The pub is a ten minute walk from the ground so the regular 2.35pm conundrum is whether or not you've got time to squeeze in another pint before kick off, a situation that isn't helped by the fact that the clock on the pub's wall has its numbers in reverse !! The answer is generally yes, as the chances of missing an early Blues goal is always highly unlikely !!
There is normally at least one real ale on offer, I opted for a pint of Doombar and, although the place is usually pretty full, getting served isn't generally a problem. In days gone by the pub's pre match crowd would often burst into song though these days it is generally tunes (normally of the Britpop variety) from the pub's fabulous juke box that sends us on our way to the match with a spring in our step, though the fact that the route to the ground is up a steep hill we literally do have to follow the words of the club's anthem to the letter and Keep Right On To The End Of The Road !!
We often comment that the fact that the pub is that good, coupled with the fact that Blues are that bad, then a better plan would be to go the pub then go straight home. It would save on the inevitable misery !!
UPDATE 8th March
Don't get me wrong, there been very few joys and plenty of sorrows in the time I've spent watching Birmingham City but, given the fact that this season's home league form is the worst in the club's 139 year history, means that the pre match pint is generally the highlight of a match day. Saturday March 8th was another such occasion !!
The unseasonably mild weather produced a few fashion crimes, Gray was wearing his menacing Peaky Blinders cloth cap despite the fact that it was a balmy 13 degrees outside, and Steve appeared to be wearing his wife's blouse. Had the fashion police visited there would have been some arrests !!
The beer is always good in The Wagon, and that day was no exception, Sharp's Doombar was once more my chosen tipple. I had a couple of pints and psyched myself up for the match, surely we couldn't lose again........we did two nil !!!
UPDATE 11th March
Two games in four days meant that I visited The Wagon and Horses both on Saturday and Tuesday. My first observation from the Tuesday night was that the fashion crimes from a few days before were thankfully confined to the annals of history as both Gray and Steve were back to being the embodiments of sartorial elegance !!
There were two real ale options available to me but mine and Shelley's trip to the Cheltenham Gold Cup three days later meant that there was really only one choice, Goffs Cheltenham Gold. I saw it as a sign that I'd pick the winner of the big race.
I mentioned in a previous post that the musical style in The Wagon on a match day favours the Brit pop era and I made a note of the musical selections from the jukebox that night to emphasise the point. It was like a who's who of alternative music of the 1990's ; Oasis, Pulp, Inspiral Carpets, Blur, Stone Roses and Suede, it took a random choice of The Monkees to break the 90's dominance. It was 'twisting my melon man'.
As usual, my big decision of the night was did I have time for an extra pint? Seeing as I had to make that decision at 7.20pm (noting that it was a 7.45pm kick off) meant that realistically the answer was no but the 2 0 reverse a few days earlier meant that the possibility of missing kick off would be a welcome relief.......I had the extra pint and entered the ground with almost three minutes gone, we were winning 0 0, trust me, things are that bad currently that a 0 0 scoreline feels like a victory !!
UPDATE 27th August
Well, I couldn't put it off any longer, this was the day when I made my first appearance to watch Birmingham City in the 2014/5 season. £12 for the League Cup tie with Sunderland seemed like a real bargain, however I feared I may be of a different opinion at just after 9.30pm !!
I was the first to arrive of my football friends (adopts thumbs up Inbetweeners style pose) and had a choice of two ales, Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbody's Amber Ale or Milestone Loxley Ale. According to the brewery Dorothy Goodbody is the daughter of a Herefordshire hop grower who is close to the head brewer. She sounds quite a catch, and I wonder if she's Goodbody by name and.........
My chums began arriving slowly and Carling Cup winners 2011 merchandise was being sported by some. We couldn't do it again could we? Flippin' 'eck, what am I saying?!! Dorothy's beer must be strong !!
Unfortunately Dorothy Goodbody's Amber Ale ran out so I moved onto the equally impressive Loxley ale. The pub was surprisingly empty and the usual crowd of blokes who take good control of the tunes that get played on the jukebox were notable by their absence, this was evidenced when the music went country and western on a couple of occasions.
The pub isn't in the most salubrious of areas, it is surrounded by industrial units and a bus garage at the front so it is just as well the beer garden at the back is so picturesque, check this out..
I left with an up for the cup spring in my step. This could be our year !!
EDIT
It wasn't, we lost three nil !!
UPDATE 25th October
This visit to The Wagon and Horses was a very brief one. I was on route from The Anchor to St Andrews with my mates Matt and Gaz when we decided to pop into The Wagon for a quick pint, I'm not sure whether it was to numb the pain or to prolong the agony for as long as possible !!
The Wagon is a fabulous pre match venue, we have often said that it is invariably the highlight of the match day experience. The beer is good (Sharps Doombar for me on this occasion) and the place is populated with familiar long suffering faces.
I have mentioned in the past that the music has a Madchester bias, however it was taken to a whole new level during this visit, the song selections were The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses and erm The Stone Roses as someone had put the whole first album on the jukebox. Now I know Ian Brown wants to be adored but this was ridiculous !!
I am quite a fan of street art (I really admire what Banksy does for example) and feel that there is a place for art/graffiti as long as it done well so I couldn't help thinking that the addition (in sticker format) to the art work in the gent's toilet was a welcome one..
Given its location in the little boys room I am not sure whether it was an expression of disdain or an instruction !!
As is generally the case we all gave our predictions for that afternoon's match with Bournemouth being the opponents on this occasion. I optimistically went for a one nil Blues win, eternal optimist Gaz also went for a Blues win (2-1) while Matt, somewhat disappointingly, went for a 0-3 reverse. Surely we couldn't be that bad could we?
EDIT. Matt was the closest, it was 0-8 !!
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