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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Chris Slater

The 'Jäger Challenge' putting a Greater Manchester boozer on the map

A Rochdale pub popular with football supporters has become famous after starting a leaderboard of how many Jägerbombs fans of each team have sunk.

The Cask and Feather on Drake Street markets itself as an away-friendly pub to fans of teams traveling to the town to see their team take on Rochdale AFC at Spotland as well as those traveling to other games in and around Greater Manchester.

They lay on free food and karaoke in a bid to create a party atmosphere for the fans before they head off to the match. They regularly get several coaches full of supporters in before games.

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And a drinking competition launched by the boozer has now become an internet sensation. The pub has two Jägermeister machines and is well known for selling shots of the spirit mixed with Red Bull energy drink.

At the end of last season, landlady Terri Hernon, 36, who has now been in charge at the pub for seven years, decided to start tallying up how many each set of fans were having.

The leaderboard, totted up on a whiteboard in the pub, notes the highest number bought in a single round as well as the most bought in total on a matchday by each set of fans.

It is accompanied by a message at the bottom saying 'Please drink responsibly. Over 18s only.' They started the 'competition' towards the end of last season with fans of Harrogate Town and Leeds – who often stop at the pub on their way to away games nearby – coming out as winners.

And she has started a fresh leader-board this campaign, which has become a huge hit with thirsty fans. "We invite all the away teams down, no matter what league they are in, and put sausage and chips on for them for free and put karaoke for them as well," Terri said.

"Just give them a good time. Get them all cheered up, get them all in the atmosphere." And she said the 'Jäger Challenge' was her and her mum's idea.

"I'm a bit known for Jägerbombs," she said. "We really push them. We've got two Jäger machines, and Jägers are our biggest sellers. So I'm like the shot girl. I don't really know how it came about we just decided 'let's do a competition and see who can beat the others.'

"I didn't realise how much it would it take off. Everyone is telling us 'we wanna win.'" Hartlepool currently top the league table for the total number of Jägerbombs -with 520 bought. The drinks cost two for £5 or four for £10. Newport bought the most in one round, 120.

"Even though it's a challenge we do it responsibly," she said. "That's why we feed them as well. But if we get two coaches and each coach has 50 on it, it's only one shot each, so it's not like everyone is having millions of Jägers.

"Hartlepool had three coaches and they had like three each or something, that's why they're right up there.

"Newport came in and had a big whip-round between them all and ordered them all at once. I make sure there's no trouble. All the fans always say they've had a great time and that's the main thing."

Pictures of the board have now been shared on various fan pages on social media and Terri expects the competition may intensify for the remainder of the season.

"I am hoping so because it's the away days that actually keep us going," she said. "They are my favourite days. It's a massive help to us. Times are hard at the minute."

"At the moment it's really quiet" she added. "So we're only open and Fridays and Saturdays. We've just not been able to get it back since Covid. So match days are massive for us."

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