In the days before the Americans started complaining that this posts weren’t long enough, I could get away with 200 word commentary pieces, like this one on beer at the Etihad.
65 views over nearly six years, that’s a Chris Tavare of a post, that is.
Nothing has changed since then; it’s still Amstel (in a paper cup !) or Dark Fruits, which isn’t enough to get me to a European night early.
Matthew came with me (a 3rd time in a row) for the Red Bull Leipzig game. £25 to see the Champions of England and marvel at the determination of 60-odd Leipzig fans to deal with Covid bureacracy.
“They’ve got Seven Bro7thers craft cans in the fridge” said Matt*. I didn’t believe him, and they certainly weren’t listed, but here it is, straight outta Salford.
It was pretty good, even out of cardboard, and I guess since craft lasts forever it’s a better bet than a barrel of Blackjack. But yesterday I visited the Chesterfield ground, which has a hand pump set up to dispense Brampton beer before the men’s games, so don’t tell me cask is impossible.
Anyway, it was a gorgeous night.
Shame I had to leave on 75 minutes to get back to Sheffield before 1.43am and missed the 9th goal of the night.
*Obviously he didn’t literally say “Bro7thers” with a 7, that would be weird.
retiredmartin 
Not the proper Chesterfield ground though, is it?
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Sadly not. Saltergate was brilliant.
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What’s a can of that beer cost in the stadium? One quality pic = 100 words.
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Thought I’d said, but I hadn’t, sloppy. Five pounds, so $7 bucks. You might pay that in Manchester’s craftier bars, I guess.
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Actually might be on the lower end of stadium pricing. I see some up to ten dollars.
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I dont know how successful it is, though I assume it must work else they wouldnt do it, but they serve beer straight from the cask at two of the bars at Portman Rd, its only Greene King,but its not stuck as just IPA or Old Speckled Hen, you often get London Glory for some reason and some of the Belhaven beers, and even though they rebadge beers for their pubs, theyve never done an Ipswich Town cask beer, they have an ’81 Pilsner which isnt that great to be fair.
but it was Brightons setup that always impressed me though back when were both in the Championship, theyd have a local to the away team cask beer, in the away fans section, and at some of the bars for the home fans to try. Of course as a beer ticker you might be a touch disappointed to travel to Brighton and end up drinking your own local beers but it showed it was definitely doable to have cask at a football ground, it just needs the clubs hospitality manager to have the motivation to want to do it.
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Yes, Brighton definitely the exemplar. Helps if you build more space into the concourse I guess; I’ve had beer from the barrel at Colchester and Milton Keynes, both local breweries too. Helps I was with a Carlisle fan and I guess the concourse doesn’t get as packed as at the Etihad.
It’s now nearly 30 years since I last went to Portman Road; must remedy that but there’s rarely new entries around Ipswich (or anywhere in Suffolk) these days, not that consistency is a bad thing.
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Orient one of the best, though it’s not on the concourses. Their supporters’ club house often makes it into the GBG (helped by fact that Leyton hasn’t been much of a Real Ale destination over the years). Definitely more a Non-League thing. Trying to think of other Premier/EFL clubs where had cask over the years*.
B&HA – did have something from Yeovil Ales on the night they sent us down from the Championship…er, thanks so much.
West Ham – looking back at photo snapped was Deuchars, Caledonian House Ale (badged as Iron Ale) and another barrel can’t identify that night, all on gravity.
Accrington Stanley – several options. Bowland definitely, cuz that’s what had.
Morecambe. Had cask on when visited, both at Christie Park and Globe Arena.
Oxford United (though not in away areas times was there but hear this may have changed).
Shrewsbury. Don’t recall any at Gay Meadow; but had when knocked us out of the glamorous EFL Trophy at semi-final stage 1-0 at New Meadow. Hurrah!
Exeter City – in the social club pre-match (away fans still get a lovely open terrace which serves nothing much of anything).
Harrogate, a real ale badged Harrogate Town AFC, by Rooster’s I think. (There shortly before lockdown when both NLP. Assume they still serving it now promoted to EFL.)
Newport County – away Bisley Stand has a good bar with viewing windows where one could sit glugging one’s real ale watching the game… if attending the egg-chasing. Obviously not if a grubby football fan, when get booted out ten minutes before kick-off.
Northampton Town. Just the once, our visit coincided with a mini-beer-festival in a marque… presumably so they could celebrate relegating us out of the EFL that afternoon, which they duly did, 3-2 with a winner in the last few minutes. The barstewards.
Sutton United (did when Non-League, assuming still do).
Swindon Town do Arkell’s.
Walsall. Saddler’s Clubhouse one of best venues on the lower-League circuit. Mostly Banks’s seem to recall. Away fans welcomed when we were going there, but apparently no longer allowed in.
Chesterfield (from Brampton Brewery) both when EFL and now as NLP.
Kidderminster Harriers. We only overlapped one season in the EFL, but given they have a pub, the Harriers Arms, on site there were plenty of real ale options then.
(* Given mostly attend in away sections, where clubs frequently treat visiting fans as undesirable vermin only worthy of plastic bottles of lager – or sometimes no alcohol at all – the cask picture may be a bit better than painted here. And have three of the current 92 to do… Wimbledon’s return to Plough Lane this coming Saturday as the Mighty Glovers have a free weekend.)
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You’ve seen more cask than I have over the years ! Kiddie treated away fans well, access to all of their legendary catering option !
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