Brentford Football Club may not be one of the best-known soccer teams in Britain, but the team is famous for one thing: a pub on every corner of its stadium.
Indeed, Griffin Park, located in Greater London (about half-way out to Heathrow airport in the Borough of Hounslow) is the only such stadium in the U.K. But sadly “the Bees” are moving to a posh new home next season, so time is fleeting to join the exclusive club of visitors who have notched all four pubs on their belts (or purse straps) during a single game.
Of course, stopping at a pub both before and after a match is part of game-day culture in the U.K. and this practice can be taken to the extreme at Griffin Park, a historic stadium that dates to 1904 and whose name, fittingly, comes from the griffin featured in the logo of Fuller’s Brewery, which once owned the land on which the stadium stands.
To that end, one of the pubs is also called The Griffin, and there is the Princess Royal, the New Inn and The Brook (formerly the Royal Oak), the latter dubbed “the fourth corner.” Each pub has its own character and quirks. The Griffin, for example, is noted for serving real ale (Fullers), while the New Inn is the favoured pub for away supporters and boasts a beer garden.
The typical pilgrimage route for pub crawlers is to start at The Brook/Royal Oak in the northwest corner (closest to the train station) and proceed clockwise to the New Inn, Princess Royal and finally Griffin.
(Time and inebriation levels may not allow it, but it should be mentioned that Brentford’s High Street also boasts some great pubs, including the Magpie and Crown and The Brewery Tap).
But whichever pub one chooses, it’s best to go early – pubs open at 11 a.m., including game days (usually Saturday), when matches typically start at 3 p.m. And keep in mind that the trip out from London takes about an hour (tube stop South Ealing, then a 20-minute walk or local bus transfer; or Brentford on the South West Railway, 7-minute walk).
Of course, there’s also the game, and Griffin Park is a great place to see one. A typical neighbourhood stadium, the ground accommodates only 12,300 fans (as opposed to 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium) and, as such, every seat is within hollering distance of the pitch (if want to look like you belong) and the atmosphere is cozy. And fans are almost certain to be local or from the visiting team.
Foreign visitors, like our gang of six at a recent game – led by the self-proclaimed president of the Canadian chapter of the Brentford FC Supporters Club, Paul Holinaty – are a rarity but welcomed with open arms. A visit one year resulted in a couple of the lads being asked to add Canadian content to a video for the fanzine Beesotted, with a declaration by enthusiastic travel industry guy Eric Barber that he would return and kick the visiting team’s butts with his hockey stick – a vow that spurred an ongoing friendship between Barber and team supporters that is renewed every year.
The mighty Bees, meanwhile, are a fun team to watch this year, currently sitting in the top five in the Championship (second tier) division and pushing for promotion to the Premiership where they would face the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United. This success, however, suggests that getting match tickets ahead of time (especially if a big or rival team is visiting) is advised. Pending playoffs, the team’s final home game is on May 2.
Then again, with the popularity of the team on the rise, if tickets can’t be had, at least there’s always the pubs!
(“Pub Crawl” is an ongoing series in which we reveal some of our favourite public houses, both at home and abroad – and, in the spirit of the establishment, invite you to share with us yours. Send suggestions to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com. Cheers!)
Check out our previous pubs.