Rangers help British Legion club

Legion clubs have to diversify to survive. Legion Scotland take about 70 % of membership monies leaving the clubs to muddle through on the rest. My own club is doing OK but relies on funerals, christenings and parties to keep the wolf from the door. The other problem clubs have is lack of new younger members, because of legion clubs being seen to be an older man's domain. Associate membership is the only way to survive.

They have to change or they won't survive. I had a wee tour of the big room, the room upstairs and the front bar. It has to invite non members in. I would've used it as a local but as I couldn't get in for 4-5 pints so had to bus down to partick which is a shame as I'd have preferred them getting my coin.

There's meant to be some cracking nights in the main hall for entertainment that I hear of. I'll maybe jump down after my holiday to see if I can get registered, the Albion is a bit of a hike for me
 
I used to go in for a couple of pints years ago, it's only a 5 minute stagger for me, so I may go and have a chat, ex T A,
 
Legion clubs have to diversify to survive. Legion Scotland take about 70 % of membership monies leaving the clubs to muddle through on the rest. My own club is doing OK but relies on funerals, christenings and parties to keep the wolf from the door. The other problem clubs have is lack of new younger members, because of legion clubs being seen to be an older man's domain. Associate membership is the only way to survive.
They need to accept younger folk or they’re going to shut.
 
My Grandfather was a member for many years, having served in WW2, he was a regular, and by that mean as often as my Grandmother would allow.:D I will be happy to make a donation, hopefully to keep it open....and to pay them back for the gifts I got as a child at the Christmas parties they hosted.
 
Knightswood British Legion club is a lovely club and will shut unless they open it up.
They could have Associate members if they wanted, last year I was in from a funeral and i'm sure if you wanted to join you had to be in the armed forces or merchant navy which now a days is futile.
 
Knightswood British Legion club is a lovely club and will shut unless they open it up.
They could have Associate members if they wanted, last year I was in from a funeral and i'm sure if you wanted to join you had to be in the armed forces or merchant navy which now a days is futile.

To be honest unless these clubs start opening up and renting the halls out for functions and events and seeking multiple uses for them they are doomed. Times have changed and very few people now want to go out to a club of this type for a night.
 
Knightswood British Legion club is a lovely club and will shut unless they open it up.
They could have Associate members if they wanted, last year I was in from a funeral and i'm sure if you wanted to join you had to be in the armed forces or merchant navy which now a days is futile.
Our club only has about 170 full members and over 400 associate members. It's the only way clubs can survive.
 
This folks isn’t an RBL or Ex-Serviceman’s thing. Numbers of traditional clubs are dropping throughout the country. I’m at a large bowling club at Gorgie having a pint with my father in law before the Jambos game, they have dropped from 1800 to 500 members over the past 10years. We need to move with the times and open the doors to the youth, otherwise we’re staring at blocks of new builds talking of how good the old days were. Let’s get active and support your local clubs.
 
The memberships get renewed round about October and November and are about £40 but the main branch of the legion in Edinburgh they take a big chunk of the memberships renewals.
 
I agree, I’m non-religious but I feel there is no organisation that you can be apart of that has a Scottish/British background.

There are Bands, Somme Associations, Ulster Scots, and even the Apprentice Boys of Derry too. You don't need to be actively religious to support the culture. The Covenanter/Scottish Reformation, OO and Royal Black Preceptory are more for believers in terms of membership, but open in terms of support.
 
I remember coming home on leave, and trying to get into the RBL club in Castlemilk, some wee plookie faced kid on the door refused me entry, as I wasn't a member. Put me off joining, I wonder if they had become too exclusive over the years.
 
I remember coming home on leave, and trying to get into the RBL club in Castlemilk, some wee plookie faced kid on the door refused me entry, as I wasn't a member. Put me off joining, I wonder if they had become too exclusive over the years.

Suggest you write to the secretary requesting to join either as a full member or associate if they have that section, by the look of your "Sapper" your in the army or ex army that should get you membership
 
Suggest you write to the secretary requesting to join either as a full member or associate if they have that section, by the look of your "Sapper" your in the army or ex army that should get you membership
Thanks, that was a good many years ago, now a member of another club, that a lot of my brothers go too.
The club in Castlemilk, if I remember correctly didn't last long before it had to shut.
 
Hard to believe there is only one Legion in Glasgow, there are five in Angus alone and I know the Arbroath and Carnoustie ones certainly do reasonably well.
Not sure when you were last in at Arbroath mate as last time I was home took my old man down and there was only 3 of us in and he tells me its like that most of the time now...
Used to be busy years ago and used it a lot when I lived there but the people running it just now seem to have no interest in attracting people in.
 


THE last British Legion club in Glasgow is looking for football fans to help it in its fight to keep it open.

The branch in Knightswood has suffered from falling numbers and is facing rising costs to keep its club going.

It has been granted permission to hold a bucket collection outside Ibrox when Rangers play their home leg of their Europa League qualifying tie next week.
It hopes that fans will want to help out and donate cash to keep a long-standing ex-forces tradition alive in Glasgow.
The club is also looking at setting up a crowdfunding initiative on JustGiving to help raise cash.

Barclay McCran, Branch President, said they want to save the last Legion club in the city.
He said: “It is an appeal to save the club which is in danger of closing through a lack of income.
“We don’t want it to close. It is the only one left in Glasgow.”
He added: “I want to thank Rangers for allowing us to hold the collection.”

He said the club is a lifeline for many ex-servicemen and women and for many older people in the community.
Mr McCran would also like to see more people apply to join as members and see what facilities the club has.
The British Legion Club is open to anyone and anyone in the Glasgow area can join.

The Knightswood Royal British Legion club is in Cairntoul Drive, Knightswood, and is close to Garscadden Railway Station
The Knightswood branch has been open since 1944 and has had thousands of members over the years. But from a high of almost 2000, it is now down to around 230.
Changing patterns of social life and fewer ex-service personnel has led to a drop in membership.
There are 160 Branches of the Royal British Legion across Scotland and 60 associated clubs.
It was established in 1921 when charities formed to help soldiers from the First World War amalgamated.


The British Legion in Newton Mearns was a huge part of my late Grandpa's life until it closed.

He was a rear gunner in Lancaster Bombers during WW2.

I'll be putting the word around our supporters club's members to look out for the collectors tonight and give generously.

Good luck to all involved tonight.
 
They should go the Aussie route with their idea of Life Saving clubs and Surfers clubs. Invite everyone in and charge them a tenner a year,fill the place with fruit machines and tables for meals, snacks etc and a couple of bars.

We had a great time in the clubs down under.
 
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