “It’s a really friendly atmosphere. Back in time, there was probably about 12 pubs in the area. We’re now the last place standing. We’re the only place in the community where people can come in, can socialise, a get a discounted drink without going ten minutes into town. On a matchday, it’s absolutely brilliant.
“We’ve got all the supporters groups with the excitement of going to the match. The majority of the people who come in here will go to ground and probably sit next to a travelling supporters group from Scotland or down-South. It’s absolutely brilliant. There’s a real vibe about the place.”
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