Red and white is unashamedly the colour scheme at The Coopers Arms. But then this pub just outside the Ashton Gate stadium has always been very much a refuge for Bristol City supporters.
A one-room Victorian pub with an L-shaped drinking area wrapped around the bar, The Coopers Arms is slap bang opposite Greville Smyth Park. Popular with locals, it’s also one of the go-to pubs for a swift pint - or three - of cider before a match at Ashton Gate.
The pub’s links to Bristol City go beyond merely pre-match drinks and you may even spot the odd local hero in there. Last month, Ashton Gate legend Geoff Merrick turned up at The Coopers Arms to meet supporters and sign copies of his new book, Life With The Robins and Beyond.
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When I popped in for a late afternoon pint last week, football was the only topic of conversation other than Ukraine and Boris Johnson's fine. Apart from barmaid Pat serving behind the bar, it was all men putting the world to rights.
A cluster of gents were huddled on the red-upholstered banquettes next to sign for ‘Grumpy Old Men’s Club’. On the other side of the room, there was a larger group of men enjoying post-work pints of Thatchers Gold and Blackthorn Dry.
The carpet, upholstery and wallpaper may be red but the air was certainly on the blue side. If the bar staff placed a swear box on the counter, they could soon have enough saved up for a holiday in the sun.
The straightforward choice of real ales on tap are Doom Bar, Wychwood Shipyard and Bristol Beer Factory’s Fortitude brewed a short walk from the pub. At £3.80, my pint of Fortitude was certainly cheaper than pubs and bars around the corner on North Street, including the brewery’s own tap room.
And it was a perfectly kept pint, too. Fresh, crystal clear and in tip-top condition, it was the best pint I’ve had all year.
For those who don’t like cider or ale, there’s Carlsberg, San Miguel and Moretti. The pub has always been known for the quality of its Guinness - a tradition reflected in a Guinness mirror and clock on the wall.
With fresh flowers on the window sills, the cleanest gents’ toilets I can recall and a five-star food hygiene rating, proud owners Ian and Nicky clearly have high standards. There’s live music most Sunday afternoons and a Deal or No Deal fruit machine for those customers who aren’t watching the Sky Sports on the TV in the corner.
When it comes to food, hot Bristol-made Clarks pies are available during the week but the kitchen opens fully at weekends. Served from Friday to Sunday, menu choices include a 6oz lamb jerk burger and chips (£10), large hot dog, onions and chips (£7.50), cheese and ham omelette and chips (£8.50) and a range of freshly made sandwiches for £3.
The language may not be for those more sensitive ears, but The Coopers Arms is certainly a traditional pub and a very real place. You get the sense that poseurs would get short shrift here, and if you’re looking for a trendy, overpriced craft ale bar, forget it.
The Coopers Arms, 12-13 Ashton Road, Ashton, Bristol, BS3 2EA.
