One afternoon in May 1979 the club was raided by police and the club lost it licence for 
serving drinks to non-members.
The decision was taken to close the club.
However, the club reopened again a year later but debts soon started to mount.
Substantial funds which the club had built up over many decades were now all gone and in May 1982 a General Meeting of members voted to sell the building.
Furniture and fittings were taken out and put into store and an estate agent's 'For Sale' sign went up outside the building.