"There were, quite clearly, better pubs in the area, the kind that get in Time Out lists. While the nearby Faltering Fullback had an exterior draped in foliage, served decent Thai food and boasted a multilevel beer garden, the Park Tavern's chief talking point was that it still had an advert up above the urinals for the 2001 PlayStation game Hogs of War. Every time I had a wee there, I was forced to contemplate the strapline: Who's got the biggest weapon?"
"But after 40 minutes getting trounced on the pitch by some or other group of bigger men, our team didn't have the energy for traipsing anywhere else. And so the Park Tavern became our second home. It helped that it was never very busy. That meant we could always get a table at which to dissect how, exactly, we had just lost 7-1 to a team that only had four players for the first 25 minutes."
DisOrient FC used the Park Tavern as its post-match gathering spot because it was the nearest pub to the five-a-side pitches and served Guinness with working toilets. The pub lacked fashionable features compared with nearby venues like the Faltering Fullback, and even had an advert above the urinals for the 2001 PlayStation game Hogs of War. After losing matches, the team would linger over multiple pints to analyze performance, formations and marking, despite occasional absent kit or playing in chinos. The Park Tavern's low busyness ensured tables were available for camaraderie. Over time team connections improved and the venue hosted moments of joy and triumph.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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