Blaze at Full Monty club thought to be arson
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A fire at Sheffield's Shiregreen Working Men's Club, famous for appearing in the 1997 film The Full Monty, is believed to have been started deliberately. The blaze broke out on Sunday evening at a building that has stood derelict since the club closed in 2019, and which suffered a similarly deliberate fire last year, raising fresh concerns about the future of a site with strong local and cultural significance.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire broke out just before 16:45 BST, prompting a response of eight fire engines and a turntable ladder; no injuries were reported, and crews left just after midnight, planning to return later to check for hotspots. The club, where the film's iconic final scene was shot, was saved from demolition in 2020 after more than 1,000 people signed a petition. Ann Bentley, who led that campaign after working at the club for 15 years, said she was "absolutely devastated" by the latest fire.
- Fire at Sheffield's Full Monty club believed to be arson
- Building has been derelict since closing in 2019
- No injuries; eight fire engines tackled the blaze
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Fire crews were called to Shiregreen Working Men's Club in Sheffield on Sunday evening, in a blaze that investigators believe was started deliberately. The club shot to fame as the location used for the closing scene of the 1997 hit film The Full Monty, and it has stood empty since it shut its doors in 2019.
The building's future has been uncertain for years. It was threatened with demolition in 2020 before a local campaign, backed by more than 1,000 signatures and led by a former long-serving staff member, secured its survival, and it was also targeted by a suspected arson attack last year.
The site matters to the local area both as a piece of cinema history and as a community landmark, which is why repeated fires there have drawn concern about what will happen to it next.
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