What is the roughest bar you have been to?

LimerickTangerine said:
Its now known as Dolans Warehouse lots of gigs go on there great venue

Went in there one night with an ex girlfriend for a few drinks, this guy walked in with an American accent on second glance ended up been WWE legend Mick Foley turns out he was doing a comedy gig there that night, bought us both a drink had a nice chat with him
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What a great story. Seems a really nice bloke too in interviews.
 
Mark_GT said:
James Baillie Flats 66, then we got a knackered house on Hyde Park Terrace. I was there 81 to 84 doing Philosophy, which has come in handy supporting this frikkin' club!
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I was in Boddington for four years. I stayed in halls because in my second year I lobbied for the ex-site manager's house to be given over to students. 8 of us went into it and I got a room with a plush carpet, decent bed and my own sink! I knew where my bread was buttered.
 
Redlips said:
1. Three legs leeds
2. Gilzeans Middlesbrough
3. Blind beggar London
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Gilzeans is now The Baltic and my favorite pub almost anywhere, does good food and the back room in wonderful. Even took my Mrs and daughter in for an evening just before lockdown. Don't know if it will reopen mind you had a peek through the window last week and it looked bleak.
 
Clifton Tavern, Cliftonville Road, Belfast. No windows. Very scary, I mean in another league. Got asked if I liked Charlie Adam (knew the sensible answer was no) but said yes. Luckily one of the guys knew him and we were 'protected'.
 
GrahamwantshisOates said:
I remember a pub called “Bettys bar” by the docks in Limerick.
You wouldn’t argue with the ladies in there!

Rough pub in Middlesbrough called the Robin Hood. I remember staring at the TV in there when Tommy Cooper suddenly keeled over.
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Robin Hood must have gone 20 years ago. Used to be over 60 pubs on St Hilda's now 2.
 
Curryman said:
The Perseverance Lumb Lane, Bradford. Now shut and reopened as a chemists. Previously drugs were available there , but not on prescription. I went to see the landlord there and Apart from him was the only white face and was suspected of being a Police man until the Landlord shouted it's ok he's my friend.

The Eagle in Middleborough. No chairs, tables bolted to the floor, windows all boarded. Screens across parts of the bar. Awful.
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The Eagle closed not long ago. A very rough pub. Had the misfortune to go there after a funeral on Berwick Hills estate one summer.
 
Stanah said:
Brass Handles Salford, if you don't know it then just google it
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Been there, rough as f@ck, I used to deal with a guy who had around a dozen pubs in Salford and that was one of them, he used to tell me some stories of the shit that went on, not for the faint hearted. He wore a bullet proof vest all the time.
 
Raging_Bull said:
Been there, rough as f@ck, I used to deal with a guy who had around a dozen pubs in Salford and that was one of them, he used to tell me some stories of the shit that went on, not for the faint hearted. He wore a bullet proof vest all the time.
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I had a few pubs in Salford in those days, in one we had a 8ft wall across the main door so doorman could shelter from drive by shootings.

I also had Farmers in Frazackerly when we we in the middle of Liverpool door wars, they called it the mine as it was full of pieces of Cole after Steven Cole was killed with a machete in there.

Worst place I ever had was 3 units on Star City when it first opened, Birmingham door wars were happening at the time, Al Stevens and Chris Bailey were backed up by the zulus and travellers, Fun days.
Plus it was centre of gangs from Erdington, worlds end, alum rock, nechells and Aston, a right boiling pot!
 
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Stanah said:
I had a few pubs in Salford in those days, in one we had a 8ft wall across the main door so doorman could shelter from drive by shootings.

I also had Farmers in Frazackerly when we we in the middle of Liverpool door wars, they called it the mine as it was full of pieces of Cole after Steven Cole was killed with a machete in there.

Worst place I ever had was 3 units on Star City when it first opened, Birmingham door wars were happening at the time, Al Stevens and Chris Bailey were backed up by the zulus and travellers, Fun days.
Plus it was centre of gangs from Erdington, worlds end, alum rock, nechells and Aston, a right boiling pot!
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Stanah, did you come across a guy called Phil Targett in Salford?
 
The name rings a bell but I can't say I know him.

It's where I first met Dave Crossland and John Disley.

Carl Flannery, the Noonans, Paul Massey.

I had Jamie Moores dad working the door there as well

In the Salford area I had the Inn of Good Hope, The Stocks in Walkden ( the great Derick Hilsley as GM), The Bridgewater in Worsley, The White Horse in Swinton and the Bluebell in Monton as an area manager for S&N in the late 90's until about 2006
 
Worked on the bars for 3 seasons in the Tower Lounge in the early 90’s - if a fight didn’t break out on any of the sessions then the customers used to get very angry indeed and it would spoil their holidays!
 
