I think that this is a bit unfair, Brian.
No problem with The Singers' Club, Vyc. Don't tell me, tell Jim. He is the one who wants to exclude anything that is not folk from Folk Clubs. No I am not Bryan. Oh yes you are Jim. The "what is says on the tin line" is yours not mine. You then go on to say -
The club scene has become a venue for any type of song, without borders, and folk song has been the main victim
So what are the borders? As Dave the Gnome says "Who decides?". Once you have crossed the border out of the true definition of folk, it becomes entirely subjective. If Freeborn Man, why not I Hate Mondays or The Birdy Song for that matter. Barbara Allen was probably written for the stage in the 17C and can't have become a folk song until 1830 because the term hadn't been invented.
If you advertise yourself as a folk club, you commit yourself to providing something that loosely conforms to that description
"loosely conforms"
"loosely"?
Whaat?!
Yes Jim, you have used that anecdote about one incident involving one club around 25 years ago before. I wasn't involved in our club but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have got that response from us. What about you Vic?