Your choice of beer at Falmer

[Gwylan]

The answer is of course to sell a bit of everything. That was the answer from the start, in the middle and now at the end it's still the answer. Every pub in the country has discovered this fact, and it will be a fact at the supporters bar, because anything else would be retarded.

If only it were true that every pub in the country sold a bit of everything.

I don't know the exact stats but I believe that under 50 percent of the bars and pubs in the UK sell real ale. On the other hand, I've been to just two pubs that don't sell any lager (and I don't think either exists any more).

If the supporters' bar served some decent beer, it would indeed be wonderful - particularly if the landlord made good his threat to close down The Swan - but I'm not holding my breath for it.

 

[Notters]

I'm going to put my tuppence worth in. Yes I want a real ale or two, but this biggish bar in question must be open to the students on site, who have no such thing.

What do you mean? They sell great real ale on the Sussex campus.

Mackenzie, are you just trying to wind me up with the merrydown thing?

 

[Working class pride]

A supporters bar is a great idea. Thing is tho' it should cater for lots of taste's. If it turns into a bar full of real ale drinkers with beards then it will put people off. Especially teenagers who want some life and edge to going to a game. I like a proper real ale, and a Guiness but there is a time and a place. Sure sell Harveys or dark Star for local connections and get some local wine from as well but the bar needs screens for the football on sky, boxing and lager. I'd like a few lap dancers in one part of the bar .. maybe in the "Frank Worthington Suite" (i know it wont happen!)... and at the other end of the spectrum, another suite, maybe "Gully's Bar" having something for the families

 

[Beach Hut]

A supporters bar is a great idea. Thing is tho' it should cater for lots of taste's. If it turns into a bar full of real ale drinkers with beards then it will put people off. Especially teenagers who want some life and edge to going to a game. I like a proper real ale, and a Guiness but there is a time and a place. Sure sell Harveys or dark Star for local connections and get some local wine from as well but the bar needs screens for the football on sky, boxing and lager. I'd like a few lap dancers in one part of the bar .. maybe in the "Frank Worthington Suite" (i know it wont happen!)... and at the other end of the spectrum, another suite, maybe "Gully's Bar" having something for the families

Some sense there in catering for all needs and fans, hopefully the club will take heed.

 

[Working class pride]

I wondered as well if there would be a bookmakers behind the stands like they do at Hudderfield? .. would have thought TB would have that sorted out!!

 

[dougdeep]

I wondered as well if there would be a bookmakers behind the stands like they do at Hudderfield? .. would have thought TB would have that sorted out!!

Already planned. And the screens.

 

[Brovion]

A supporters bar like this one would be fantastic under the vacant East stand, I can almost picture it!

This has to happen.

Shearer's Bar is brilliant. It doesn't do real ale (or it hasn't the times I've been there) but it IS cheap and there are LOADS of staff, so even when it's busy you get served quickly. On a match day that to me is more important than what's served; I personally prefer real ale to draught lager but I'd rather pay £2 for a pint of 'something' served quickly than wait 45 minutes to pay £4 for a pint of decent beer.

 

[Bozza]

I like how this thread has reduced the respected minds of LB, attila and Bozza to binfesting at a level not seen since religion was banned from NSC.

I'm not sure why that's the case.

In most things we consume there is a product offering that is considered mainstream and is the volume seller to the masses - journalism, politics, TV, music and food all have examples of that. It's there in the 'comes in a pint glass' world too, where lager clearly occupies that role currently, whilst real ale is one of the niche product offerings, although clearly a sizable niche. I don't think Attila and LB need me to tell them that.

As for the point of this poll, I'm still none the wiser. Before TLO edited his last late night post (which I read before I went to bed) he said the club do need convincing that real ale should be at Falmer whilst Attila said they have already been convinced.

Like most, I would hope and expect as many tastes as possible would be catered for at Falmer and with a sizable (and particularly passionate) following, I'd include real ale in that too.

 

[Brighton M]

I'm going to put my tuppence worth in. Yes I want a real ale or two, but this biggish bar in question must be open to the students on site, who have no such thing.

The Brighton University Student Bar closed because not enough students used it.

can't see it would be viable to keep this one open on non matchdays taking that into account.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Shearer's Bar is brilliant. It doesn't do real ale (or it hasn't the times I've been there) but it IS cheap and there are LOADS of staff, so even when it's busy you get served quickly. On a match day that to me is more important than what's served; I personally prefer real ale to draught lager but I'd rather pay £2 for a pint of 'something' served quickly than wait 45 minutes to pay £4 for a pint of decent beer.

