He outlined the venue’s bleak future in an email to members, asking them to endorse a move to shut the doors on the Beardy Street premises by late December.

“I urged our members to ‘use it or lose it’ with regard to club patronage, and there seems to be little improvement in that regard,” Mr Anderson said in his email.

“Most of our members, while passionate supporters of the club, have an average visiting frequency of monthly or less.”

The club has been run by volunteers and while Mr Anderson said the club had been making some money, they couldn’t see the situation improving.

Mr Anderson also pointed towards the University of New England’s trimester system and the habits of older patrons as contributing factors to the club’s imminent demise. 

While he admitted the lack of foot traffic was most probably seasonal he couldn’t see the club’s finances improving.

The board will put forward a motion at the December 12 annual meeting to close The Armidale Club for good.

But members will be able to vote against the proposal and if they do, a new president and board will have to be elected to run the club. 

In December 2012 the club auctioned off its premises for $400,000, leaving it debt free.

But in January this year the club’s financial problems worsened with the board considering voluntary administration.

Then club president Paul Malifert said while trading had been good, the sale had not wiped out all the club’s debts.