Beer at the Lane.

[Rodders]

Just seen that Spurs’ new ground has its own microbrewery. When will the Club pull its fingers out and get one set up at BDTBL so us fans gagging for a half time refreshment can enjoy a decent pint rather than the swill that is currently served up?

 

[norfolkblade]

Just seen that Spurs’ new ground has its own microbrewery. When will the Club pull its fingers out and get one set up at BDTBL so us fans gagging for a half time refreshment can enjoy a decent pint rather than the swill that is currently served up?

For how long it takes to get one they may as well brew one while you wait!

 

[Billyblade]

I don't care how good the beer is, there is no way I am
a) gonna plough through that queue
b) miss any of the game, trying to get one

Now, if they had an order and pay app and waitress service......

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Just seen that Spurs’ new ground has its own microbrewery. When will the Club pull its fingers out and get one set up at BDTBL so us fans gagging for a half time refreshment can enjoy a decent pint rather than the swill that is currently served up?

If you can't go 90 minutes without a beer, I would suggest it isn't the quality of the beer being served that is the problem

Seriously though, I don't understand why people need to have a beer, or anything, at half time. It's less than two hours in total. They don't even break half way through in the cinema anymore.

 

[SteveBlade]

Why anyone would queue for fifteen minutes to buy shit beer in a plastic cup is beyond me.

 

[PokerBlade]

You can have the finest beer on the planet and it doesn't matter if they can't bloody pour it.

When I went to the Brook fight I had to tell them to tilt the glass as they poured it. I never go for a drink at half-time because the queues are so ridiculous and I'm not so thirsty at 3.45 on a Saturday I'm willing to miss the game I've already paid for.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Just seen that Spurs’ new ground has its own microbrewery. When will the Club pull its fingers out and get one set up at BDTBL so us fans gagging for a half time refreshment can enjoy a decent pint rather than the swill that is currently served up?

Are you one of those that ‘need’ a beer at half time?

Suppose you always turn up at 5 past 3 Cos you need that last pint as well!

 

[Billyblade]

I have a bit of a problem with alcohol, I really do. I find it very moreish. I find it difficult to have just the "one pint" and usually end up having a session.

I like to drink before the match, I like to drink after. I have literally no problem in avoiding drinking between kick-off time and full time.

For me to consider drinking in the ground it would have to be
a) A very special beer
b) Not at a stupid price
c) Served quickly and efficiently with minimal queuing
d) Possible to consume it in my seat

As a) to d) are never going to happen, I'll stay dry thanks

 

[Tezza1889]

If you can't go 90 minutes without a beer, I would suggest it isn't the quality of the beer being served that is the problem

Seriously though, I don't understand why people need to have a beer, or anything, at half time. It's less than two hours in total. They don't even break half way through in the cinema anymore.

Penistone Paramount do, and you can pre order it like at the theatre and it’s waiting for you at intermission, it’s all that got me through wreck it Ralph etc when the kid was growing up..

 

[wizadry]

I don’t know why anyone would queue for a pint of piss at half time.........I have two.

 

[Tezza1889]

Went to England v Italy the other year and I was filming the machine in the carlsberg stall at the fanzone, it’s a machine that fills 12 pints from bottom to top using a mechanism where the plastic cup holder rises and falls slowly as the beer fills the plastic glasses, all 12 pints poured in seconds.... so it’s just a case of picking one up off the bar and moving left to pay..

Arsenal fans behind asked us what we were filming for Haven’t you seen them before, laughing, we of course said no... and sheepishly stopped filming..

Let’s not debate about the trash lager, let’s look how far we’re behind..

These machines would clear the stupid queues in minutes, add to that a sign saying the price with please use correct change if possible..

Even if you’re one who doesn’t start jonesing for a pint at half time, it might mean you’re not getting up as much letting the ones who did back to their seats after the game has restarted...

 

[PokerBlade]

Thing is, some real ale lovers aside, nobody's looking for that much. It'd be nice if I could have a quality IPA on tap and some good food, but I'd happily settle for a moderately priced lager and something edible.

It's the 12.15 kick-offs where I might have been running around trying to get what I need to do done in the morning, got to the ground at what should be my lunchtime, and preferred to go hungry and thirsty rather than suffer what's on offer in the ground both in quality and service.

Same for some of the evening games where I get back from work and need to leave for the ground almost straight away. Even the burger vans outside the ground are way better than what's inside the South Stand, and they aren't exactly aiming for a fine dining experience.

