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

36 minutes ago, Underpants said:

The Tanners was the first pub I went into when first started going to the match with the "bigger boys". They were actually work colleagues and they seems decades older than me but we're probably only 5 years older. The Nightingale was another pub on Lever St that I got dragged into. Great smells and a whole new experience to take in for a 16 year old Undies.

Used to go into the Tanners when I was 14.... upstairs...  Bolton Tropical Fish Club met there

12 hours ago, crawshawbooth said:

General Havelock was a great boozer supported by all the engineering firms in that area

Edbros , Hick Hargreaves , Walkers tannery

I wonder where The Cattle Market and The Tanners got their names from?

Late 70s pubs always busy dinner times , but T time rammed .Dead after 7pm unless it was Tuesday and there was a match on at the hallowed ground

Cattle Market had a good Tuesday night card school when there was no footie... often used to meet there at dinner time putting the pieces of the Friday night jigsaw puzzle together.

Got twatted by some Everton on News Year Day walking there over Orlando Bridge.

I used to love the Cattlemarket. It's the first pub I take started drinking in, purely as I was working at HB Electronics around the corner. Used to drink in the Havelock on occasion as well. Also The Duck & Firkin, when I was supposed to be on day release at college (as I couldn't risk being seen in the Cattle, by my bosses 😊) 

Churchills was always a favourite as well on a match day. Generally 12:30 in the Cattle,then Churchills at 14:00, then sprint down to Rice and Easy, and get chips and curry sauce from the lady who had that looked like a pumpkin, then into the game. After the match, back to the Cattle, then into Town or back to either Bromley Cross or Little Lever for even more booze

Fuck knows how I did it, if I drank that much now I'd probably chuck up

4 minutes ago, Sweep said:

Fuck knows how I did it, if I drank that much now I'd probably chuck up

Any more than couple of pints and I'm done for these days!

2 hours ago, Underpants said:

The Tanners was the first pub I went into when first started going to the match with the "bigger boys". They were actually work colleagues and they seems decades older than me but we're probably only 5 years older. The Nightingale was another pub on Lever St that I got dragged into. Great smells and a whole new experience to take in for a 16 year old Undies.

Nightingale is now the Irish centre and further up the Little John and the Lizzie are still going but the Cabin further up still is a shop.

51 minutes ago, Sweep said:

I used to love the Cattlemarket. It's the first pub I take started drinking in, purely as I was working at HB Electronics around the corner. Used to drink in the Havelock on occasion as well. Also The Duck & Firkin, when I was supposed to be on day release at college (as I couldn't risk being seen in the Cattle, by my bosses 😊) 

Churchills was always a favourite as well on a match day. Generally 12:30 in the Cattle,then Churchills at 14:00, then sprint down to Rice and Easy, and get chips and curry sauce from the lady who had that looked like a pumpkin, then into the game. After the match, back to the Cattle, then into Town or back to either Bromley Cross or Little Lever for even more booze

Fuck knows how I did it, if I drank that much now I'd probably chuck up

Used to go Cattle Market to meet @miamiwhiteand the groovy gang before home games at the Reebok.

I'd be on train to Bolton at 9am for a 3pm KO in Horwich then still be out in Bolton after game getting the last train home to Blackpool.

All on about £20

3 bottles of five flags for a fiver in the Clifton helped.

3 hours ago, Sweep said:

I used to love the Cattlemarket. It's the first pub I take started drinking in, purely as I was working at HB Electronics around the corner. Used to drink in the Havelock on occasion as well. Also The Duck & Firkin, when I was supposed to be on day release at college (as I couldn't risk being seen in the Cattle, by my bosses 😊) 

Churchills was always a favourite as well on a match day. Generally 12:30 in the Cattle,then Churchills at 14:00, then sprint down to Rice and Easy, and get chips and curry sauce from the lady who had that looked like a pumpkin, then into the game. After the match, back to the Cattle, then into Town or back to either Bromley Cross or Little Lever for even more booze

Fuck knows how I did it, if I drank that much now I'd probably chuck up

You’ve still got game 

Was in the Cattle Market 

one night with a mate 

a BRASS was at the Bar 

how Much BEAUTIFUL for us BOTH £80 

up to the hotel on Buemont We we went 

They Didn't Beleave She Was Our Sister 

So we Ran 

I Can Remember a Pro Shouting my name chasing me Whitty Whitty i have no Money come Back 

5 hours ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Nightingale is now the Irish centre and further up the Little John and the Lizzie are still going but the Cabin further up still is a shop.

