On 12 February we went to watch Wingate & Finchley Football Club in North Finchley. The day started at the King of Prussia in North Finchley (N3 1DH, near Finchley Central tube) which has an interesting selection of keg beer from independent breweries, including Anspach & Hobday. Our next stop was the Bohemia on the High Road (N12 9QH), which is operated by London Brewing Co. The pub has an in-house brewery with lots of cask and keg beers on offer.
It is a large airy pub with a chilled out atmosphere and lots of comfy sofas. It was a good pub to go to before the game because it is only a short walk to Wingate & Finchley FC’s ground. There were four cask ales from London Brewing Co. and on our visit and we sampled the Oyster Stout, which was tasty.
Wingate & Finchley FC play at the Maurice Rebak Stadium and today’s visitors were Cray Wanderers FC from Bromley. W & F are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was established in 1991 when Wingate and Finchley merged. Finchley FC was one of the oldest clubs in the country, with roots going as far back as 1874. The result of the match was 2-2. More information on the club’s history and details of upcoming fixtures can be found on the club’s website: https://www.wingatefinchley.com/.
It was an enjoyable day out and, although very cold, it was nice to be able to have a beer watching the football. The bar in the ground itself was open throughout the match and fans could drink pitchside. There were only a few hundred fans watching the match and so you have to wonder how these lower league clubs survive? We chatted to a local fan, who also supports Arsenal as his main club, and he said he paid £65 for a W & F season ticket, which means he can watch all of the club’s games for probably less than the price of one premier league game!
Joanne Scott