I watched with great sadness on Thursday as The Queen Vic burnt to the ground in Eastenders. Just one of the estimated 2,000 pubs that will close this year, many of them pubs that have served a local community for generations.
It strikes me that the pub, the landlord and the drinker is under attack and the cricketing authorities are joining in on the onslaught. The ICC and ECB would do well to brush up on their history and remember the significance of the Bat & Ball pub in Hambledon during the 1750s. This wonderful English tradition of enjoying a drink with our cricketing opponents continues today; following my team’s game against the hospitable Jordans Taverners, we had all 22 players indulging in the bonhomie of a post match tale.
So why is the drinker persona non grata at our test match grounds? With the exception of Lords, spectators are not allowed to bring alcohol into the ground at test matches. The reason stated on The Oval website is “that bottles or cans currently imported can be used as dangerous missiles or projectiles.” Funny that, especially as a friend of mine entered the ground (quite innocently) with a set of darts on him!
So what about the choice of beer when you enter The Oval? Well if a pint of Fosters is your favourite tipple you’re in for a treat, albeit a fairly pricey one at £3.70. If you’re after real ale or a quality wine, forget it.
Then there is the bar opening times, or rather closing times, when the bars at The Oval shut after the lunch interval for an hour. My only guess is that the authorities want to curb any excessive drinking. Given I heard numerous conversations along the lines of “let’s get two in” I’d suggest this strategy actually has the opposite effect. In fact I would go as far to say that this is a deliberate ploy and acts as a nice little revenue earner at £3.70 a pint.
However, I do recognise that some spectators don’t like people drinking around them at the cricket and I would like to see a section of the ground used as an alcohol free zone. But for those cricket enthusiasts that want to enjoy a beer or a glass of wine during the cricket, treat us with some respect. International cricket needs to appeal to its supporter base more than ever. As it stands this particular supporter will be following the county game in 2011, where I will bring my own drink into the ground and purchase a real ale or two from the bar. Cheers!
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