 

[guancheblade]

waitress service......

This isn't going to age well

 

[Davalon]

I may stand corrected on this but is it still Compass or someone who pay United a flat fee to operate, and then retain the profit?

I guess as the queues are always long and the prices ridiculous for the shit served, then they don't give a shit.

Went to the Arena recently. They were selling Carlsberg for £5.50 a pint LOL. Tasteless 3.7% lager out of a plastic cup for £5.50. You know you're going to pay over the odds at venues like that but that's the worst I've seen up North.

 

[The Crab]

I may stand corrected on this but is it still Compass or someone who pay United a flat fee to operate, and then retain the profit?

I guess as the queues are always long and the prices ridiculous for the shit served, then they don't give a shit.

Went to the Arena recently. They were selling Carlsberg for £5.50 a pint LOL. Tasteless 3.7% lager out of a plastic cup for £5.50. You know you're going to pay over the odds at venues like that but that's the worst I've seen up North.

This is what happens when you outsource, get companies involved who are all about the bottom line and get away with the bare minimum. I think Arena prices have gone up too this year. IIRC a slice of pizza has gone up from £5.50 to £7.00

 

[PokerBlade]

I may stand corrected on this but is it still Compass or someone who pay United a flat fee to operate, and then retain the profit?

I guess as the queues are always long and the prices ridiculous for the shit served, then they don't give a shit.

Went to the Arena recently. They were selling Carlsberg for £5.50 a pint LOL. Tasteless 3.7% lager out of a plastic cup for £5.50. You know you're going to pay over the odds at venues like that but that's the worst I've seen up North.

Every now and then the club responds to someone's inquiries by saying they have a catering contract with an outside company that will be reviewed when it nears its end, and then they take a new contract with the same or similar company.

It's captive audiences. It's not like I'm going to shop around and go and watch one of the other local clubs instead. And in spite of how crappy things are, the catering company is still generating more custom than they can really handle, so where's the pressure on them to do anything better?

Same for going somewhere like the Arena. Whatever you're watching probably doesn't do enough shows to give you a whole lot of choice over where you go. You're going to want a drink, and most people are going to suck it up and pay whatever for it.

Like I said above, it was the Brook fight that wound me up. Crap service, no decent food to speak of, and I was there from the first fight to the last. Chose to go without over what was on offer, and it was an event where I'd gone expecting to happily spend a fair bit of cash on refreshments.

 

[ElephantBlade]

If you can't go 90 minutes without a beer, I would suggest it isn't the quality of the beer being served that is the problem

Seriously though, I don't understand why people need to have a beer, or anything, at half time. It's less than two hours in total. They don't even break half way through in the cinema anymore.

I don't need to have a beer at half time, I certainly do like to have one though and whilst it's certainly not the end of world if I don't have one, it is annoying that you can't get one without missing part of the game. I'm not prepared to do that (I was a lot more lenient with this Pre-Wilder lol)

 

[Foxy]

Been talked about and requested, with those that could make the difference. Comes down to pouring rights and contractual obligations.

There was a concession towards the idea with the 'craft bar' on John Street.

 

[Topplayersleave]

We could lift a bit of tarpaulin up from the back of the kop and set a small microbrewery up underneath it.
We'd get a good 3 pints per hour out of it.

We can't manage many more than that as it is, imagine what it'd be like with Ernest & George popping in with their dogs, testing everything available with a thimble full, discussing various hops and ABV levels, fermentation processes, the beer being flat as a witches tits and the smell of, dope, piss and cabbage

 

[raul]

Just seen that Spurs’ new ground has its own microbrewery. When will the Club pull its fingers out and get one set up at BDTBL so us fans gagging for a half time refreshment can enjoy a decent pint rather than the swill that is currently served up?

Anything you can help with The Crab

 

[nicksufc]

Every now and then the club responds to someone's inquiries by saying they have a catering contract with an outside company that will be reviewed when it nears its end, and then they take a new contract with the same or similar company.

It's captive audiences. It's not like I'm going to shop around and go and watch one of the other local clubs instead. And in spite of how crappy things are, the catering company is still generating more custom than they can really handle, so where's the pressure on them to do anything better?

Same for going somewhere like the Arena. Whatever you're watching probably doesn't do enough shows to give you a whole lot of choice over where you go. You're going to want a drink, and most people are going to suck it up and pay whatever for it.

