Real ale buffs award venue top Camra title

An historic sports and social club in Halesowen threatened with closure has been voted best in the region by real ale buffs.

The Somers Sports and Social Club has been crowned West Midlands Regional Club of the Year 2008 by The Stourbridge & Halesowen Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

Members were today toasting success after being presented with the award. It has already won the accolade six times as well as clinching National Club of the Year on three occasions. But the venue is facing a court battle to retain its premises at The Grange after trustees of the property applied for a repossession order. Camra branch press officer Simon Hanson said: “The Somers has an outstanding record of Camra awards but it could soon face closure.

“Members at Somers Sports and Social Club believe the club is doomed if landlords are successful in gaining a possession order for their grade II listed home, The Grange.

“The club, which has around 2,000 members, has been based at the 250-year-old building since the 1950s but fear the 10-acre site could be sold for housing if the order is granted.” Professor Carl Chinn is backing a campaign to save the club saying its closure would mean the loss of an important part of the Black Country’s social history.

The leading historian today said it would be “a terrible shame” if the club, dedicated to workers in the community more than 50 years ago, was forced to shut.

At a brief hearing at Stourbridge County Court on September 12 trustees of the Walter Somers Employees Fund were granted 28 days to amend the basis of the repossession claim. Directors of the sports club will also have 21 days to respond before a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court, Chancery Division in about seven weeks time.

The group has been allowed to use the 250-year-old building for free since the 1950s when the site became a club for employees who worked at the Walter Somers factory. But two years ago the property’s trustees imposed rent and maintenance fees for the first time.

Since then the club has been struggling to meet their demands.

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