So Close To The Promised Land

Bemerton Heath Harlequins 3 v New Milton Town 1 

Wessex League, Division One (Step 6)

Saturday 17 October 2020 

Football With Fans Game #14 

Ground Tick #368 

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Oooohhhh. That felt close. Like you could almost touch it. My 368th Ground Tick was decidedly adjacent to Bemerton Heath Harlequins Sports & Social Club. That Social Club was serving Downton Brewery, New Forest Ale on cask at 3.8%. Cask Ale. From a smaller, independent, local brewer. In the Clubhouse. What could possibly go wrong.

Well. Funny you should ask. The Carrier Bag Firm scanned into the ground with the NHS App. Put the masks on (so as to make the turnstile operator feel comfortable). Paid. Entered. And, headed for the obvious "tunnel" to the bar. Sure enough. Sign with arrow. BAR it said. Past the khazis. Door. With sign on it, not needing arrow. BAR it said. Fucking locked it was. About tuuuurn.

"Excuse me, I've just been down that tunnel & corridor, to a door marked BAR. Which is locked"

"Yes, we keep the door locked until half time, so the drinkers in the bar don't come into the football"

FFS

"If I go out of the ground, buy a beer in the bar, bring it back here to the turnstile, can I drink it while I'm watching the first half"

"Not possible, Sorry"

The one thing you've got to do in non league is go with the flow. People are volunteers. Doing their bit. For their club. They don't need me on their case. So, we waited to dive into the very large clubhouse on half time. To spy that Downton Brewery handle. (Remember, we hadn't been in the Clubhouse at this point - like a promised land it was). Natch scan in. Natch sanitise. Natch find a table. Natch Table Service only. Natch Ten Minutes tops HT. Natch didn't get served in that time. Trooped out Beerless to watch the Second Half.

Good competitive game. Two quick goals just before 30 mins put the 'quins (note - heathens would be better) in the lead. And, I'll be honest, they were looking very comfortable at that stage. New Milton clawed one back before the Half Time Beer Desert Fiasco. Bemmy (could be worse - at least it's unique) tied it up with the third on 80 minutes.

Anyway. We had a load of bollocks to sort out. The Carrier Bag Firm have a very thin presence in Salisbury. Given our HQ is in Sheffield. So it was Five Fucking Forty Three P fucking M before I finally tucked into that New Forest Ale. (And salute to the Social Club, it was extremely well organised, wandering around faced up was not tolerated, the roving bar staff knew who was next, and what you'd ordered).

It was a fairly straightforward old school English Bitter. Very sessionable. Nicely balanced. Could have done with a malt kick. All we need now is - be able to buy it before kick off & drink it (and it's many cousins) while the game is on. The QUEST continues.

Stats

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