Can real ale be sold quickly though? Whenever I've seen real ale served the customer tends to hold it up the light a few times, let it stand for a while, hold it up again, sniff it and then ask the barman a few questions before finally agreeing to purchase the drink.

 

[aftershavedave]

I'm not sure why that's the case.

In most things we consume there is a product offering that is considered mainstream and is the volume seller to the masses - journalism, politics, TV, music and food all have examples of that. It's there in the 'comes in a pint glass' world too, where lager clearly occupies that role currently, whilst real ale is one of the niche product offerings, although clearly a sizable niche. I don't think Attila and LB need me to tell them that.

As for the point of this poll, I'm still none the wiser. Before TLO edited his last late night post (which I read before I went to bed) he said the club do need convincing that real ale should be at Falmer whilst Attila said they have already been convinced.

Like most, I would hope and expect as many tastes as possible would be catered for at Falmer and with a sizable (and particularly passionate) following, I'd include real ale in that too.

are you hinting at a campaign to have real ale while the club don't want it?

 

[Brovion]

Can real ale be sold quickly though? Whenever I've seen real ale served the customer tends to hold it up the light a few times, let it stand for a while, hold it up again, sniff it and then ask the barman a few questions before finally agreeing to purchase the drink.

That does happen sometimes admittedly, and I'm sure we'd both agree that there are some terrible beer snobs around who make yer average wine snob look like a meths-swigging tramp. But it can be dished up quickly when required; I'm off to the Bugle this evening and they serve a good pint of Sussex with no faffing about.

I think there would have to be a degree of compromise whereby the stricter ale drinkers accept that it IS a football match and not an evening in a quiet country pub, thus the product may not be 100% spot-on. As I said earlier personally I'm not fussed one way or another, I'm more from the 'Father Hackett' school of alcoholic consumption, but judging by the number of replies on this thread I'm in a minority!

 

[dougdeep]

The poll does show that there is a heavier use of ale here than is the norm though. Good taste I suppose.

 

[Mackenzie]

What do you mean? They sell great real ale on the Sussex campus.

Mackenzie, are you just trying to wind me up with the merrydown thing?

Archived Report - Merrydown cider factory Sussex 10/4/09 - UK Urban Exploration Forums

Oh no!

I've got a bottle of 1971 Merrydown Apple Wine in the cellar of my pub.....it'll probably be vinegar by now, but I'm keeping hold of it for prosperity.

 

[Gwylan]

Can real ale be sold quickly though? Whenever I've seen real ale served the customer tends to hold it up the light a few times, let it stand for a while, hold it up again, sniff it and then ask the barman a few questions before finally agreeing to purchase the drink.

I reckon real ale is quicker than gas-pumped lagers which always seem to take an age to get filled. I know that when I've introduced my German friends to hand-pulled beer they're amazed how quickly glasses get filled up.

There are some beer snobs of the sort that you describe but, fortunately, they're few and far between.

 

[Gully]

There are some beer snobs of the sort that you describe but, fortunately, they're few and far between.

...wait until the debate about which real ales the club should go for starts...I can see there being an anarchaic reaction if at least some of it doesn't come from a certain Lewes based brewery.

 

[R. Slicker]

I think the point is being missed here, Imo I think most people don't give a monkeys if real ale is served or not. Just object to anyone enjoying a different beer, being labelled 'piss drinkers' etc. By beer snobs who probably only drink it for effect anyway.

 

[R. Slicker]

The poll does show that there is a heavier use of ale here than is the norm though. Good taste I suppose.

Or a higher percentage of weird beards on here.

 

[dougdeep]

Or a higher percentage of weird beards on here.

Or both.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

As for the point of this poll, I'm still none the wiser. Before TLO edited his last late night post (which I read before I went to bed) he said the club do need convincing that real ale should be at Falmer whilst Attila said they have already been convinced.

As far as I'm aware, the Club is indeed convinced about there being a demand for real ale. I wouldn't be surprised to find out, though, that the promise that a choice of real ale will be available not only in the Supporters' Bar, but also in the concourse bars, is being questioned in some quarters. Possibly by potential suppliers - just a suspicion, although I have no evidence for that, incidentally.

The Club have asked for the poll. The result (so far) shows that real ale is the most popular option. Let's hope that this stiffens the backbones of those who have asked the question.