So our 12.45 curse continues, resulting in what was a top day of drinking nearly being ruined by a game of football.

It started off early doors, 8.45am in the White Swan. The promise that they would start to serve at 9am was false, as 2 members of staff were turning people away. By 9.30, they started pouring out pints, but with just 3 members of staff, and a good 500 Gooners gasping for a drink, the bar was quickly 5 deep.

The only solution was to get a quick pint was to pop next door, buy some cans, and take them into the pub.

It was fairly sedate in the pub before the game. Many people left next door to the Famous Cock due to the slowness of the staff in the Swan, this left the fans split.

A highlight was the look on one families face as they came in. 6 adults all dressed in running gear, with a baby in a buggy. It is clearly their Saturday ritual to go for a run (with their baby, why?) and then go to the White Swan for breakfast. They seemed confused that at 10am, there would be 500 blokes having a drink. “What’s going on?” they asked each other, before finding a quiet corner for their latte and scrambled egg on toast.

The walk down to the ground was the normal quiet stroll through Harringay. Is there a worse, more run down, pointless area in London than Tottenham High Road? Taking football banter to a side, the area is vile.

As always, we were met at the ground by the usual, snarling inbreds of Spurs fans, screaming obscenities from the safety of behind the police. A bunch of kids who think they are head because they wear Stone Island, and a bunch of adults who probably have the mental age of a 14 year old. Using one had to swear, their other to record and take pictures, they truly are a simple bunch.

The most disappointing moment of the trip to ‘The Shit Hole’ was the lack of beer at half time.

This is not a first, and seems to be creeping into the game. Banning of beer at half time for away fans will become the norm at football. This time it was due to ‘Local Government Regulations.’

A bit like the camera holding knob heads outside of the stadium, it seems when Spurs scored, they were more interested in videoing Arsenal fans than celebrating a goal. A bit like no booze at half time, camera holding prats is part of the modern game I can not stand. Put the camera’s away.

The march out of the stadium and back down Tottenham High Road was the usual fun, with the usual Spurs fans having a go whilst behind the police, than going silent when the police were gone.

And then back to the White Swan. The place was silent to begin with, like a funeral. But a bit like a wake, as the beer flowed, the place started to liven up. By around 5pm, I think the majority of the patron’s did not care about the result anymore.

Perhaps the longest version ever of B’Jesus said Paddy lasted a good 15 minutes. To repeat, at this point, the result was forgotten.

The ‘wake’ continued in the Swan for a few more hours before people started to go there separate ways. We ended up The George, before heading home.

The result was poor, but the day was quality. A good drink up with some good people.

Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC