Harry Potter Football

England 0 v Scotland 0 

EURO 2020, Group D 

Friday 18 June 2021 

Played at Wembley 

I'll admit it. I find a lot of the chatter around football these days thoroughly depressing. People pitching their expected result against the actual result. "We should be beating Scotland". And worse. People pitching the performance of one team in one game against an imaginary team in an imaginary game. "Italy will murder us". Everyone playing the games on paper.

You used to just have to play the game you're playing. And beat the team you're playing. Now, you have to also achieve an imaginary level of performance against where you should be, and where other teams are imagined to be. It's all fucking fantasy. Harry Potter Football.

And. Remember. Disclaimer. These aren't really the EUROs & this isn't proper football.....yet. 

Maybe you can hear atmosphere noise on the Tele. Yes Sir I Can Boogie. But, from Block 511 in the Wembley Top Tier. All you can really here are the Socially Distanced fans pretty close to you. It's good to be there. And it's good that your nearest neighbour four rows in front & six seats to the left is belting out - Super, Super Jack. But, it's not what England v Scotland is really about. It's what we've got, not what we want.

Scotland did really well there. Certainly deserved their point. At every Tube station change we made on the way back to Carrier Bag Firm Mews, there were No Ticket Tartaners making their way to Leicester Square to celebrate.

I sort of understand the armchairers bleating on about defensive set ups & not playing the game changers. But, it's not happening. So, I'm less inclined to get myself all frothed up about it. The manager has a way of playing in mind, and I can't really influence that. Particularly not in a quarter full Wembley.

Scotland played well. And England didn't click. And it's fine margins. That Stones header goes in, instead of hitting the post, everything is different. No defeats. No goals conceded. Still in charge of the group in the sense beat Czech Republic and we top it. Wait until we get knocked out before we give the verdict.

A long afternoon in The Southampton Arms. IMHO one of the best pubs in London. They've sort of reverted back to "come & have a look at the bar clips". Rather than "download our App" in order to choose your beer. And, if it's easier to shout over the bar "one of these mate" - that constitutes table service. Sit down. The beer & card machine comes to you. There were eight on cask. And seven pukka keg. On the afternoon of (quarter full) England v Scotland. Gotta love that.

Howling Hops, Bird Talk, Pale Ale on Cask at 4.4%

That one caught me out a bit. The Southampton is (correctly) a bit gloomy inside. In that light, that beer looked a lot darker than I expected. Lovely though. Hop forward bitterness dominates. Packed with 'em. Long finish.

The Kernel Brewery, Pale Ale, UK Chinook on Keg at 5.5%

That was unlike any Kernel beer I can remember tasting. Soft, gentle. Nicely balanced but just lacking in ooommmppphhh.

Chapter Brewing, #25 Hidden Lakes, English Mild on Cask at 3.2%

Gratuitous really. I just wanted/needed to break up the abvs. There was not a great deal happening. I could just about get a bit of liquorice in the finish.

Saltaire (no, spell check not Saltire, that has a whole different context meaning today) Brewery, Unity, IPA on Cask at 6%

That nearly got there. High abv cask IPAs need that slightly anaesthetic feel, with a bit of luxurious added in. This one felt just a tad thin. But the sweetness & richness worked.

Buxton Brewery, Nargil, Pastry Stout on Keg at 6%

Sounds mad. But you miss the coconut flavour at first. As if the flavours are playing tricks on you. I was getting raisin & ribena. But, then, by the end of the glass - Doh - it's all coconut, have you never had a Bounty mate? I absolutely loved that one.

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