Like I said above, it was the Brook fight that wound me up. Crap service, no decent food to speak of, and I was there from the first fight to the last. Chose to go without over what was on offer, and it was an event where I'd gone expecting to happily spend a fair bit of cash on refreshments.

You're not wrong, but it's such blinkered thinking from the club's perspective.

Surely investment in the quality of the food & drink as well as the service would mean people spend more at the ground? Imagine if they could tripe the pouring speed and had a range of good beers on tap; they would rake in plenty more money than they do now.

 

[metalblade]

From my seat bang in the centre of the kop I just have time to go for a piss and get back to my seat before the 2nd half kicks off usually, last Saturday the 2nd half had kicked of before I got back to my seat not a chance of me getting a drink or something to eat without missing some of the game.

 

[The Crab]

Anything you can help with The Crab

Always willing to accommodate my fellow blades but I'm hopeful it will.be more successful than my last similar venture. Can't say too much but of course the lager tasted like piss. This had almost nothing to do with the toilet drainage system supplied by crab plumbing.....

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Chesterfield have got it right imo. They have a bloke with a little bar trolley, in the refreshments area. It has a cask of local real ale and a hand pump, and he dispenses a pint of good beer, just like you’d get in a pub, to those who just want a decent pint of beer. It means you don’t have to queue behind dozens of folks who want pies and Bovril and can’t decide whether to have a Twix or a Mars bar, and a packet of crisps.

We could have a few of those dotted around the place, offering local beer on hand pump, and it would cut down the queues for everyone whilst increasing the variety of drinks on offer. There’s little or no wastage either as a cask would easily get used up.

Some years ago they used to have kids with an insulated box selling hot pies on the concourse. I thought that was also a good idea as it meant you didn’t have to queue if a pie was all you were after.

 

[TJB.]

I like a drink at half time, but it's not essential. Probably 50/50 as to whether I bother or not. I grab a voucher before the game starts and take that down just as added time kicks in.

The fickle nature of many football fans is that if they can't have a piss, a pie and a pint in fifteen minutes flat, they get a bit narky. I kinda like that. It's hilarious.

 

[metalblade]

On the kop at least it just shows the refreshment facilities are inadequate for the number of fans add another 3000 seats and they would be woeful. In 2019 we should expect better even if it is the cheapest seats in the ground.

 

[alcoblade]

If you can't go 90 minutes without a beer, I would suggest it isn't the quality of the beer being served that is the problem

Seriously though, I don't understand why people need to have a beer, or anything, at half time. It's less than two hours in total. They don't even break half way through in the cinema anymore.

I’m quite happy to go without at half time. But that said, if you’re on an all dayer it can actually be nearer 3 1/2 hours from pint to pint, with the match on between.

Given the volume I sup on an all dayer, my Liver’s happy enough with the break.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Just to add a different angle to this, people are expecting an awful lot from the catering. You have to bear in mind the customer demand occurs mostly over just 15 minutes every two weeks. What other business has this very, very short and very intense period to make its money?
Personally I think the club are missing a trick and should do it itself and much better, but let's not forget the obstacles in making this work.

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

I’ve been to matches in Nuremberg and Munich. You can have a drink whilst watching the match, no hint of trouble, all very relaxed. Why is this so different in England? For fucks sake, have you ever tried throwing a plastic glass more than a foot? You’d have more chance of picking up two pence pieces whilst wearing Mike Tyson’s boxing gloves. By the way, been to baseball games in New York and Chicago, they actually serve you beer, hot dogs and fries whilst you sit in your chair watching the game. It only needed Jennifer Lawrence giving me a nosh to round off a perfect sporting experience.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

I’ve been to matches in Nuremberg and Munich. You can have a drink whilst watching the match, no hint of trouble, all very relaxed. Why is this so different in England? For fucks sake, have you ever tried throwing a plastic glass more than a foot? You’d have more chance of picking up two pence pieces whilst wearing Mike Tyson’s boxing gloves. By the way, been to baseball games in New York and Chicago, they actually serve you beer, hot dogs and fries whilst you sit in your chair watching the game. It only needed Jennifer Lawrence giving me a nosh to round off a perfect sporting experience.

Yes I have always wondered why beer in the stands is banned. It strikes me as something done for show more than achieving anything. The one downside, as I've experienced here, is a goal is usually accompanied by a beer shower.