And the former Carlsberg marketing man is among the countless nostalgia buffs lamenting its demise, with Currie’s memories stacked with stories of sharing a pint or nine with big names from the sporting world and beyond – from George Best to Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.

Currie remembers that night in 1978 when members of Peru’s Cristal Palace football team played in Hong Kong. The squad featured several players who were part of the Peru team beaten 6-0 by Argentina in the World Cup, including “El Loco” goalkeeper Ramon Quiroga.

Hosts Argentina needed to win by four goals to prevent Brazil from reaching the final in what seemed an impossible task. But the hosts dominated their opponents, winning 6-0 before going on to beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the final.

There were murmurs that Peru rolled over for Argentina but the Dickens Bar in Hong Kong provided the backdrop for the moment everything was cleared up.

“I dared ask the Argentina-born keeper about the 6-0 loss to Argentina which dumped Brazil out of the World Cup that year on goal difference,” said Currie.

“Many queried the result. To me, a couple of the goals looked dodgy, but he said firmly in broken English, ‘we try hard’, so I dropped the subject.

“Certainly some great old stars have graced the Dickens Bar and gave the place great character and atmosphere, something you cannot buy in a bar.

“Most cities around the world have bars synonymous with sport and unlikely as the name suggests, the Dickens Bar in the Excelsior Hotel became that,” Currie said.

Footballers, rugby players, hockey stars, the Matchroom snooker players that included Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White have enjoyed a tipple at the Dickens – all entertained by resident musician Ben Balboa.

It was also the scene where Currie sort of convinced former Liverpool star Graeme Souness that his future lay in a place other than Hong Kong.

“Most of the sporting greats I entertained were predominately footballers, although a few well known jockeys used to frequent when they rode into town,” he said.

“I recall sitting one on one with a young Graeme Souness, who was around 19 or 20 years of age and just played a game in Hong Kong with Middlesbrough.

“As we sipped our beer, he said ‘I like it here, perhaps get me fixed up’. I told him he would be going on to bigger things back in UK and he certainly achieved that. I think it was just a youthful thought at the time on his part.

“One of my best nights was with the legendary John Charles, arguably one of the best of Britain’s footballing exports, from a star in Swansea to a hero in Turin with Juventus, who could play centre half or centre forward and become a Serie A top goalscorer and a legend in his time.

“Peter McParland, who coached the Hong Kong team for a year in 1980, would often phone me and ask a sporting question, and before I could answer he would suggest to meet me in the Dickens Bar.

“Johan Neeskens was another to grace the Dickens Bar after we drew 3-3 when I was with Seiko against the New York Cosmos and I have to confide, ended up sleeping on my couch as I stayed around the corner in Paterson Street in those days.

“George Best, Bobby Moore and numerous others graced the bar, but my most embarrassing moment [was with] Billy Connolly.

“Talking with the Big Yin I asked him if he knew my big brother, Dick Currie. Connolly said, ‘The Scrap Merchant’, I said no he was a boxer as I choked on my reply.

“However, when all is said and done, the Dickens Bar came into all its glory during the Sevens weekend and the bar will be sorely missed by many people during that weekend. Its walls housed many stories and Dickens may have wrote Bleak House, but it was anything but.”