Cricket And Football Club Bars – Always A Good Idea

With England about to start a tour of Pakistan then it seems like the perfect excuse to blog about a cricket club bar…

And while we’re at it, with Southgate’s boys in the last 16 of the World Cup against Senegal, let’s chuck a couple of football club bars in there for good measure.

It’s been that long since I’ve blogged that I think England have won the T20 World Cup, lost possibly the most pointless one day series ever in Australia and England’s football team have managed to score nine goals.

Birmingham City are unbeaten since November 12 (work it out!) and likely to remain unbeaten until December 10 so it’s heady days at present.

However, way back in August when punters were allowed to drink at sporting events I ventured to 775 – Spondon Cricket Club DE21 7AR to watch Beermat junior play a spot of red ball on a Sunday afternoon.

East Coast IPA (Greene King) was the drink of choice and two pitches mean plenty of viewing options and a proper clubhouse bar is what sunny Sunday afternoons in England are made for.

Rich, a fellow cricket dad, was on the Madri and the conversation was flowing sitting on pop up chairs watching a clatter of wickets and a paucity of runs…

A few days later, I finally succumbed to a drink inside the Promised Land of St. Andrew’s. 

776 – Birmingham City FC/The Wiseman Suite B9 4RL to be precise, which is situated in the old main stand and has a nice drop of Deuchars (Caledonian) in a bottle that always goes down well.

The bar soon filled up and there was plenty of proper ‘pub bantz’ as the locals witnessed what we though we would be a rare win over Huddersfield 2-1.

Wind forward to October and both junior Beermats joined me and a couple of pals (one who was kindly driving) at the Don Amott Arena otherwise known as 777 – Mickleover FC DE3 9FB.

Not only did we witness a home win against Rushden but also the added bonus of an onsite beer festival!!!

I missed this initially and had a pint of East Coast IPA (Greene King) in a very pukka Mickelover FC pint cup,

but then saw the marquee and made a beeline for the IPA (Shipstone’s).

I’ve got to say I’m warming to non-league football as – in a nutshell – the kids can run around wherever they want and the bar is always open! 

Oh yes, the football is also decent and not a lot of diving either, so I can see why Duncan treks all over the world watching games in far flung exotic destinations, such as Mickelover.

So, the LifeAfterFootball juggernaut is cranking back into action, albeit slowly, with the Christmas holidays looming there are plenty of boozers to tick and beers to drink…