As the World Cup action hots up Jess Dixon, landlady of the Red Lion in Yarnton, writes about sports in pubs
I first want to say a massive thank you to anyone that has popped into the pub since my first column in the Spring edition of Oxford Drinker magazine and said hi, as I appreciate that Yarnton probably isn’t on all of your standard travel routes.
Another brief thank you to all of the drinkers that came to our beer festival on May 2. Everyone was in great spirits and really enjoyed the day despite it deciding to rain from 5pm onwards (we can’t have it all, I suppose). We had seven different cask ales and two “funky” craft keg beers on offer, and it really does make me so happy to see people trying new beers.
And now on to the actual topic of this column, also in the Summer edition of the magazine: sports and a bit of an observation around drinking culture for the players and supporters. As unless sport really isn’t your thing, I think it would be difficult to ignore the fact that the Rugby Six Nations tournaments may have finished but the football World Cup has started and Wimbledon tennis is about to begin.
Players
Fish and chips, lime and soda, salt and vinegar… all great combinations, but do they come as close as sports and a social beverage?
Sports and alcohol have seemingly always been intertwined, with ancient civilisations like the Romans and Greeks consuming wine and beer (depending on your class) during social events including sports.
Nowadays if you look at high level athletes you’d probably be disappointed at the supposed lack of a social beverage on game day. Sports teams spend hundreds of thousands annually on nutritionists and chefs so that players can be at their best for games, so when you think of elite athletes on game day, think protein shakes and electrolytes, not a crisp pint. But there are definitely outliers, with some players such as golfer John Daly being known to play better once a drink had been had.
I suppose alcohol not being part of an elite athlete’s diet on game day isn’t the biggest surprise. After all alcohol reduces healing times, cognitive function and increases the risk of injuries which of course isn’t ideal when you’re meant to be at the top of your game. But judging by the celebrations after any team sport wins a significant event or tournament, there is definitely room for a drink or ten once the hard part is over.
On the other side of things we have the classic grassroots level of sport that we’re all a bit more familiar with, where the majority are playing for fun rather than big titles. And based on my own experiences I’m going to say that it’s not a huge surprise that studies on athlete drinking behaviours suggest that 40-80% of sporting people engage in binge drinking on a regular basis during the season. So us humble players of local sports are clearly enjoying a more relaxed approach and making up for the lack of beverages at higher levels.
And although it is easy to get sucked into the doom and gloom of negative health impacts of alcohol when over consumed, I think most of us would also agree that having a few drinks with your team really helps to strengthen bonds and adds a sense of unity and cohesion. Going out with your team mates relieves stress, makes memories and is one of the reasons lots of us continue to play sport, and nowadays of course there are so many great “low and no” alcohol options that if you want to regulate your intake, you can.
Supporters
And of course, where would sports and sporting venues be without the supporters? The people who show up week in week out, win or lose?
The key points suggested by sociologists to explain why we choose to congregate and watch sports together is a sense of community and escapism, but in addition to this where could the desire to drink a beer alongside a game come from?
You’re not going to be surprised but the answer is good old-fashioned advertising. After all three quarters of European football teams are sponsored by at least one alcohol brand. Teams such as Manchester United have their own wine and whisky brand, and Guinness’s marketing impressions during the Six Nations reached 122 billion across various platforms.
Brand loyalty and positive associations are strengthened through these advertisements, making you feel part of it all, which makes sense when big companies tell you that pints of their product will “enhance your viewing experience”. And if you’re there and everyone around you is doing it then you won’t bat an eyelid when you’re paying £8 for Guinness and £5-£7 for a pint of lager. You simply want to be included and have a good time.
Alternatively, you may feel like skipping the plastic cup in a stadium and choosing to watch a game in your local pub or bar as there’s nothing better than a pub full of people coming together, when the atmosphere can be electric.
So no matter what you watch or what you drink I think that the main takeaway is that humans love creating traditions for themselves and finding a sense of community through shared interests, and that’s extremely important in this day and age.
