So , a new football season almost upon us , fixture lists out . 

Do any not rights out there think of the pubs that were an integral part of Saturday football at Burnden park?

There are very few left at all , and the axe has already fallen around our "New" home 

Greenwood , Bonnie Lasses, Barnstormers unable to trade even with a football ground nearby.

Thinking about the Tanners , Cattle Market , Rose Hill Tavern, Farmers in Darcy Lever.Trotters on Manchester road.

And of course our dear King William IV , the Holy Grail of lunacy on big match days

Mad memories and even photos eagerly accepted

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Car place, then restaurant, but nothing.

All weird.

That would make sense.

Similar to what happened with the one opposite the junctions between Bury Road ad Blenheim road- can't remember it's name now, but was a Walker's pub with decent ale.

Hare and Hounds , now “ Jayden House”  was a proper pub back in the day . 
re the restaurant and car place , that’s the former Farmers Arms, not the Lever Bridge , but apologies if I’ve mistaken what you meant 

9 hours ago, fatolive said:

Hare and Hounds , now “ Jayden House”  was a proper pub back in the day . 
re the restaurant and car place , that’s the former Farmers Arms, not the Lever Bridge , but apologies if I’ve mistaken what you meant 

No, you're right.

The farmers is the one with the strange goings on, but it wouldn't surprise me to see it converted into flats or similar. 

It's a fair size with parking.

Shame if it did, as it was almost most regular on match days, with the Bridge second.

Only ever went in the Volly once and the levers once or twice.

Dunno why, just did.

13 hours ago, wackerchackers said:

Hare & Hounds.

Brother lived next door. Ended up playing football for their Sunday League team for a while. I still have their top goalscorer trophy.

Some mad buggers and many laughs. Liked that pub.

3 hours ago, bolty58 said:

Brother lived next door. Ended up playing football for their Sunday League team for a while. I still have their top goalscorer trophy.

Some mad buggers and many laughs. Liked that pub.

 

Loved it in there early eighties before i think Whitbread knocked it about and spent some money on it.

Really good pint of stout , think Alan was the landlord for quiet a few years, gorgeous little half Italian lady for his missus and her mum lived there as well.

When they had a last try with the old Wheatsheaf on Newport Street they gave it to him. Must of spent a lot of money , video bank wall full of telly screens and loads of moody kids in Miami Vice suits with their sleeves pushed up to their elbows.

Fashion !!!!! priceless ,who would ever go out again dressed like that ?

1 hour ago, crawshawbooth said:

Loved it in there early eighties before i think Whitbread knocked it about and spent some money on it.

Really good pint of stout , think Alan was the landlord for quiet a few years, gorgeous little half Italian lady for his missus and her mum lived there as well.

When they had a last try with the old Wheatsheaf on Newport Street they gave it to him. Must of spent a lot of money , video bank wall full of telly screens and loads of moody kids in Miami Vice suits with their sleeves pushed up to their elbows.

Fashion !!!!! priceless ,who would ever go out again dressed like that ?

Loads of characters in the H&H, not least my brother. The bloke who had the newsagent opposite (name escapes me now - small close cropped bearded bloke with glasses) was a bit of a whiz on the mokes. Came in for a lunchtime whistle wetter one day and told everyone in the place a horse called Quarry Bank was going to win today. You don't forget long priced winners. I got on a 25-1 at Paul Deans further up the road. What an afternoon piss up that became when everyone was minted. Tequila and bitter lemon all round. Every fucker was buying rounds of them for some reason.

7 hours ago, crawshawbooth said:

 

 

When they had a last try with the old Wheatsheaf on Newport Street they gave it to him. Must of spent a lot of money , video bank wall full of telly screens and loads of moody kids in Miami Vice suits with their sleeves pushed up to their elbows.

Fashion !!!!! priceless ,who would ever go out again dressed like that ?

When they put in hundreds of TV's, the Wheatsheaf became Serendipitys & was the final nail in a top, & pretty rough, Bolton pub. When Wolves brought loads in that end of season game, Wolves fans got in early & took over the Wheatsheaf while Bolton had the Shep.

I have a theory that any pub with a one word name ending in S will be crap. ( no doubt there will be some exceptions with traditional pubs !!) 

15 hours ago, bolton va va said:

When they put in hundreds of TV's, the Wheatsheaf became Serendipitys & was the final nail in a top, & pretty rough, Bolton pub. When Wolves brought loads in that end of season game, Wolves fans got in early & took over the Wheatsheaf while Bolton had the Shep.

I have a theory that any pub with a one word name ending in S will be crap. ( no doubt there will be some exceptions with traditional pubs !!) 

