Formed in 1860, it's probably the oldest working mens club in the world.
But Ridge Hill Lane WMC in Stalybridge is facing a fight for survival.
Changing social habits, the smoking ban and cheap supermarket booze have led to a dwindling and ageing membership.
In its heyday the main bar would be packed out on a Friday and Saturday night with 80 of so drinkers.
Now the club's total membership stands just above that, at about the 100 mark.
It's meant the near 160-year-old club is on its uppers.
But a remarkable bunch of volunteers are determined to keep it going.
The eight strong committee are all unpaid but give up their time - and in some cases not inconsiderable amounts of their own money - to keep the club afloat.
A plaque outside the club illustrates its place in the history of working class life in Stalybridge - and just why the committee feel it's worth such a commitment.
"The working men's club on Ridge Hill Lane was founded about 1860," it states.
"It is probably the oldest such institute in the country.
"Samuel Hill, the local poet and historian, went on to note that "The institution possesses a museum and a library and also has a microscope for the use of its members".
"This reflects the importance of a such institutes at a time when most people could not afford to go to school, but valued education highly."
Sean McNamara, 49, is a trustee of the club.
His parents were members before him and he's been coming to the club since he was young lad.
"It would devastate me if this place shut down," he said.
"I was brought up in here. My mum and dad used to come in and it was a thriving club then.
"It's a community place. We're all friends, we all grew up together here and this is somewhere we can all come and meet up.
"It's just a shame that the people have gone away, but we want to keep it going. It's a great place."
The current committee took over the running of the club in 2011.
But within weeks of them being at the helm they got a nasty shock - the club was more than £200,000 in debt.
Remarkably they've since managed to pay off more than three quarters of the money owed.
Determined to be open with members the debt sheet is displayed on the wall in the bar - and updated every month.
But despite such a prudent approach to management, without more punters through the door the club still faces an uncertain future.
General manager Paul Bishop grew up in the house next door to the club - his sister Carol, now 70, was born in what is now the club's games room.
He first started coming in 1975, within months he'd become the football team's secretary and he's been part of the furniture ever since.
He told the Manchester Evening News : "We are really struggling at the moment.
"With cheap beer from the supermarket and the smoking ban you just can't get people out of the house.
"Most of my adult life I have been coming to this club. It's an important part of my life.
"In its heyday it would be packed in here on a Friday and Saturday night.
"On a New Year's Eve they would be queuing up outside before the club opened.
"But then the smoking ban happened and it's never been the same since.
"We've all put our own money to keep the place going.
"We've done miraculously to keep it going so far, but we need more people coming in."
The club is home to darts teams, a pool team and Ridge Hill Celtic - the oldest Sunday league football team in the country.
Work is ongoing to refurbish the games room, while there's also plans to revamp the main bar.
Much of that work will be done by the members themselves.
And entertainments manager Gary Hughes, 55, believes it's that kind of commitment will help ensure the club's future.
He said: "I'm an electrical engineer, but I did all the upholstery for the chairs himself. A couple of other members did the decorating.
"That's why we think it will survive because people are putting so much into it.
"There's always been a bit of a stigma about working men's clubs that they're just for old blokes who wear flat caps, but we're trying to change that.
"I first started coming in here 25 years ago and it would be hammered in here on a Friday and Saturday night.
"Kids were allowed with their parents until 9.30pm and it was a great atmosphere.
"There used to be two or three big factories round here.
"When they were on a shift that finished at 10pm they used to phone their drinks order in to make sure they got it before last orders.
"It's a bloody shame, because this is a great club and we all doing all we can.
"We just want to get it on a stable footing so we can guarantee its future.
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"It's a part of Stalybridge's heritage, it's a part of people's upbringing.
"You can't look to the future, if you don't look after the past. We just want people to come and support us."
