Brews Of The World

Yorkshire 520 All Out
Somerset 196 All Out
& Somerset (Following On) 251 All Out
Yorkshire win by an Innings and 73 Runs
(I attended Day 3 only) Monday 15 July
Played at Headingley

Burton Albion 2 v Sheffield United 1
Pre Season Friendly
Tuesday 16 July 2019

SUFC 2019/20 Game 4

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As I was planning my beer day out in Burton, I was coming up against the usual Tuesday Teatime Turmoil. This one was shut, this one was open at 4, this one at 5. I’d more or less steeled myself to give a pep talk to the Carrier Bag Firm. Look, it’s Burton, it’s Tuesday, it’s Old Beer. Maybe we’d just look to snaffle some tasty old fashioned beers positioned on the bar near the Pedigree. But, a rumour emerged. There’s a single room off licence, with keg taps on the wall, and maybe a few tab;es & chairs scattered about. Google Maps. Here. We. Come. Thing is, inconclusive, no tables & chairs in them photies. Phone Him. Bingo. Yes. We have keg taps. Yes. You can sit in here & drink. No. It’s not just an Off Licence.

It was under those circumstances that we found ourselves in Brews Of The World - read all about it as Weller would have it. There now follows a Regionalist Comment, look away Me Duck. The guy who was running the show had such a strong local accent, that I couldn’t really make much of his answers to my detailed questioning about Beers, ownership & other local supping opportunities. Anyway. Great place, I would highly recommend it if you like your Keg Craft Beers. The board was very interesting. The “have you got any lager” Lager was Tegernseer Hell, from Herzoglich Bayerisches Brauhaus. The Weissbier was from Schlossbrauerei Irlbach in Bayern. There were a dozen (ish) on the board.

Odyssey Brew Co, Double Chocolate Stout at 7%. Which I’m afraid was a bit of a miss for me. It looked a bit messy. Grey rather than black. Not much of a head. A bit univiting. I warmed to the fact that it wasn’t sickly sweet. But, mate, if you’d have said that was a single chocolate stout, I’d have said - FFS needs more chocolate. Double, it weren’t

Brew York, Cereal Killa (Gluten Free), alleged West Coast IPA, at 6.5%. Thin & insipid, with no discernible Hops. That’s not a good strapline for a North of 6% IPA.

Which leaves Outstanding Beer Of The Day;

Left Handed Giant, Wild Years, American IPA at 6%. Lovely & thick. The sugar mixes in straight away with the mainly upfront hop bitterness. That was a game saving, straight ahead IPA.

Let us put that game down to just get some cobwebs off pre season. I’m not sure we learn anything. But, I’m not overly concerned either. New “how much” Lad, Callum Robinson looked lively when he came on. Luke Freeman didn’t stand out, as he hadn’t in Portugal. Some nice bench warming for a number of Academy Lads - Reece York, Zak Brunt, Harry Boyes & Jake Young. Along with pukka back up keeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Stats
I have now Blogged from 821 games in 1,792 days

A Squint & A Boot Audit

Sheffield United U18 0 v Birmingham City U18 2
U18 Professional Development League, North
Played at Shirecliffe

Sheffield United 2 v Burton Albion 0
The Championship

Tuesday 13 March 2018

SUFC 2017/18 Games 73 & 74

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Double Header. Shirecliffe & The Lane. Sheffield Beer Week. Giggles.

Shakespeares Barrel Aged Beer Tap Takeover as part of Sheffield Beer Week. Salute. I wouldn't normally search out Barrel Aged Beers. That's the point of a Beer Week isn't it? Chuck yourself at summat different.

Abbeydale Funk Dungeon Wild Things, Barrel Aged Saison with added Pomegranate Tea on cask at 4.1%. Opaque, looks like pineapple juice in the glass. Sweet (surprised me), fizzy Haribo to smell. Just this side of pucker up sour. Bursts into fruit very quickly.

James & Kirkman, Empress Of India, 40 year old Scotch Whisky Barrel Aged English IPA on cask at 6%. Very tasty. Somewhat bizarrely, I get the merest hint of Tizer in the initial taste. The hop bitterness kicks in. But, it is well balanced & gentle. There is an inevitable lingering sweetness - but very pleasant.