Pint if we win, Pint if we lose!
As the World Cup action hots up Jess Dixon, landlady of the Red Lion in Yarnton, writes about sports in pubs
I first want to say a massive thank you to anyone that has popped into the pub since my first column in the Spring edition of Oxford Drinker magazine and said hi, as I appreciate that Yarnton probably isn’t on all of your standard travel routes.
Another brief thank you to all of the drinkers that came to our beer festival on May 2. Everyone was in great spirits and really enjoyed the day despite it deciding to rain from 5pm onwards (we can’t have it all, I suppose). We had seven different cask ales and two “funky” craft keg beers on offer, and it really does make me so happy to see people trying new beers.
And now on to the actual topic of this column, also in the Summer edition of the magazine: sports and a bit of an observation around drinking culture for the players and supporters. As unless sport really isn’t your thing, I think it would be difficult to ignore the fact that the Rugby Six Nations tournaments may have finished but the football World Cup has started and Wimbledon tennis is about to begin.
Players
Fish and chips, lime and soda, salt and vinegar… all great combinations, but do they come as close as sports and a social beverage?
Sports and alcohol have seemingly always been intertwined, with ancient civilisations like the Romans and Greeks consuming wine and beer (depending on your class) during social events including sports.
Nowadays if you look at high level athletes you’d probably be disappointed at the supposed lack of a social beverage on game day. Sports teams spend hundreds of thousands annually on nutritionists and chefs so that players can be at their best for games, so when you think of elite athletes on game day, think protein shakes and electrolytes, not a crisp pint. But there are definitely outliers, with some players such as golfer John Daly being known to play better once a drink had been had.
I suppose alcohol not being part of an elite athlete’s diet on game day isn’t the biggest surprise. After all alcohol reduces healing times, cognitive function and increases the risk of injuries which of course isn’t ideal when you’re meant to be at the top of your game. But judging by the celebrations after any team sport wins a significant event or tournament, there is definitely room for a drink or ten once the hard part is over.
On the other side of things we have the classic grassroots level of sport that we’re all a bit more familiar with, where the majority are playing for fun rather than big titles. And based on my own experiences I’m going to say that it’s not a huge surprise that studies on athlete drinking behaviours suggest that 40-80% of sporting people engage in binge drinking on a regular basis during the season. So us humble players of local sports are clearly enjoying a more relaxed approach and making up for the lack of beverages at higher levels.
And although it is easy to get sucked into the doom and gloom of negative health impacts of alcohol when over consumed, I think most of us would also agree that having a few drinks with your team really helps to strengthen bonds and adds a sense of unity and cohesion. Going out with your team mates relieves stress, makes memories and is one of the reasons lots of us continue to play sport, and nowadays of course there are so many great “low and no” alcohol options that if you want to regulate your intake, you can.
Supporters
And of course, where would sports and sporting venues be without the supporters? The people who show up week in week out, win or lose?
The key points suggested by sociologists to explain why we choose to congregate and watch sports together is a sense of community and escapism, but in addition to this where could the desire to drink a beer alongside a game come from?
You’re not going to be surprised but the answer is good old-fashioned advertising. After all three quarters of European football teams are sponsored by at least one alcohol brand. Teams such as Manchester United have their own wine and whisky brand, and Guinness’s marketing impressions during the Six Nations reached 122 billion across various platforms.
Brand loyalty and positive associations are strengthened through these advertisements, making you feel part of it all, which makes sense when big companies tell you that pints of their product will “enhance your viewing experience”. And if you’re there and everyone around you is doing it then you won’t bat an eyelid when you’re paying £8 for Guinness and £5-£7 for a pint of lager. You simply want to be included and have a good time.
Alternatively, you may feel like skipping the plastic cup in a stadium and choosing to watch a game in your local pub or bar as there’s nothing better than a pub full of people coming together, when the atmosphere can be electric.
So no matter what you watch or what you drink I think that the main takeaway is that humans love creating traditions for themselves and finding a sense of community through shared interests, and that’s extremely important in this day and age.
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