Congratulations London

[MeridianFC]

Pints and Polevaults in 2012. I might have to plan a trip to visit friend in SE19.

[newportstorm]

Here's hoping macros don't try to take over the stadiums/venues as they did for the World Cup in Germany. Let the beer from the host country shine!

Congrats London!

[chazwicke]

Agreed! Congrats. The only bad part is it will make price go up and places more crowded. And I might be there in early August that year....:D

[stronk]

Let's just hope that Blair and Chirac scrapping doesn't affect the outcome of the G8 summit in any way.

[noby]

Originally posted by newportstorm
Here's hoping macros don't try to take over the stadiums/venues as they did for the World Cup in Germany. Let the beer from the host country shine!

Congrats London!

I wouldn't hold my breathe. Isn't the 'official beer' of the world cup also the 'official beer' of the olympics?

Anyway, well done London. A handy one for me to get to (as Paris would have been)

[chazwicke]

I have a heavy heart today for Londoners. London is a city I dearly love. I hope they catch the perpetrators. Those bastards!

[unkle bik]

Originally posted by chazwicke
I hope they catch the perpetrators. Those bastards!
They may, and then again they may not.

Really would'nt make any difference. These scum are like insects. Kill one, and a thousand more will fill the gap.

You have to kill the ideology behind such madness to solve the problem.

That's what makes the job so difficult.:mad:

[Richard English]

Quote, "...And I might be there in early August that year......." As I have said elsewhere, 1200 at the GBBF Young's bar on 05 August is the meeting point...

Incidentally, I doubt very much that the beer at the Olympic events will be anything but chemical swill. That is one of the reasons why I am not a sports enthusiast since, in my experience, most supporters seem to drink simply to get drunk and therefore use the cheapest fizz that they can get.

I happen to think that our hosting the Olympics is a rotten idea - not because London can't cope; our public transport carries many times more people routinely every day than the total numbers of Olympians and supporters together - but because it will cost us a lot of money which we, the taxpayers, will have to stump up.

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by Richard English
Incidentally, I doubt very much that the beer at the Olympic events will be anything but chemical swill. That is one of the reasons why I am not a sports enthusiast since, in my experience, most supporters seem to drink simply to get drunk and therefore use the cheapest fizz that they can get.

Whoa! Broad generalization there. Doubt the percentage of sports fans who drink to get drunk is higher than any other segment of the population. People drink...at sporting events, concerts, at BBQs, at the pub, alone in their living room, in back alleys, etc. Here in the US, macrobrewery's advertising campaigns probably give the impression that sports and booze go hand in hand. Don't believe the hype.

Originally posted by Richard English
I happen to think that our hosting the Olympics is a rotten idea - not because London can't cope; our public transport carries many times more people routinely every day than the total numbers of Olympians and supporters together - but because it will cost us a lot of money which we, the taxpayers, will have to stump up.

I've heard this from almost every recent city to host the Olympics. It's an honor and promotes the host country, but the financial burden usually results in a net loss. Maybe London will be the one to turn it around. Good luck.

Cheers!

[Richard English]

Quote "...Doubt the percentage of sports fans who drink to get drunk is higher than any other segment of the population..."

I am taking about the UK here where drunkenness and violence, especially at football matches, is both endemic and epidemic. And they all drink strong lager because that's what the bars supply and the off-licences promote.

Things may wel be different at US sports events, I concede, but as I have never been to any this is only a guess.

[unkle bik]

Originally posted by Richard English
I am not a sports enthusiast since, in my experience, most supporters seem to drink simply to get drunk and therefore use the cheapest fizz that they can get.


And apparently you haven't been to a sporting event, either.

"Cheap chemical fizz" is about all they serve here at Stateside sporting events and concerts.Cheap, as in quality, not price. BMC and not much more. To add more fuel to the fire, they charge an arm and leg for that swill. Sometimes averaging $7 USD a serving! Last outdoor concert I went to was 3 years ago. $8.50 USD for 22oz. of CoorsBite. You call that "cheap"? (and i heard it's gone up since) At that rate, and with those selections, they only way somebody can get drunk at these events is to tailgate or frequent the local bar with decent prices and selections or forget about paying this month's mortgage.:mad:

[fretlessman71]

Whenever we hear about drunken fools doing their best to live up to their name at american sporting events, at least one person usually pipes up and says, "Yeah, but at least we don't have problems like they do in England, you know?"

And everyone nods their head and says, "Yeah....."

I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of foreign Olympic fans that enter your fine country.

[Richard English]

Fortunately, as I have posted elsewhere, there are some events where this doesn't happen. Over the weekend I will be at the Ardingly Vintage Vehicle Show and the beer tent there will have around 50 cask-conditioned ales, all of which will be sold at normal prices.

I will, of course, be sleeping there!

[fretlessman71]

Isn't it pretty much English football that has the biggest offenders, Richard? Are there other sports that typically have the same level of drunkenness and tomfoolery? Here it tends to be hockey, but any major sport can have its idiots given the right conditions...

[steveh]

Originally posted by Richard English
I will, of course, be sleeping there!

In the tent?! :D

S.

[fretlessman71]

Round trip ticket to England - $600

Cab fare to Ardingly - $85

Hotel - $215 for 3 nights

Picture of Richard curled up with a cask at the car show - priceless! :D

[Richard English]

Quote "...In the tent?! ..."