Bottle said:
Worked on the bars for 3 seasons in the Tower Lounge in the early 90’s - if a fight didn’t break out on any of the sessions then the customers used to get very angry indeed and it would spoil their holidays!
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I remember chatting outside to an old pal of mine called Tommy Salt (RIP) who was on the door with a couple of other lads, I said "what happens if it kicks off, there's only four of you" He said "Oh we just leave them to it, there's groups of 30 and 40 lads in there, not much we can do is there, we just pick up the bits when it's all over" 🥴
 
Some pub in Cleckheaton (can’t remember name) before the 5-0 win at Elland Room. Was rocking n raving at 3pm in afternoon. Police followed us in to check on our safety, who were chased out by the locals.....
The Duncan in the centre of Leeds is a pretty rough pub too
 
FlytoKavala said:
If you weren't a local, The Ship in Fleetwood was a pub to steer clear of.
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what era are you talking?
went in a few times around 10 years ago ( maybe longer) with no problems
went in the Cutty once, that was once too often.
I worked in Newcastle 20 years ago, a few rough places there but the Adelphi took some beating.
 
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I was driving home after my vaccine the other week down Dickson Rd, looked up and saw the Growler Club . It had another sign saying gentlemans club which got me wondering if it was Gay or Straight. A quick Google at home confirmed my suspicions especially after reading the reviews 😀 . Moral of the story ....always clear your internet search history on a shared computer and don't be so innocent!
 
Sadly the Blind Beggar was just another wannabe poshed up London Pub when I went there in October.
Back in the 90s when I visited before it definitely still had an air of menace about it.
 
Not sure it was the roughest, but the Earl de Grey just outside the centre of Hull was always one where you needed to keep your wits about you back in the 70’s and 80’s.
 
Goldfinger said:
what era are you talking?
went in a few times around 10 years ago ( maybe longer) with no problems
went in the Cutty once, that was once too often.
I worked in Newcastle 20 years ago, a few rough places there but the Adelphi took some beating.
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Adelphi on Shakespeare Street, was rough as fooooook when I Iast lived in Newcastle 1989/91
 
Me and the Missus had just moved to Townsville in North Queensland and after a lovely meal out we decided to go for a late drink somewhere. Wandering down the Mall we happened across the Spotted Cow late night bar.....
No sooner had we walked in and everyone turned to stare then I was immediately accosted and asked which regiment I belonged to.
None, said I - I'm not in the army...

Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat and jumped in the nearest cab....

Townsville is the largest 'garrison' city in Australia.
 
The Broadmead in Northampton..... dont think the police ever waited to get called out, they'd just show up by default about 11 every night because they knew something would be going off.

There was a pub in Corby, its name escapes me, not so much rough, but I remember there used to be a lad in there quite openly selling dodgy £20 notes for £5 each!
 
TangerinePeel said:
Great story, my Dad has a similar one where him and a few lads went into a rough bar in Manchester - he described it like it being a Western and everyone watching you as you came in. Someone asked them where they were from and once they said Blackpool everyone was their best mate telling tales of going there for holidays. Hilarious how that can change a room!
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Reminds me of a trip to The Old Maine rd. After the match 6 of us went in one of their strongholds (circa 1998 scaffold in corner stand) and despite getting some dirty looks, we got away with it despite one lairy fucker trying to stick it on me but he backed down. But the place was wall to wall with sky blue. I have a soft spot for City and probably coz of Colin Bell.
 
glasshalffull said:
Not sure it was the roughest, but the Earl de Grey just outside the centre of Hull was always one where you needed to keep your wits about you back in the 70’s and 80’s.
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Yep, agree, went there in about 84, made the bar in star wars look like a private gentlemen’s club from the Victorian era.
 
No idea of the names of these places but whilst over in Hong Kong a few crew took me a on a trip to 'little Philippines' and I ended up in what was either a building site or a bar hidden down several dingy alleys and in about the 3rd level of a basement. Drinking Red Horse (nice Phillipino beer) at about $0.30 a bottle I was buying drinks for everyone and was very popular that night. On return to the ship (no idea how I got back) the chief engineer, also a Phillipino, sent the crew who took me on the first flight back to the Philippines as it was apparently a haunt for serious organised crime gangs. Similar story in Ningbo, China, where a trip to the 'karaoke bar' was actually a back street brothel / pawn shop. Again I was very popular and as a single 21 year old lad it was quite a temptation but I kept my wits about me this time and made a swift exit !
 
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