C'Mon England!

The qualifying rounds for the 2008 European Football Championships are currently underway. Chizz came home the other night and suggested we go to a pub and watch the England/Russia soccer match. Yes, we could have watched it at home where the beer is free and no one walks in front of the television, but there is something about watching the game at the pub. Something dangerous that is.

Football (soccer in American) is serious business here. People aren't just passionate about it, they are insane about it. The pubs fill early to watch the game. We went to the Warrington Hotel. It is one of our neighborhood pubs. It has most recently been purchased by Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen fame. He is refurbishing the pub and restaurant. The pub has remained open, the restaurant is supposed to open sometime in the next few months.

When we walked in, England was up by 1 but there was so much tension in the bar. There were seats brought in so people could watch the huge big screen TV on the wall but no one was really sitting. It was too close a match as far as these spectators were concerned. Any time something happened or didn't happen, the fans in the bar would yell "C'mon England" in sort of a sing-song voice. No one is happy, and we hear the admonition quite a few times.

Chizz got us some drinks and we watched the match. The pub has a great big bar, very typical. Long, dark wood, intricately carved. There were big lamps attached to the bar, that were probably installed in the 1920s or so. They had that kind of look. The shades were actually large white glass bowls, underneath which the light bulbs were located. They cast sort of a glow over the bar area very nice.

But some people don't appreciate a good glow. While we were there, a group of patrons complained that the big lampshade bowls were blocking their view of the huge tv. So out came the screwdrivers and they took off all of the lampshades on the bar. I guess it would have been too much to ask the guy just to move his head over an inch or two.

The tension lifted a bit when another goal was scored and the noise level in the bar rose quite a bit. You could feel the relief. When a third England goal scored, it got downright giddy. Puppies and wives were safe for another night. Until the next game. C'mon England.