Sheffield, The Home Of Carling Lager

Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme A 3 v Sheffield United Community Foundation A 1 

Community & Education Football Alliance League, North Central 1 

Wednesday 7 February 2024 

Played at Jubilee Sports & Social Club, Sheffield 

SUFC 2023/24 Game #47 

Ground Tick #471 

Different Ground watching a Sheffield United XI Tick #233 

Nostell Miners Welfare 0 v Brigg Town 1 

Northern Counties East, Division One (Step 6) 

Tuesday 6 February 2024 

Ground Tick #470 

The Jubilee Sports & Social Club ground, out in S6, is (among other things) the home of the Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme. That was my 471st ground tick. And my 233rd different ground watching a Sheffield United XI.

But, as I'm a Beer Blogger, I can also tell you that the Jubilee Ground is the Home of Carling Lager!!!

Yep. Not a typo. Sheffield famed for traditional brands such as Stones and Wards. The (re)birth place of independent UK cask ale at Kelham Island. Sheffield, home to a myriad of traditional and push ahead independent breweries. Sheffield is the Home of Carling Lager. And, Jubilee Sports is the Hopicentre (not bad…).

In 1892, Christopher Carter, Eleazar Milner & George Bird founded a brewing business based on Mowbray Street, Neepsend, Sheffield. The business grew quickly in the 1930s, fuelled by the introduction of Jubilee Stout. Jubilee became a national brand. And, following redevelopment at their original location, production was moved to Clay Wheels Lane in Sheffield 6. Keeping the original name - the Hope Brewery.

In 1942, the company merged with Henry Tomlinson Ltd. And the name of the Clay Wheels Lane brewery was subtly changed to - the Hope & Anchor Brewery.

Based on the success of Jubilee Stout, the Company was able to merge with/acquire a number of other breweries and (what we'd now call) pub chains.

After the War, beer consumption in the UK fell. Companies and the Government looked to overseas markets to keep the economy ticking. Jubilee Stout was one of the products up for grabs at the Canadian International Trade Fair in Toronto in 1949. As part of that, Jubilee Stout was airlifted to Toronto.

Eventually, that lead to a deal with Canadian Breweries (CBL), allowing them to brew and sell Jubilee Stout in Canada. But, it was a reciprocal deal. The Hope & Anchor Brewery, on Clay Wheels Lane, where I've just ticked my 471st ground, and 233rd SUFC ground - got Carling Lager in return. And production of Carling in Sheffield began in 1952.

As ever in the brewing industry, there were takeovers a-plenty. Familiar names Charrington got hold of the Hope & Anchor in 1962. And in 1967, Bass got hold of that lot. 

Under the Bass stewardship, the Hope & Anchor increasingly became a brewery for bottled beers. Including, one of the small number of bottled conditioned beers - Worthington White Shield.

The Hope & Anchor was closed in 1994. The Sports & Social Club on the site was called Jubilee. In a nod to the history of the site.

“Shouldn’t they have called it - The Carling Sports & Social Club - Phil?”

Did I buy a tin of Carling from that Sainsbury's at the bottom. And drink that as the game kicked off?

No, I fucking didn't.

Do I wish I had bought a tin of Carling from that Sainsbury's at the bottom. And drunk it as the game kicked off?

Yes, I fucking do.

Speaking of the kick off. Mucho discussion-o among the Carrier Bag Firm as to the EARLIEST kick off we'd ever ticked. At 9:45am, this one is deffo in the frame. 

“Aaahhh, I see Phil, it would have been too early for a beer anyway, Carling or otherwise.”

“What is this - too early - you talk of?”

(I am indebted to the historical work on the Hope & Anchor Brewery researched by Dave Pickersgill on behalf of Sheffield & District Campaign for Real Ale)

The Being Educated Blades got beat three one.

The night before, I had ticked my 470th ground out at Nostell Miners Welfare.

In the absence of Carling Lager, the Beer Of The Blog was in;

The Old Shoe

Unit 20 Orchard Square, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2FB

A magnificent 14 on Keg, and two Cask.

Shiny Brewery (Little Eaton), I Don't Want Spaghetti Again, West Coast IPA on Keg at 6.4%

Simcoe, Mosaic, Amarillo and Chinook. Carling? Different Hop Profile bro’.

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Stats 

I have now Blogged from 1,378 games in 3,459 days 

1,128 In The Bar

Hallam 3 v Brigg Town 2 

Northern Counties East Football League 

Division One 

Tuesday 28 December 2021 

Absolutely ridic at Sandygate this afts. The crowd was announced as One Thousand One Hundred And Twenty Eight. 1,128.

Elsewhere in the Northern Counties East, there were 11 more at North Ferriby (1,139). And elsewhere in Step 6, there were 1,171 F Troopers at Falmouth Town. One of the Carrier Bag Firm had a Dr Martens lace malfunction on the way up to Sandygate. Which meant we were about ten minutes late for the rendezvous. We should have known we were in for a bumper crowd. Because, when we walked into the 1860 Bar, it was absolutely heaving. Five deep. Of course, one of the many things the club have got right is bar staff. So, we still had the beers on sharpish.

And, I'm not going to be critical, but every time we went back for Re Ups or Pee Ups, the 1860 was still mobbed. Come on. You know who you are. Some of you never left the bar. I won't judge.

