Monday, August 18, 2008

Come on down; you'll love it

So, if you're a regular "early loyalist" to Match Pricks, you're almost certainly aware of this place. It's kind of like "home base" for our weekly shenanigans. I like to think of it as an oasis in the American Midwest for any foreign travelers. Some people are over here, they can't understand why everybody in town talks so slowly, and then they hear there's a place called "Highbury" that shows matches and serves alcohol at 6:30 a.m. Well, why wouldn't you go there, if for no other reason than to get maybe even a slight taste of home?

My Match Pricks partner-in-crime here will have to chime in with the names of two new friends we made this Saturday. Coupla Irish guys, in town on business. Said hi to them during the Community Shield and then they came back for Liverpool away to Sunderland. Not an overly massive crowd in the place Saturday, so got talking to these fellas a little more. Mostly, it was joint grieving with the one sporting a Liverpool shirt about how poor the team looked. Well, Torres took care of that and oh did the drinks flow. Friendships were cemented and conversational lines were crossed – severely – but all in good fun.

Now, for the giant glowing neon "Welcome!" sign of friendship down at the bar. Liverpool started at 11:30 a.m. local time. Match ended a couple hours later, and I strolled out of there shortly before 4 p.m. My new Irish friends stayed behind, drinking with Colin and a few girls. I went home, slept for four hours, got up, went out to a movie with a friend, came back to the bar at about 11 p.m., and started talking with the bartender who had been there when I left ...

... The Irish guys were about 8-10 miles away with some girls that had been in the bar during the afternoon. Our new friends went out partying with these young women all day and night. Welcome to Milwaukee, friends. Come on down, and we'll buy you a drunk ... uh, drink. You'll love it.

4 comments:

Colin said...

It was ol' Tom and Tom from Ireland. One from Dublin, the other from Kilkenny. Wonderful to welcome new people into the wacky environment. I only hope for such an intro if I'm hunting down a football pub in another town. I recall a time in Minneapolis, crawling to a pub to watch Arsenal lose 2-nil at Bolton (a brace from Anelka). The place was a morgue. In spite of my best efforts to light a fire in the crowd with a song or four, I got nothing but dirty looks.

We also welcomed two Arsenal supporters in from Cincinnati. They were in for the weekend for a festival and found The Highbury online ... an easy choice, they said, when they saw the name. And the right choice. Again, welcomed with open arms. I even saw them later in the night at said festival. Good for them, they were keeping it going ... just like I was.

Carl said...

you two sure are serious for footie fans. not the same guys that were talking about harp and guiness and the swiss alps. for shame and i heard a very bold statement about the skills of Irish women.
Love,
Carl

Unknown said...

Hey Colin & Carl - it's Barry from Cincinnati - thanks again for the hospitality at The Highbury. Fantastic place. It'll make going back to watching matches back here in Cincy at Hap's Irish Pub a bit disappointing. Great crowds there for World Cup games; not so much for league games. We need to set up franchises!

Silvestre is an interesting signing. I like him from an experience & versatility perspective. If he is half of a two-part signing that includes a central midfielder, I'll be a lot happier and think we'll be as complete as we're going to be (although I'd like to have an experienced #2 keeper, though). The Gunners need to find a way to get another 3 points without Fabregas and then get him well, pronto.

Anyway, thanks again. We'll definitely stop in next time we're in town. Cheers!

Jim said...

Carl, you're forgetting I was drunk.