Whether you’re looking for some great English food, a satisfying drink, a place to watch football games or a few friendly faces to have a casual conversation with, English pubs are the place to go. Over the course of the past two months I’ve visited countless pubs in England and have enjoyed every one of my experiences. The people are always friendly and despite my friends and I being foreigners, we are always made to feel welcome – even the ones who know next to nothing about football. Pubs are a place people come to simply enjoy a drink and socialize with other locals or strangers from other places, like myself.
For a guy like me, there isn’t much better than watching football at the pubs in England. And for a guy like me, I was able to realize that during the first day I arrived in this country. In the United States, I had to wake up as early as 6:00 a.m., even 4:00 a.m. on one occasion, to watch my favorite football team play. Restaurants and bars are certainly not open at this time, although even if they were it wouldn’t make much of a difference for me. Most of the time I was forced to watch matches on the internet through live streaming as the English Premier League is rarely televised in North America. In other words, I was alone in my room celebrating whenever my team scored a goal. Apologies once again to all my past roommates!
Thankfully in Kenya the time difference ensured I only stayed up as late as 1:00 a.m. to watch a football match. And thankfully, more often than not I was able to watch most of the matches at a crowded restaurant or bar surrounded by other avid football fans. It was always a weekend tradition for my family. Whenever Saturday or Sunday afternoon arrived, my Dad and I would drive to a restaurant thirty minutes before kick-off in order to get a seat for the match. Occasionally we even managed to convince my Mom to come along. Regardless of who was playing, it was always destined to be an enjoyable time and capable of being the highlight of any weekend.
Several hours after arriving in Cambridge back in August I strolled down to a pub called Sir Isaac Newton’s which was located just two blocks away from my house. It was there that I watched my first football match in England and it was there that I received my first taste of English culture. The match on TV wasn’t even one I really cared too much about and more than anything it was just a chance to experience the pub life in England. I was not to be let down. Everyone in the pub had nothing but football coming from their lips and it was a warm welcoming to a brand new country to be able to talk to complete strangers about everything and anything pertaining to football. It was an easy common ground and it provided a platform to meet new people and served as an early indication of how friendly people in England are.
On some occasions and depending on the importance of the match, the pub can be filled with all types of people. Young, old, men, women, even children. A few nights ago I watched a Carling Cup match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton and sat next beside a table where an elderly couple who appeared to be in their 70’s was sitting. When it comes to people’s passion for football in this country, age really is just a number!
A few weeks ago I watc
hed an England National team match at Sir Isaac Newton’s where the entire pub was packed from wall to wall. My odds of finding a seat that night were as good as my chances of winning the National Lottery. The atmosphere inside the place was incredible, however. Dozens of fans crowded around the TV’s in each corner of the room while people at the bar stood conversing and offering their two cents’ worth on the big match. And after England ended the match victorious, instead of filtering out of the pub and heading in separate directions, the majority of the people stayed to socialize and alternate buying rounds of drinks for each other.
Even if you’re not into football, pubs in England offer provide something for everybody. In fact, there are numerous pubs in the country that don’t televise football. In fact, many don’t even have TV’s. You can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a tasty plate of food that will fill your stomach. Fish n’ Chips are a favorite about anywhere and a lot of pubs pride themselves over their wide selection of drinks available.
So if you love football or if you can’t stand it, English pubs offer something for everyone and are one of many enjoyable aspects of English culture. Well, that is as long as you’re looking to eat delicious food, drink great beverages and converse with all sorts of friendly people.