Well, my tent anyway - a shortish stagger across the showground.

[Richard English]

Alternatively return rail fare from Gatwick to Haywards Heath (15 minutes) about $12; entry to event for two days $20; sleeping in someone's tent, free; 20 Imperial pints of beer (assuming you're takling it easy) about $60.

A bargain by any standards.

[Richard English]

Quote "...Isn't it pretty much English football that has the biggest offenders, Richard?..."

Primarily, yes. There are occasional outbreaks of trouble at other events but it's almost the norm at some football matches.

[fretlessman71]

Originally posted by Richard English
Alternatively return rail fare from Gatwick to Haywards Heath (15 minutes) about $12; entry to event for two days $20; sleeping in someone's tent, free; 20 Imperial pints of beer (assuming you're takling it easy) about $60.

A bargain by any standards. I still want a pic of you wearing a nightcap and cuddling with a cask ... :D

[newportstorm]

Went to a polo match a couple weeks back. With tailgating right on the sidelines (10' from the rails), coolers filled with everything from macros to craft brew to wine & spirits and no visible consumption enforcement, not a single person got ornery and annoying. Well, maybe the carload next to us who had no control over their kids.

Craft beer (Mendocino, Sea Dog, etc.) at the bar tent, too. All in all, a good way to kill an afternoon for only $20.

Cheers!

[noby]

Originally posted by Richard English
it's almost the norm at some football matches.

Richard, you'll be glad to know that GB never enter a football team into the olympics, and I don't ever recall any drink-related crowd trouble at an athletics meet.

They've also cut baseball and softball, so that's two less medals for the USA, I guess :)

[Richard English]

Well, I'm back from Ardingly vintage vehicle show. The bad news was that the beer tent ran out of beer at around 1630 on the last day - but that was only an hour before closing so maybe not so much of a problem. The 80 degrees weather obviously raised a few thirsts!

The good news was that they increased the numbers of cask-conditioned beers from 50 to 68 (plus two lagers) and the ciders and perries to 15. So there was plenty of choice while it held out. Of course, this was a beer tent at a show, not a beer festival, so I suppose they did quite well under the circumstances.

I did take a couple of pictures of the serried ranks of casks but I'm not sure whether I can post them here.

[fretlessman71]

Can't post them here? Some legality reason? Or maybe it's a decency issue...? ;)

[Richard English]

I think what I meant to say was, "...I don't know how to post them here...!"

[fretlessman71]

Easy - if they're digital pics, and you've got them saved in a file on your computer, then start your post as normal, then at the bottom of the big grey square there's a function called Attach File (right below Options). Click on "Browse", and a dialogue box will pop up letting you "flip" through your own computer files until you find the picture you want, double click on it, finish the post and you're all set to go. I go the extra mile here because I'm SURE that everyone here would love to see that many casks at once! :D (And, of course, because we all love you dearly.... *sniff*)

[Richard English]

Sadly it doesn't work. The error message is that the file is too large (maximum is supposed to be 102400 bytes) even when I reduced the file size to 59600 bytes.

So unless someone can sort the problem out you'll just have to imagine the scene.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by Richard English

So unless someone can sort the problem out you'll just have to imagine the scene.

Don't think I haven't been doing that very thing.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Easy - I'm SURE that everyone here would love to see that many casks at once!

I may have some from the GBBF, FABfest, or the CAMRA Broadway Ealing festival. I'll look this evening if I remember.

[Richard English]

I'm sure it's not my pictures; there's something wrong with this site or the way I'm trying to use it. I had no problems sending the same pictures to someone as email attachments.

[critch]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Isn't it pretty much English football that has the biggest offenders, Richard? Are there other sports that typically have the same level of drunkenness

english football is given a very bad press throughout the world some times merited mostly not .football fans all over cause grief not just the brits you cant even buy beer at british football stadia and if you attempt to gain access while tanked up youd not get in and if you think english football is full of drunks youve never seen a rugby match:rolleyes:

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by critch
and if you think english football is full of drunks youve never seen a rugby match

in rugby, it's the players that are tanked up, not the fans

[Wilson]

Originally posted by HogieWan
in rugby, it's the players that are tanked up, not the fans

I played Rugby in college, and I remember (with much pain), that before a seven's tournament I decided to drink a six pack of cheap beer. I played four games in about two hours and puked my guts up after every single one. Then we showered and went to a party, come to think of it I might not have showered. Ah, the memories. Ruggers...what great people!

[Richard English]

Quote "...in rugby, it's the players that are tanked up, not the fans..."

Indeed. And I have never seen violent drunkenness at Rugby grounds either.

Part of the reason is that Rugby types tend to drink good beer whereas soccer fans drink rubbish chemical fizz.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by Richard English
by types tend to drink good beer whereas soccer fans drink rubbish chemical fizz.

This is becoming less and less true, just like the image of the bearded, sandle wearing, potbellied male CAMRA member. I've had great times with Real Ale in football throughout the UK. Granted there's a wide variety of drinking and football cultures even within Great Britain and fizz lager features prominently, as it unfortunately does in just about every strata of drinking society, but there is an undercurrent of good beer and good football else there'd be no call for this:

CAMRA Football and Real Ale Guide (http://shop.camra.oxi.net/acatalog/footiechamp.jpg)

I can't wait to get my copy of all four volumes (1 per division!)