About the Club

The Armchair Club was founded in 1982 when a group of six local businessmen got together to help raise and distribute financial support to the benefit of local sports people. The original six were Barry Gibson (b.1939 – d 2017), John Slater (b 1947 – d 2021), John Sankey, Roger Copestake (b.1947 – d 2015), Stewart Rickersey and Maurice Brackenbury (b.1940 – d.2013). Today there are 12 members and we share equally in the responsibility and the satisfaction of continuing in our aim to promote sporting activity in and around the Mansfield area.

In 1982 the need for easily accessible and sensibly controlled financial support for our local sportsmen and women was identified. Now over 40 years on, that need still exists.

Each individual member has become involved through their own personal desire to contribute to the local community; to see sport grow and flourish in our own back yard; to encourage and enable people of all ages and ability to participate and to enjoy life through sport.

The Armchair Club has no Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer and has no formal structure; all of us just do whatever is necessary. We meet most months to organise our events and consider requests for support from local individuals and organisations. We work hard at supporting those who help themselves, usually with a bias towards young people who are making their way in an increasingly competitive sporting world.