A Bath pub for watching football - any advice please

[Millay]

Got a stag trip lined up for June (not mine). There’ll be ten 40-something blokes heading for Bath on a Friday afternoon just ready for the evening session. Saturday we’ll be at Bath races then looking for somewhere to watch the England v USA World Cup game. I’ve been to quite a few pubs in Bath but none stand out as big football pubs. We’re staying at the aptly named Pratt’s Hotel on South Parade near the train station so somewhere not too far from there would be ideal.

I was thinking of the Ram behind the station or the Pig & Fiddle, maybe Lambrettas on North Parade or the Bell up Walcot St. as pubs that might be suitable. Can anyone recommend one of those or suggest any other with a decent atmosphere that’s big and welcoming enough to accommodate a group of ten drunken blokes on what is probably going to be a busy night. Real ale would be an advantage, although most of the party will be satisfied with the amber stuff.

Thanks

[Conrad]

Long time I have drunk in Bath, I will try and ask some of my friends who still live there though. No idea about The Ram or Lambrettas. The Bell was an excellent pub, but unless it has really changed I doubt it will be showing football, unless it is the table kind (great table football hall out back) I can believe the Pig & Fiddle might, but again don't remember it being big on that sort of thing.

I'll give it some more thought though and try and come back with a helpful answer.

[PaulOfHorsham]

On my trip to Bath (http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showthread.php?572-Bath&highlight=bath), I tried (successfully) to avoid pubs showing football (not that there was much to show on a Wednesday afternoon in November!). However, from memory, (and confirmed by a bit of PG browsing), The Assembly (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/7/) on Alfred Street has screens and serves Abbey Ales, the local brewery. I'm just off to add a web link.

Goodness - an early entry to the database - it has ID7! Which has ID1, chaps?

[Conrad]

The Assembly used to be one of my favourites, probably because it had a pinball table though, in fact for quite a while it had the amusing Judge Dredd table, probably not so popular here but I do miss pinball tables.

The early ID is just to do with Bath, when they were initially loaded onto the system they went on alphabetically, so Avon - Badminton first, then Avon - Bath.

[Millay]

However, from memory, (and confirmed by a bit of PG browsing), The Assembly (http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/7/) on Alfred Street has screens and serves Abbey Ales, the local brewery.

Thanks for that, I remember The Assembly now as we did go in on a recent visit. Small bar to the left, larger one to the right, Abbey Bellringer and Sharps Doom Bar I think. We watched a bit of cricket in there. I'll add that to the list of possibles.

[Maldenman]

Feedback would be useful, as Bath City were promoted to the BSP today. I fancy that as a weekender, unless the usual happens and it turns out to be a Tuesday, or when I'm on call.

[Conrad]

Feedback would be useful, as Bath City were promoted to the BSP today. I fancy that as a weekender, unless the usual happens and it turns out to be a Tuesday, or when I'm on call.
Sadly I had to go away and look up which the BSP were, glad to see them back up there.

[RogerB]

glad to see them back up there.

I'm not! That was one of my potential long weekend away trips next season now that Dartford are in the Blue Square South! A weekend in Woking isn't quite the same. Looks like we'll just have to get promoted again now.

[Conrad]

You'll just have to visit Bath without the football excuse, at least that way you don't have to visit Twerton as well :whistle:

[RogerB]

You'll just have to visit Bath without the football excuse, at least that way you don't have to visit Twerton as well :whistle:

I went to Twerton (when Bristol Rovers used to play there) as part of my mission to visit every league ground (which was also the reason I found myself in Colchester on Saturday).

[Conrad]

You should know better than to want to go back then, especially if you went there to watch Rovers :p