Club History

The Club was originally formed in 1969 as a supporters’ Club for the Winchester City Football and Hockey teams and consequently took on the name WINCHESTER CITY SPORTSMENS CLUB.  Though ostensibly a private members club, it was actually a propriety club run by a small syndicate of businessmen who formed the first committee.  After 12 months, the first election  saw this first committee ousted and a completely new committee of members took its place.  After a further 12 months, the members obtained a mortgage and bought the club from the syndicate and thus became a properly constituted private members’ club in 1971.
The Club became affiliated to the W.M. Club & Institute Union on 1st January 1976 and successfully paid off its mortgage in 1979.  To avoid confusion with other bodies having the words Winchester City  in their title, these  words were dropped from the Club’s title in 1989 and the new name Sportsman’s Club was officially registered.
The Club’s first Club Management Diploma was awarded to the then Secretary, Bob Cunningham in 1978, and having obtained 1st and 2nd prizes in the examination, he was persuaded to stand for the Branch Executive Committee of the C.I.U. and went on to become its first Finance Committee Chairman, a C.M.D. Tutor, Games Chairman, Vice-President and President and went on to serve 22 years.  After more than 30 year’s service as Club Secretary, Bob recently handed over the reins to the safe hands of the only other Club C.M.D., Martin Davidson, who had also passed the examination with honours in both sections.
For the last quarter of a century the club has constantly been represented on the Wessex Branch Executive, at one time having no less than three club members serving together.  At the present time the current Club President, Yorky Newcombe, is maintaining this tradition.  The Club enjoys a good reputation with other Branch clubs and its management and administrative approach is second to none.  The Club has also been a champion of equal rights for ladies and has been heard several times at the annual Blackpool conference expounding these beliefs.  From its inception, the Sportsman’s Club has recognised women as equals and has benefitted from their service as constant committee members.  Ladies were at last granted full rights in April 2007 and the club congratulates the C.I.U. for its persistence in finally achieving this aim.  In 2008 the club re-registered under the Industrial & Provident Societies’ Act and became Sportsman’s Club Limited.