Shirecliffe

That was a disappointing result. It turned out that Birmingham U23s were playing at roughly the same time. And, Twitter was claiming they'd sent a young U23 team to that. So, logically (& hopefully) that could should would be a young & inexperienced BlueNose U18 out there today. Didn't look like it. They competed fully & strongly. In what was quite an even game until the last 15.

There were pluses for the Young Blades. Battering Ram striker David Parkhouse is coming back from injury. He’s U18 qualified, but has already played at U21 for Northern Ireland. Parkhouse is one of those players you always seem to notice early doors. Giving someone a knock. Winning his header. Head down, run at someone. Natch, he was lively early on. He was part of Utds best early move after 7. Feeding fellow up topper Tom Clare. He did very well to get a shot off. But, it dragged wide of the far post. Incidentally, that's the first time I've (to my knowledge) seen Tom Clare. Get him to bring his Birth Certificate to the next 'un. Bearded Giant at U18.

But, then, a cloud, after a lining, which had looked a bit shiny. Parkhouse was off at HT. I didn't get a good butchers. But I asked the Carrier Bag Firm's Dedicated Dugout Detachment what he'd observed. Limping. Came the concise report. Maybe not too bad.

I also felt that was the best game I'd seen Jean Belehouan play in a United shirt. He's the fella picked up after leaving Manchester United’s Academy system. Generally, he sets up as conventional Centre Back, of two. Today, he was alongside Kyron Gordon. Jean was having a right old skool ding dong dog fight with the Brum 9. Winning some. Losing some. But, clearly, putting it in. I also noted his confidence in possession & his distribution. Good game for/from him.

Marcus Dewhurst had a dodgy minute just before half time. A fairly tame shot seemed to burst through his hands. But, drooped (yes, drooped) over for a corner. Which he then flapped at a bit. However, it remained clean sheets all round until the 73rd minute. Marcus was beaten by a shot low down at his right hand side. City seemed to kick on a bit then. No real surprise when they added a second after 81. Whistle blows. Find Beer.

The Lane

Good to get that one over the line. A little bit of grinding. But, I felt we were the better team. It all felt a bit flat in the first half. Competent. But, flat. Lee Evans did well. Giving. Going. Getting. That gives the wing backs a bit of confidence & momentum. And, if you're really lucky, you'll possibly see a Centre Back Marauding.

I had to do a right old squint & boot audit for the first goal. I'd clocked it was Baldock getting wide right. A good accurate ball in. A powerful white booted in the corner finish. Who's that? Stearman? Wait. Wrong boots. Who? Left wing back Stevens. That's who. Getting up with play. A run into the box. Across towards the near post. That's a Sheffield United Indicator Goal. Wing Back to Wing Back. Indicating we're back at it (at times).

Check the Blog. I'll not claim I Told You So. But, let the record show I'm a big David Brooks fan. That second was just, simply, how to score a goal. Target man (Sharp) comes deep. Shows. Gets a flick off. To attacking midfielder (Duffy) moving at pace. Who gets an accurate pass off. To a striker. Who has lost his man. And. Sees. Only. Space. No, to be fair. He can actually see a bit more space ahead of all the space he can see. Put the ball in his stride. Yes.

I know Brooks has had the Fever. I know he's had the Spasm. I know all the strikers, including today's nominee Wilson, have done OK at times. I know Wilder knows. But, if, when, get Brooks as one of the top two. Sit the lot of 'em down. Show them that fucking video.

624/1302

The Blades Train Set

Sheffield United 0 v Burton Albion 1

Tuesday 1 March 2016

League 1

Played at Bramall Lane

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Today’s Adkins Home Grown/Scouted from Non-League quotient was 3/11 = 27%.
Although by the end he’d put Dom Calvert-Lewin & Ben Whiteman on to give him 5/11 = 45%. And, Louis Reed was left on the bench.

Doom. Gloom. Precious few positives. But, given my mindset. A debut (from the bench) for Ben Whiteman was one of the positives. I must admit, I was surprised. He’s been a regular in the U21s. Captaining them most weeks. He didn’t feature for the U21s the day before. So, I did wonder. But, nevertheless, surprised.

Very difficult for him to impress in these circumstances. He took responsibility. Always looking for it in central midfield. Busy. Didn’t look out of place. But, that is amongst the Dross. Calvert-Lewin got nowhere. The tale of our strikers. Isolated. No service. Live on scraps. For a still quite slight guy, he is good in the air. But, that didn’t show here.

