Kegless not Legless

Norwich City 1 v Sheffield United 2

The Championship

Saturday 20 January 2018

SUFC 2017/18 Game 45

My brains are being wracked here. If I've been in one, I can't recall. The post match celebration, for that is certainly what it was, occurred in The Kings Head pub (Magdalen St). They have NO keg beers. I don't mean they have swerved your kegged Double IPAs, your Nitro Stouts, and your keg Barrel Aged Sours. I mean Nowt. No “normal lager”. No faux continental lager. No Guinness. Not even any kegged Cider. Nowt. You don't quite realise how unusual that is. Until you see it. And wrack your brains. A group of blokes & ladies came in. Unsuspecting, maybe, I don't know. Those who didn't fancy a Real Ale ended up with bottles of Frùh Kolsch.

For me. Anyone can drink what they like. But, I can't recall anywhere quite so unforgiving. Anyway. That is a great pub. Ten on handpull. Oversized glasses. Welcoming bar staff. Busy. Bustling. But, not overpowering.

Jo C's at Barsham Brewery, Norfolk Kiwi on cask at 3.8%. Pleasant, but unassuming. Thin mouthfeel, everything gentle, nice refreshing session and ale. All as it should be.

Before the game, various fellow travelers had done the rounds. We had a pow wow in the Prince Of Wales. Maybe it was a designated Away Pub. If not, it was certainly de facto. Anyway, we didn't fancy it. When we passed it on the way back to the ground, someone had let a red smoke bomb off in there.

We'd been smoke free in the absolutely excellent The Plasterers Arms (Cowgate). Eleven on cask. And a very intriguing seven handed keg list.

Golden Triangle Mosaic City Pale Ale on cask at 3.8%.
Three Blind Mice Calypso Single Hop Pale on cask at 3.8%

Those set me up nicely for a six minute take the lead goal from one of the James Wilsons. Bittersweet ain't they. Early goals. The nerves kick in. The game plan shifts. Inevitably. Imperceptibly. At half time I felt we'd given the ball away a little too much. Maybe we'd sat too deep. We were less of an attacking threat than we needed to be. Attack is our form of defence after all. While we're bang at it, they're not. But, we were a fucking goal up. At Norwich. In The Championship. Bittersweet. But, mostly sweet.

Whisper it. Whisper. I'd have taken one each then. But, when Clayton kept his head & rolled in the second. I'd have been Royally Pissed Off to have to take two each. Lee Evans looked the part. Coutts role. Leonard pushed in the hole in front of him. Good set up for link up. Fleck Flecking. Let's see. Let's see.

596/1250