Ready for the World Cup? Here are the best places in Bristol to watch football finally come home

Roar the three lions on from these brilliant Bristol venues

1 year ago

There is now less than a month until the entire country comes to a standstill as the three lions hit the pitch in Qatar and attempt to bring football back to where it belongs. It feels like only yesterday we all watched that heart-breaking Euros final, yet here we are with another major tournament on the horizon. But where will you be supporting Southgate and co. on from in Bristol?

We’ve all been to All Stars and The White Harte at some point to watch some Premier League action but, like me, you may be after a change of scenery this winter. So I have created a list of less obvious venues you may want to consider.

But be warned tickets for these places go quickly, so act fast and secure your seats before it’s too late.

1) Ashton Gate Stadium

South of the river lies the home of Bristol’s biggest sports teams and nestled neatly in the south-west corner of the stadium sits the Independence Sports Bar. Usually the watering hole for football and rugby fans each weekend the Sports Bar is definitely one of the best places to watch the World Cup this winter.

Being the birthplace of the famous “bar goes wild” meme from the 2018 World Cup you can be guaranteed that the atmosphere here will be electric. The spacious, double story bar contains the second largest indoor screen in England, providing fans with the perfect viewing experience. While drinks may be a little pricey and the stadium is a bit of a trek the sensational atmosphere will more than make up for this.

I can’t think of many better places to watch the mighty three lions while signing that football’s coming home again.

Due to its popularity tickets have already completely sold out for two of the three group stage games. But not to worry there’s a fantastic fan park located just outside the bar and tickets are still available for this. And if you’re fast enough you’ll be able to snap up tickets inside the bar for the knockout games, providing we actually get that far.

2) SWX

After having recently reopened, SWX are launching their World Cup fan zone this November for up to 1300 England fans. Live DJs will lead the way with a pre-match party that is sure to heighten your excitement, that’s if the copious amounts of alcohol you’ll most likely consume haven’t already.

Once that party comes to a close you can sit back and enjoy a Maguire masterclass on Bristol’s biggest screen. Drinks are reasonably priced and the club lies in the city centre making it perfect for experiencing the cities post-game atmosphere.

I can’t comment too much on SWX as a venue as I’m yet to go but what place can be bad when you’ve got over a thousand rowdy England fans singing ‘Southgate you’re the one’ while the drinks are flowing. At the time of writing tickets are still available and are quite cheap at only £6 so move fast.

3) Green House

Located at the bottom of Park Street is this lively, modern bar that has several TVs scattered throughout it and then one massive screen at the back which is absolutely perfect for watching big games. The range of drinks options here is extremely impressive with all the classics on draught as well as a broad range of craft ales and lagers so there is bound to be something to your taste.

Choose to enjoy the football either on ground level or up above on the balcony, which has its own separate bar. If you’re on the smaller side, however, I’d recommend sticking to down below as the railings can spoil your view of the game.

The Green House’s location is ideal as it’s easy to get to and also close to the city centre meaning you can march through the streets after the game joyously singing about how Harry Maguire drinks the vodka and the jäger.

4) Walkabout

Walkabouts are renowned for their electrifying atmospheres and the one in Bristol is certainly no different. I went here only last week to watch Manchester United scrape a draw away at Chelsea and the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing so one can only imagine how good it will be when rivals come together to support one team.

While the range of drinks on draught could be improved upon, the cocktail, shots, and bombs menu is incredible and very reasonably priced. So head over to their website and put a deposit down to secure yourself a table.

The bar sits only a stone’s throw away from The Commercial Rooms so if you fancy getting a few rounds of cheap drinks either before or after the game you’re sorted. It’s also located on a street rammed with other popular bars so you can be sure that, providing we win, the surrounding area will be bouncing.

5) O’Neill’s

Talking of these popular bars along the same street as Walkabout, O’Neill’s Irish Pub & Bar is certainly one of them. As you can probably guess from the Irish theme the atmosphere and drinking culture here is unmatched and what else do you need for a game of football other than booze and plenty of singing?

Be warned, the drinks are quite pricey, with a pint of Carling coming to almost £5, but of course there is a Wetherspoons nearby so you can always save a bit of money by drinking there before and after the game. Besides that however, O’Neill’s is the perfect place to watch the World Cup with brilliant views of the screens being available from wherever you choose to sit.