Today, all we could find were tins of Crosspool Ale Makers Society, On The Loose, New World IPA at 5.1%.

That'll do nicely to celebrate the Hallam W. Which put Hallam Top Of The League. (North Ferriby got beat two nil at home). Which, in turn sent the On The Loose tins celebration deep into the evening.

Another fired up Hallam performance. I clearly saw a Hallam fist go into a Brigg chin right in front of the dugouts & the lino in the first minute. Lucky to get yellow I felt. Iren Wilson made it 1-0 on 15. Both sides had chances after that. But, it stayed one nil as they broke for HT. Some football watchers then joined the beer drinkers in the 1860 Bar to see how the other half live.

Brigg Town, who let me say had contributed both to the record crowd & to the beer intake, equalised with a penalty just as Half Two got under way. But only four mins later, Iren got his second to put The Countrymen ahead. That set everything up for a manic last ten. Hallam went 3-1 on 82. But Town clawed one back almost immediately. Frantic at the end. But a great three two win.

Some punters left the bar. Some entered. It was that sort of afternoon.

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Left Channel, Right Foot

Hallam 3 v Brigg Town 2 

Northern Counties East Football League Division One (Step 6) 

Saturday 19 December 2020 

Football With Fans Game #20 

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I'll tell you what the virus has done. It's pushed the fucking bottom out of Football & Beer Blogging. What am I supposed to do? The Carrier Bag Firm call to arms is simple. We. Go. Again. So long as you can find anywhere to go.

And, we can't self promote the Blog too much. Because, let's have it right. We're sneaking cans of beer in when we feel confident. The ICC rule means it's not sensible to sneak in top of the range expensive cans. (ICC - In Case of Confiscation). You want something you can happily kiss goodbye as you say - "sorry, didn't realise, I'll just put them in the bin".

BrewDog, Dead Pony Club, Session Pale Ale at just 3.8% does the trick for me. Currently a tenner for two four packs in Morrisons. (Previously as low as £9 in Tesco). A lovely beer, comes in 330s, doesn't look like a tin of Stella, Carlsberg nor Carling.

I've also got a soft spot for;

Aldi, Lunar Lager at 4.6%. Even more "my mistake disposable" at just 99p a tin. Actually, it's not a bad core, pilsner style lager either. But, it's main selling point can be clearly seen….

Any non-league volunteer is going to take one look at that as you swig from it & think - Tin Of Pop. I'll go further - it's the best sneak in can on the market.

Great game that. A bit of a mud slide down at the Cricket Nets End. Hallam started really brightly & had a great chance at the far post in the first minute. It was pretty much end to end stuff from then. Hallam had some great chances, but Brigg hit the post. But I felt Hallam shaded the half. Until. Brigg scored a Penalty more or less on the whistle.

Brigg went two up on 60. And then. The Hallam Show. Two identikit goals for Kieran Watson on 67 & 68 minutes. Wearing 10. Taking the ball into the penalty area in the inside left channel. But, on both occasions, slipping the ball past/under the keeper with the his right boot. And then. Iren Wilson finishing calmly on 73. Bit of the Alamo to finish it all off. Great game.

Stats

I have now Blogged from 937 games in 2,314 days 

Unofficial Official XI

Brigg Town 0 v Sheffield United XI 3
(billed as SUFC U18)

Saturday 11 July 2015

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Carrier Bag Firm dilemma today, caused by a bit of Anorak nonsense. SUFC are sending 2 teams on the road today. One to the easier to get to Retford United. One to the bit of a ball ache to get to Brigg Town. You have to read between the lines. Brigg Town appeared on the original list released on the website. Retford United didn't. Brigg Town was plugged on the Club Twitter Feed in the week. Retford United wasn't.

The point I am making is obvious. Unofficially, the official team is going to Brigg, & unofficially, the unofficial team is going to Retford. Got it. So, I've chosen to head for Brigg Town.

Partly, it don't matter. They'll be wearing red & white. But, down the track, I'll hope to be watching many of the U18 bods in the League & FA Youth Cup. So, I'm hoping I've got a better chance of seeing the U18 1st Team here at Brigg Town.

Speaking of "they'll be wearing red & white". I got my first glimpses of the new kit at Penistone Church, & here at Brigg Town. Of course, it is manufactured by corrupt, game stealing, main FIFA sponsor adidas. So there's a big black cross right there.

That aside, my initial view is I'm alright with it. Here's a plus, you can see the shirt numbers. Here's a plus, the front shirt sponsors name is fairly subdued & less of a walking billboard. It was black shorts at Penistone & red at Brigg. Black shorts work best.

I picked The Yarborough Hunt out of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Nice, rustic place. Maybe half a dozen hand pulls. I went for Tom Woods, Bomber County at 4.8%. Very disappointing. Think I got a bad one. First gulp was promising. Full of malty bitterness. But, as I ploughed on, there was an odd vinegar/sour thing going on. Let us just put me in the unsure category. But, I didn't enjoy it.

Nice straightforward clubhouse at Brigg Town. No cask. But that's OK, not always possible. There was some rebadged keg bitter, called Brigg Town FC 150 Year Anniversary Bitter. All hail that.

Many subs for The Blades. Some fella started, was subbed, then came back on again as a sub. Bright, loud, committed. A good work out. Some goals & confidence.

162/354