For the Play The Kids policy to work, they’ve got to step up. Be incisive. Play the killer ball. Make the killer run. Not happening.

I’ll put my tin hat on. At times, I thought United did show some attacking intent. But, didn’t show any attacking competence.

Here’s how it plays out. Think of us as a train set. The Saudi liked football. Other kids had one, so he wanted one. Like all those complete train sets in the toy shop. Track. Engines. Carriages. Stations. Pristine.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have quite enough pocket money from his paper round. His Mum & Dad wanted to do their best. But, he had to settle for a big cardboard box full of random bits of track & engines with bits missing & one red carriage, two green ‘uns, etc. From a nice man he met at a Car Boot Sale. Luckily one of his mates was a bit of an odd job man. Some sellotape. Some superglue. Bit of enamel paint. He’s up & running.

He can’t get enough. “The train now standing at Medina Junction is the 1004 to Jeddah”. He’s all over it. But, then. Oh, FFS. It’s derailed again. That curved bit & that curved bit don’t come from the same set. A lot of hammering has made ‘em join together. But, there is a bit sticking up. The motor has gone on one engine. He’s only able to run the Riyadh Express 3 times a day now.

Bit by bit, it goes back in the big cardboard box. It don’t work. It’s doing his Tits in. Even though he knows it’s not Hornby from Redgates. Even though it’s just a big box of stuff. He never thought it’d be like this. It’s not fair. What’s the point.

All back in the box. Up in the loft. Gathering dust. He’ll find it in a few years. When he moves Palaces & has a clear out. Probably stick it in a Car Boot.

The Blades Train.

Today’s drink was Exit 33, Batch #5, Club 33 on cask at 5%.

284/588

Burton, Beer Desert

Burton Albion 0 v Sheffield United 0

League 1

Tuesday 29 September 2015

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The Football

A decent enough game, I quite enjoyed that. Not many chances. Not much created. But, hard fought. Not many mistakes either. I thought Burton were the better team & had the best of it. But, United had the best clear cut chances & closest efforts.

I may have got this wrong. But, it looked to me like Edgar hit the post from a back heeled flick at a corner. The keeper kept one out low to his left from Woolford. And the best chance was to Sharp. Did what he does. Harried. Bustled. Barged. Ended up one on one with the keeper. But, the ball was bouncing all over the place & he couldn't get it down cleanly.

I thought United players were isolated wide & upfront for lots of the game. The defence were able to knock it between themselves. But Flynn & Coutts out wide were anonymous. No better with Scougall & Woolford. The Burton defence were able to deal with most balls aimed for Sammon & Sharp. And their midfield were able to pick up the scraps & build.

I've been to Burton a few times for England U17/U19. But, that is the first time I've seen United play there. And, first time in ages I've stood up on a terraced end. I'll tell you what. It's a lost art. I was raised on The Shoreham.

You had your spot. There was gentle heaving & weaving. A surge forward when we scored. But, if you needed a piss and/or pie, excuse me, pardon me would do it. Sorry mate, oooopppps, mind these eggs.

A few Warriors enthusiastically defending their spots at Burton tonight. Huffing & puffing. Shouting & bawling. Chests out. Fingers were pointed. Everyone/loads stood immediately in the entrance/exit. A few berating the Stewards to Do Summat. It did all calm down eventually.

The Beer

Elements of Desert. We had time to kill. And some complicated logistics to manage. So, we were mooching & deep reccy. We weren't expecting each place to be open. And. You know. Tuesday afternoon & all that. But.

The Little Chester Ale House in Derby. Opened at 3pm. We got there about 1430.

The Borough Arms in Burton. Opened at a whopping 1830. We got there about 1600.

The Coopers Arms in Burton. Hand written sign in the window. Opening at 5pm. We got there about 1610.

The Burton Bridge Inn. Opened at 5pm. We got there about 1630.

Finally. The Elms. Across the river. Perfectly decent. If somewhat uninspiring. Four on cask. Then, eventually. Once we'd passed the appropriate watershed. The Burton Bridge Inn. All told.

Otter, Over The Bar, cask at 4%
Burton Bridge, Golden Delicious, cask at 3.8%
Burton Bridge, Sovereign Gold, cask at 4%

214/434