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Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
Dec. 1st, 2025 08:45 pmTo Chichester on Saturday for AFC Portchester’s away game with Bognor Regis Town. Met Ian on the train from Havant, but the rest of the Portchy crowd made their own way there. Ian said Brian was a real ale aficionado and would find us a good pub, so we waited outside the station for Brian to arrive then let him lead us through the city centre and down a side street to the Hole In The Wall. On our way we met Martin and he joined us.
Brian’s knowledge of the Good Beer Guide had served us well. The Hole was a lovely little place with real ales on six pumps and ciders on four. Brian and I both opted for the milk stout, very tasty. We found a corner table and studied the food menu. I asked for halloumi fries. The barman said they were off, so I went for the buttermilk chicken and the barman said “The buttermilk chicken’s better”. It was certainly first class. I just managed to resist the temptation to order seconds.
We all talked about Portchester’s prospects and players, and various places around the world where we’d seen football matches. Brian, a West London native, told us of his days supporting QPR and Harrow Borough - whom Portchester play next Saturday. He reckons he’s going to make a half-and-half scarf. Ian and Martin, supporters of Portsmouth FC to varying degrees, mused on Pompey’s current travails and predicted they were heading for League One.
We moseyed on to the ground, where the bar was decked out with Christmas decorations. I got some very tasty Southern fried chicken tenders and chips from the tea bar. Dan, Shaun, Nigel and a few others were there and had put up the Arancione banners as we gathered behind the goal. Michael Birmingham, the Bognor manager who’d wound us up with his antics in August, is no longer with Bognor so we interspersed the usual song repertoire with a few choruses of “Where’s your Birmy gone?” Bognor scored in a breakaway about halfway through the first half.
On 70 minutes Reuben Austin floated a free kick into the box for Portchester and Archie Willcox popped up at the back stick to head across the goalmouth and in for the equaliser. The referee seemed to be losing it as Bognor players got away with some physical shithousery, but the Arancione had the last laugh when Reuben fired an injury-time winner in off the crossbar.
The rest of the Portchy fans stayed on after the whistle to soak up the atmosphere. I said quick goodbyes and made for the train station in the hope of getting home for a good chunk of the Lionesses’ friendly with China.
That was the plan. Alas, after changing trains at Fratton station it gradually became evident that there were no trains running to Portsmouth Harbour. A fault with the signalling, apparently. I, along with a girl in the same boat, meandered out of the station and across the road to the bus stop, where at least the buses were accepting train tickets. Made it home for the last 20 minutes of the England game, seeing the last two goals of the Lionesses’ 8-0 rout of China.
I felt touched, yet sorry I hadn’t been able to be there, seeing photos of Crystal, Jules, Kathy, Jill and Steph all sitting together at the Lionesses match. When I messaged Crystal, she said I’d been missed. She’s a sweetheart.
Yesterday went to King George playing fields (lunching at the nearby McDonald’s first) to see the AFC Portchester Ladies Reserves play Basingstoke Town Women. Stacy, recovering from an operation, had come along to watch on her crutches. She followed the live stream of the first team’s Women’s FA Cup tie with Worthing on her phone, keeping us updated as the firsts came back from conceding an early goal to win 4-1 and set up a home encounter with WSL 2 side Ipswich. Meanwhile, the Reserve girls dominated their game and overcame determined defending to win 2-0 with goals from Aimee with the blue hair and Eilidh.
Brian’s knowledge of the Good Beer Guide had served us well. The Hole was a lovely little place with real ales on six pumps and ciders on four. Brian and I both opted for the milk stout, very tasty. We found a corner table and studied the food menu. I asked for halloumi fries. The barman said they were off, so I went for the buttermilk chicken and the barman said “The buttermilk chicken’s better”. It was certainly first class. I just managed to resist the temptation to order seconds.
We all talked about Portchester’s prospects and players, and various places around the world where we’d seen football matches. Brian, a West London native, told us of his days supporting QPR and Harrow Borough - whom Portchester play next Saturday. He reckons he’s going to make a half-and-half scarf. Ian and Martin, supporters of Portsmouth FC to varying degrees, mused on Pompey’s current travails and predicted they were heading for League One.
We moseyed on to the ground, where the bar was decked out with Christmas decorations. I got some very tasty Southern fried chicken tenders and chips from the tea bar. Dan, Shaun, Nigel and a few others were there and had put up the Arancione banners as we gathered behind the goal. Michael Birmingham, the Bognor manager who’d wound us up with his antics in August, is no longer with Bognor so we interspersed the usual song repertoire with a few choruses of “Where’s your Birmy gone?” Bognor scored in a breakaway about halfway through the first half.
On 70 minutes Reuben Austin floated a free kick into the box for Portchester and Archie Willcox popped up at the back stick to head across the goalmouth and in for the equaliser. The referee seemed to be losing it as Bognor players got away with some physical shithousery, but the Arancione had the last laugh when Reuben fired an injury-time winner in off the crossbar.
The rest of the Portchy fans stayed on after the whistle to soak up the atmosphere. I said quick goodbyes and made for the train station in the hope of getting home for a good chunk of the Lionesses’ friendly with China.
That was the plan. Alas, after changing trains at Fratton station it gradually became evident that there were no trains running to Portsmouth Harbour. A fault with the signalling, apparently. I, along with a girl in the same boat, meandered out of the station and across the road to the bus stop, where at least the buses were accepting train tickets. Made it home for the last 20 minutes of the England game, seeing the last two goals of the Lionesses’ 8-0 rout of China.
I felt touched, yet sorry I hadn’t been able to be there, seeing photos of Crystal, Jules, Kathy, Jill and Steph all sitting together at the Lionesses match. When I messaged Crystal, she said I’d been missed. She’s a sweetheart.
Yesterday went to King George playing fields (lunching at the nearby McDonald’s first) to see the AFC Portchester Ladies Reserves play Basingstoke Town Women. Stacy, recovering from an operation, had come along to watch on her crutches. She followed the live stream of the first team’s Women’s FA Cup tie with Worthing on her phone, keeping us updated as the firsts came back from conceding an early goal to win 4-1 and set up a home encounter with WSL 2 side Ipswich. Meanwhile, the Reserve girls dominated their game and overcame determined defending to win 2-0 with goals from Aimee with the blue hair and Eilidh.
