Countdown to Wembley. Dying for a drink? Here’s where

Mary Coughlan’s anthem to the Irish drinking culture has these words:

.. and as the floods rise we drown our sorrows
Tossing it back like there is no tomorrow
And in the end we’ll sit or we’ll stand
And p*** it back down the bog holes of Ireland

We’ll be hoping the only floods on March 2 will torrents of Citeh tears. But for before and/or after the game, you may want to know where Sunderland supporters will be supping – and changing the last word of that song extract from Ireland to Wembley.

These, as listed in the Northern Echo and elsewhere, are the pubs designated for Sunderland fans:

* The Torch (1-5 Bridge Road)
* Crock of Gold (23 Bridge Road)
* Moore Spice (Wembley Retail Park, Unit 2)
* Watkins Folly (1 Empire Way)
* Blue Check Cafe (12-13 Empire Way)
* Alisan Bar (The Junction, Wembley Retail Park)
* Crystal Club (South Way)
* The Parish (120 Wembley Park Drive)
* First Class Sports Bar (125 Wembley Park Drive)
* The Wembley Tavern (121 Wembley Park Drive)
* Powerleague (Olympic Way)
* Cheers Bar (45 Blackbird Hill).

Without wishing to be too namist, there are a few in that list you might recoil from in horror merely on the basis of what they’re called. Any first-hand knowledge of what any of them is like would be appreciated and helpful.

From Eric Bowers, serial Salut! Sunderland mug winner, comes news of one of his own locals, the Man in the Moon, in Stanmore, which sounds an altogether better proposition – with it being a 2pm kickoff, just check beforehand on transport:

This was Eric’s message:

I popped into the above pub and spoke to the manageress. She informs me that they will be SUNDERLAND ONLY prior to the Cup Final. Stanmore is always a popular place for a drink pre Cup Finals. The only fly in the ointment is that LTE frequently close the Jubilee line at the weekend (NB: a glance at the TFL website on Feb 19 suggests not: http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en&sessionID=TLJJP04P1_189680305&requestID=1&tripSelector1=1&itdLPxx_view=detail&tripSelection=on&command=nop&calculateDistance=1). Pub number is 0208 954 6119 for anyone wanting to check.