cricketers alternative | Vital Football

cricketers alternative

O

octopus

Vital Squad Member
As the pub is shut for a refurb i am looking for an alternative close to the ground for a few pre match pints on Saturday. i know the one by the station but are there any more suggestions? Cant be to far from ground - old man is 80 and is legs aren't what they once were, so closer is better)

I was thinking maybe the factory as we have never been before.
 
If you don't want to walk too far then your options are fairly limited. The factory is fine, service is quick and plenty of seating.
 
I was never a fan of The Blues Rock Cafe but Factory is an improvement and the service is much better. Given your old man's age there isn't any really good alternative but the beer choice has improved. You'd need to get in earlyish to get the old man a seat because it gets crowded due to the closure of The Cricketers. You could try looking at The Hastings Arms and checking 176 bus times but I reckon Factory is your best bet.
 
jogills - 20/2/2017 17:54

You'd need to get in earlyish to get the old man a seat because it gets crowded
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I'd like to think the average Gills fan would offer to give up their seat in such a situation...
 
Around the ground is only really the Factory. If you're willing to get a cheap taxi from the town then I would recommend the Past and Present if you're into your real ale or cider.
 
Yep we do the Factory. Since it's refurb it's perfectly acceptable. I might even go as far as to say decent. Queues are much shorter than they used to be - which for me is pretty key - even more so on a week night when everything is rushed anyway.

Still can't understand why they don't let people in the area in the back that's closed off still though. Could fit a good few more in there if so.

If you're happy to do a taxi to the ground then clearly there's a few other options as have been suggested above (not that i'd probably try many of these ones). Ship and Trades is a decent enough pub if you are happy to get a taxi to the ground.
 
cheers all, sounds like the factory is best bet. they have guest ales as well don't they?

Nibbles - if i've eight arms then it sounds like i'll be legless! :8:
 
I need advance orders so I can get the best caviar, smoked salmon, quails eggs, Dublin Bay prawns and Shipham's fish paste.
 
You'll like The Factory, you don't have to wait 20 mins at the bar like you do at the Cricketers. :14:
 
So, out of interest. is the "ale" quality or, is it completely shite because the management need to make a very high turnover, rather than spend some few months developing a class outlet?
 
At the Factory? There hasn't been any different ales on pump for a while now. Spitfire, Dizzy Blonde, Hobgoblin and Proper Job. That said, one or two will usually be unavailable even from pre-game. Don't bother with the smooths or IPAs on tap, like Perculier IPA. Revolting.
 
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