South Shields Preview by Man In A Hat.

Here we go then, the first stop-over away trip of the season.

Why Bother?

Well for starters, this is the first time in six attempts that we’ve actually had an interesting draw in the 2^nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

It’s been total boredom all the way to date.

·        2013 - drawn at home to Brighouse Town (any chance of a replay - nope!)

·        2014 - Harrogate away - yawn! Been there, done that.

·        2015 - Fylde away - ditto

·        2016 - home to Hyde

·        2017 - home to Curzon

At last, something interesting, and a trip north as well, so the public transport will be plentiful (including ferries and trains that go under water) and the ale should be nice and affordable.

Editors` helpful intervention......

This one perhaps !

County have never played South Shields of course and have never played at Mariners Park either.

In addition, this is the biggest game in South Shields’ history, hot on the heels of playing and beating Darlington & York in the Cup last season, before eventually bowing out to Hartlepool.

So plans were hastily drawn up and off we go. Too hastily as it turns out, as we’ve ended up in a Premier Inn, whereas we could have stayed at Copperfields in Tynemouth and got the ferry to the game! Not a first for me course, but that’s another story altogether.

Let’s hope we draw them again in The Trophy so that this error can be rectified.

Never mind, the 2019 Good Beer Guide has been acquired, so let’s get stuck in.

There is so much to do, it’s ended up as a three night trip. Don’t be jealous, I’m just living the dream for you, keeping it warm for you. In the meantime, you’ll just have to be satisfied with reading about it.

The Route

There are many ways to get to Newcastle by train, but surely the best (and cheapest as it happens) is via Doncaster.

Four Good Beer Guide pubs within 100 meters of the Station. I kid you not!

Once at Newcastle, the Metro takes you wherever you want to go. Get off at Bede for the game.

On the way, I’m hoping to check out the Box Social and Beer Street, which seem to be next door to each other under some railway arches behind Newcastle Station.

Match Day

As you’ll find out, pre-match real ale opportunities are slim pickings at best, so we decided on match day hospitality. Look out for the hat in the Director’s Box.

Maybe this one, but it will not be in the Boardroom!

Perhaps a stroll into Jarrow afterwards?

The Rest

The rest of the trip will be spent checking out the real ale in the Shields, where there are exotically named pubs like the How Do You Do, Pow Burn and Magnesia Bank in North Shields, and South, the Dolly Peel and Alum Ale House, which boasts 17 hand-pulled ales - we’ll just see about that!

I’ve even spotted a new micro-bar at Tynemouth Metro Station that needs a CAMRA write-up - my work is never done.

So it looks like there’s going to be lots of hopping on and off the Metro.

As ever, I’ll be doing my best to get photos of the Blue Army doing its thing, so watch out! A full report will be published when (if?) I get back.

As you know, you can find all of the pubs I mention on the excellent CAMRA website www.whatpub.com

Man In A Hat.