It was, but it’s not been for a couple of years . 
Sri Lankan community centre now I believe 

6 hours ago, Sweep said:

I used to love the Cattlemarket. It's the first pub I take started drinking in, purely as I was working at HB Electronics around the corner. Used to drink in the Havelock on occasion as well. Also The Duck & Firkin, when I was supposed to be on day release at college (as I couldn't risk being seen in the Cattle, by my bosses 😊) 

Churchills was always a favourite as well on a match day. Generally 12:30 in the Cattle,then Churchills at 14:00, then sprint down to Rice and Easy, and get chips and curry sauce from the lady who had that looked like a pumpkin, then into the game. After the match, back to the Cattle, then into Town or back to either Bromley Cross or Little Lever for even more booze

Fuck knows how I did it, if I drank that much now I'd probably chuck up

Bromley Cross or Little Lever?
 

Couldn’t get more geographically diametrically opposed bits of Bolton.

I’m intrigued. 

51 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Bromley Cross or Little Lever?
 

Couldn’t get more geographically diametrically opposed bits of Bolton.

I’m intrigued. 

I lived and went to school in BX, then moved to LL (well, my Mum did, when I was 17), so had friends in both 🙂

11 hours ago, fatolive said:

It was, but it’s not been for a couple of years . 
Sri Lankan community centre now I believe 

Ahh, right , that sort of explains something.

One afternoon a week there’s a group of Irish comes in the Little John after a lunch at the Irish Centre. I just presumed it was still in the Nightingale.
Lazy reporting for which I apologise.

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.

Edited June 30, 20251 yr by gonzo

1 hour ago, FrancisFogarty said:

Ahh, right , that sort of explains something.

One afternoon a week there’s a group of Irish comes in the Little John after a lunch at the Irish Centre. I just presumed it was still in the Nightingale.
Lazy reporting for which I apologise.

The little John is the go to place for some of them  and the lunch is provided by the BICA but they don’t use the Nightingale any longer . 
it’s a shame but just not enough left of the generation that used it to be blunt. 

18 minutes ago, fatolive said:

The little John is the go to place for some of them  and the lunch is provided by the BICA but they don’t use the Nightingale any longer . 
it’s a shame but just not enough left of the generation that used it to be blunt. 

Yes, ‘fraid so. The LJ is my go to place for Guinness though.

3 hours ago, 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.

Yes. Only one that’s left in DL now. 
Lever Bridge seems to have been having. Work on it for years but no sign of it opening 

24 minutes ago, fatolive said:

Yes. Only one that’s left in DL now. 
Lever Bridge seems to have been having. Work on it for years but no sign of it opening 

Ivan has gone now, it's a bit brighter than it was, but I called in (about 12 months ago) and unsurprisingly it's not the same. They had lots on offer on the bar but not actually available at the time.

Biggest loss of a pub in my years of living in Bolton was The Howcroft. Loved that place. Started going in at 16. Took a few years before Frank would allow me to order a snakebite 

1 hour ago, MancWanderer said:

Biggest loss of a pub in my years of living in Bolton was The Howcroft. Loved that place. Started going in at 16. Took a few years before Frank would allow me to order a snakebite 

Frank the pot washer... he took over the pub from my auntie

On 29/06/2025 at 22:26, Sweep said:

I lived and went to school in BX, then moved to LL (well, my Mum did, when I was 17), so had friends in both 🙂

Friends?

Lies.

8 hours ago, Traf said:

Friends?

Lies.

also Lived would imply he has left Bolton and we all know @Sweep has never left the shire

On 29/06/2025 at 19:33, little whitt said:

Was in the Cattle Market 

one night with a mate 

a BRASS was at the Bar 

how Much BEAUTIFUL for us BOTH £80 

up to the hotel on Buemont We we went 

They Didn't Beleave She Was Our Sister 

So we Ran 

I Can Remember a Pro Shouting my name chasing me Whitty Whitty i have no Money come Back 

I once met up with an ex at a house party on Beaumont  chase. It was after a night in Bolton. I took her back to that hotel. It was just a knocking shop back in the day. 

I promised to get back with her if she let me fuck her again the Dirty bitch let me bum her and everything. Obviously i was lying and never called her again.

I loved the 90s

21 hours ago, fatolive said:

Yes. Only one that’s left in DL now. 
Lever Bridge seems to have been having. Work on it for years but no sign of it opening 

The Lever Bridge is going to be a HMO apparently. But, as usual, I may be wrong.

21 hours ago, fatolive said:

Yes. Only one that’s left in DL now. 
Lever Bridge seems to have been having. Work on it for years but no sign of it opening 

Car place, then restaurant, but nothing.

All weird.

1 minute ago, wackerchackers said:

The Lever Bridge is going to be a HMO apparently. But, as usual, I may be wrong.

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.

Just now, 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 & Hounds.