WEDNESDAY ON A TUESDAY

March 2024. Hillsborough.

Americans may not be aware that there are two (2) sorts of football (“soccer” if you must).

There’s the game played by Manchester City, Luton Town, and whoever else is in the Premier League these days, and another version known as “grassroots football” played by everyone else without access to the miracle of VAR.

Last Tuesday I thought I’d better go and watch some “grassroots football” at my nearest League club.

Ironic really, as the ball rarely sees the grass in grass roots football, but it’s tradition innit, like old pubs and breweries that are sometimes rubbish but we want to protect at all costs while simultaneously clambering for new, new, new.

Sheffield Wednesday, whose name recalls the time football was played on Wednesday afternoons because that’s when micropubs were closed, are one of the “sleeping giants” of English football. Sleeping giant status is A BAD THING as fans hark back to 1966 and all that,

and expect success to be just round the corner, but be lumbered by expensive crumbling grounds and player contracts and foreign owners who “don’t get the club”.

But Wednesday still average 25,000 crowds near the foot of the second division, and with them entertaining Plymouth and hardy band of visiting fans,

enjoying a pleasant 10 hour return trip on a Tuesday night.

And Argyle fans will get the dubious joys of the catering behind the goal; at least I got entry to the Wednesday Tap under the Grandstand (£31).

Wait…what’s this ?

Is that a handpump ?

Yes, a Thornbridge house beer, and another weird one, plus Jaipur etc. on keg. All for a fiver. Believe me, that’s not bad for football. Oddly, you can go in the Tap without a ticket, so goodness know why it’s escaped the attention of What Pub.

Not a bad pint, either (NBSS 3), helped by a sparkling clean glass.

I’m impressed, and almost as surprised to see an Asian fast food outlet once in the ground selling Chinese chicken curry and chips, also for a fiver.

A tenner for a craft pint, curry and chips. OK, the curry is very basic, almost as agricultural as Wednesday’s tense 1-0 win, but scrap the football and that’s a decent night out.

It was all looking good for the Owls, and then they go and blow it against Leeds. Typical.

NB Why do they come onto the pitch to this;

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

18 thoughts on “WEDNESDAY ON A TUESDAY”

  2. That football game must be getting popular nowadays.
    Only four days ago Will limited the Derby pubs he got round so as to watch a football match in Matlock.

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      1. He certainly does, and the best way from the Alexandra to the Bass in the Smithfield and then on to the Bass in the Old Bell, but a football match meant that he missed out on the Bass in the Olde Dolphin.

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  3. “Oddly, you can go in the Tap without a ticket, so goodness know why it’s escaped the attention of What Pub.”

    The Ardwick, the Holt’s pub in a corner of the stands at the City of Manchester Stadium, is on WhatPub, despite it being one of the (relatively cheap) hospitality packages there, thanks to the guy who maintains entries for our branch, Stockport and South Manchester (east Manchester doesn’t exist on the CAMRA map, the northern boundary of south Manchester being set, somewhat bizarrely, along the River Medlock).

    Still don’t know why Sheffield Wednesday fans sing Hi Ho Silver Lining.

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    1. The chorus has the same number of syllables as in the team’s name: “Silver Lining”= Sheffield Wensday. Oh.

      Try again. Wolverhampton Wanderers use the same song for the same reason. Four syllables in “Silver Lining”, seven in the name of the club. So 4=7, innit.

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      1. It was when Brian Talbot was manager, sounds like the right kinda date. Can’t remember the burgers, or much about it really. Think I was traumatised by the football.

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