I hope you're counting The Trotters as two words then! 

Loved that place so much I had my wedding reception there.

Since the 20 oddth of May another casualty occurred. My Guiness pub of choice Little John has closed.

Just now, FrancisFogarty said:

Since the 20 oddth of May another casualty occurred. My Guiness pub of choice Little John has closed.

Terrible news.

1 minute ago, Traf said:

Terrible news.

the 'next door pub' is the Lizzie. I didn't like it 20 years ago and for me it's not altered. I now mostly stay on the bus to the Northern Monkey when open, or the Griffin.

I'll call in the Lizzie occasionally  just to remind me I don't like it.

I find that pubs have to either diversify into real ale, craft beer or food to stay alive these days.

No space for the old-fashioned boozer serving mostly shit lager and not much else imo. Need to get with the times.

Edited May 29May 29 by jmjhb

37 minutes ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Since the 20 oddth of May another casualty occurred. My Guiness pub of choice Little John has closed.

That's sad news.  As I've mentioned on here before my Aunt owned it from about 1980 until she retired I would guess in the 1990s.  Previously owned the long gone Rothwell St Tavern.

44 minutes ago, FrancisFogarty said:

the 'next door pub' is the Lizzie. I didn't like it 20 years ago and for me it's not altered. I now mostly stay on the bus to the Northern Monkey when open, or the Griffin.

I'll call in the Lizzie occasionally  just to remind me I don't like it.

Times really are tough

It can't help that the price of a pint these days is extortionate

I don't know what the answer is

8 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I don't know what the answer is

Starmer Out, surely?
This HAS to be his fault.

13 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

It can't help that the price of a pint these days is extortionate

I don't know what the answer is

Supermarkets, Sky and the internet killed the puub trade

33 minutes ago, Dimron said:

Supermarkets, Sky and the internet killed the puub trade

Been saying this for ages. While supermarkets are knocking beers and lagers out for next to nowt and Sky are saying earlier or later kick off only a crackpot is going to go out and pay £4 plus the a pint.

1 hour ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Since the 20 oddth of May another casualty occurred. My Guiness pub of choice Little John has closed.

That is sad 

17 minutes ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Been saying this for ages. While supermarkets are knocking beers and lagers out for next to nowt and Sky are saying earlier or later kick off only a crackpot is going to go out and pay £4 plus the a pint.

It started with supermarkets using alcohol as a lost leader, then came the world wide web and social interaction retreated indoors... then sports events were mass televised and another reason to socially interact was removed.

I still try to hang in there with a Thursday night quiz night and Friday afternon scoops but our numbers are dwindling

 

On 30/06/2025 at 09:08, gonzo said:

Is the Volly in DL still going?

My Grandma was the battle axe landlady there many moons ago.

My old man ran the footy team.

How many moons ago?

58 minutes ago, Dimron said:

It started with supermarkets using alcohol as a lost leader, then came the world wide web and social interaction retreated indoors... then sports events were mass televised and another reason to socially interact was removed.

I still try to hang in there with a Thursday night quiz night and Friday afternon scoops but our numbers are dwindling

 

There was also drink driving awareness and the smoking ban and later fire sticks.

You could now sit at home in your shorts and T shirt and drink and smoke your head off and still watch anything you want on the fire stick.

Only a dick would be bothered getting their shoes on and getting out for a pint.

3 hours ago, jmjhb said:

I find that pubs have to either diversify into real ale, craft beer or food to stay alive these days.

No space for the old-fashioned boozer serving mostly shit lager and not much else imo. Need to get with the times.

Two pubs near me closed for refurbishment and spent probably a few hundred grand in the process

One is over priced, does food that is ok but nothing special 

The other churns out pints on sky match days, has pool tables and a poker night 

There's possibly a market for both 

It's shit but so many pubs are thriving, especially the micro pub sector.

Pubs die and everyone gets sad but then you ask when was the last time you went in it was on Xmas day 4 years ago.

They need to get better. Watering holes are a thing of the past.

 

Pub offering something different are thriving ( I refuse to use the term USP).

The micro that I frequent started before Covid. I used to call after work and there were some old blokes and me in at 4:00 

When they reopened they started doing bits of food. Now they have all sorts of stuff to tempt you. Live music, open mic nights the lot. But their hours don’t suit mine, but they are thriving.

it’s the rank and file ordinary pubs that are shutting because they are Tetleys, Boddies Smiths pubs. Nowt special.

Personally I do use pubs, most days I’m having a pint at 4;00 ish but you’re right about “regulars” who are every few year regulars.

Im 72 this year and it’s not going to be my problem for much longer but I do worry.