Tamworth Sports Bar

 Well this is a place that can’t make up its mind what it wants to be. Known by locals simply as the snooker club this is a place I used to come to years ago to watch illegal streams of Premier League games (it must’ve been years ago, Blues were in the top flight at the time!!) and entry to the games was via membership only. If you are reading officer it wasn’t me it was my doppelgänger!!

It was quite good back then, if Blues were playing at the same time as their less illustrious neighbours from across the Expressway then the one game would be shown in the one room and the other shown in the other room with no man’s land being the bar when fans begrudgingly mingled at half time. 

Occasionally bands (usually rock tribute acts) used to play, I remember being particularly impressed by Dirty Deeds an AC/DC tribute act complete with a bell (using during the song Hells Bells for the uninitiated), a lead singer in a flat cap (long before Tommy Shelby made them a must have fashion accessory) and lead guitarist in full schoolboy uniform. 

Fast forward a few years and the venue is a mish mash of everything. Firstly, just like on DIY SOS, one of the walls has been knocked down, the one that used to separate Blues fans from the undesirables, so the ground floor is one big open room. My friends wife used to refer to this place as ‘the den’ as it was dark and dingy. That’s certainly not the case anymore, it’s brighter than the Las Vegas strip. 

There is a much greater focus on playing sport rather than watching it these days which is hardly surprising given as it is home to snooker player Dave Gilbert who is currently one of the top twenty top ranked players in the world. The full sized snooker tables are upstairs whilst downstairs (in the area that used to house Blues fans) are nine full sized pool tables…

….Given my lack of ability I much prefer the more generous  American style pool tables with pockets like wizard’s sleeves. 

The bar is decked out in sporting memorabilia with black and white (or is it sepia?!) photos from yesteryear of villa’s successes. However The Historians don’t get it all their own way I couldn’t help but notice a photo of a certain magnifique Frenchman above the bar..

Drinks are a bit hit and miss, disappointingly there’s nothing for us cask ale folk, the drink of choice by some way is Carling which remained at an inflation busting £2.50 for years but sadly it’s rocketed to £3.30 however this didn’t seem to deter the yoof of Tamworth who during my most recent visit were happy to splash their cash on this popular beverage…well obviously it wasn’t cash they just waved their phone at a handheld machine but you get my point !! 

Fear not though if drinks with umbrellas are more your thing, the cocktails are named after the bar staff and for a mere £7.99 you get to savour Pam’s Woo Woo…

Music is still a big focus and I’m not just referring to the fact that Clean Bandit were playing on the tv screen as I walked in on a wet cold Monday night. If you go on a Magical Mystery Tour downstairs it’s almost like being in Mathew St, Liverpool in the early 1960’s….

…yes there is a music venue which is soon to be home to Michael Buble, George Michael and Queen, okay not the real artists but let’s not split hairs. Take That are also appearing soon however I can’t help thinking that Mark Owen looks like a fat Gary Shaw…

Food doesn’t appear to be a priority at the Sports Bar which is quite surprising given I’m always accused by my better half of ‘smelling like chips’ every time I visit. It’s hardly surprising given the chips with everything policy on the menu…

All told then it’s not a bad place, possibly not a place you’d take a lady/gentleman/non binary individual on a first date but definitely a nice to have in the selection of Tamworth bars.