THEY'RE a hard-working bunch of honest tradies who don't like armed robbers knocking off their favourite club, especially when the getaway vehicle is an old mountain bike.

A group of about a dozen patrons took matters into their own hands and chased the man down the road, before making a citizen's arrest.

"There was a group of us planning a mate's wake," one patron said. "A mate of mine was standing at the bar shouting at me: 'Shane, Shane'."

The 20 or 30 patrons looked across the bar at the Budgewoi Soccer Club on the Central Coast to see a man in a US president's mask helping himself to the till.

Realising what was going on they began hurling glasses and Keno holders at the alleged offender - who had sneaked in behind the club bar through the kitchen shortly before 6pm on Monday.

The alleged robber ran back out the kitchen followed by a group from the bar.

Some chased on foot while others piled into the car of a 71-year-old man who was dropping off his wife at the front of the club.

"We said 'chase him' and the old bloke's just gone 'get in'," said Steve, who declined to give his surname.

The locals caught up to the man about 200m away and crash-tackled him. One of the men flagged down a passing NRMA truck and used some cable ties to "hog-tie" the man until police arrived.

Police arrested Aaron Stephen Pisani, 23, of Woongarrah, and charged him with two counts of robbery armed with an offensive weapon.

He appeared in Wyong Local Court, where he was refused bail. He will re-appear on February 1.

Originally published as Bike thief no match for these blokes