The Gooner Forum

I know this place has become 'the' Arsenal pub in recent years and previously lauded by others including myself but I've seriously fell out of love with the place recently and I surely can't be the only one.

I would think that match day business and their illegal/semi legal showing of foreign satellite coverage is purely keeping the pub open - I can't imagine anyone actually wanting drink in such a seedy dump on a non-matchday. Yet despite that I feel they've a genuine feeling of contempt for their match day clientele - I'm seriously getting sick of the rudeness and surly service from the miserable bar staff. I once thought I saw one of their staff smile once, but I think they just had wind.

Yesterday was the tipping point for me - last time I was there I couldn't drink and the two tokens given on exchange for the £8 entrance fee would have amounted to £4 for two soft drinks. I thought fuck that and I'd be creative and keep hold of the tokens for the next time I'm there. Little did I know though that the next time they'd use a different colour token and weren't having it. As I pointed out to them, look I've already paid you regardless so surely entitled to use them - but to no avail.

It's a shame because the punters - genuinely priced our former match-goers literally made that place, but the establishment seems to want to outdo the Arsenal in the money-grabbing and contempt for the punter stakes. Personally I'd rather give Ivan Gazidis five times the entrance fee than those tossers are asking.

Luckily there are other pubs in the area that show exactly what they show and don't even ask for an entrance fee. So I won't be entering that shithole again any time soon.

Never Outgunned wrote:I know this place has become 'the' Arsenal pub in recent years and previously lauded by others including myself but I've seriously fell out of love with the place recently and I surely can't be the only one.

I would think that match day business and their illegal/semi legal showing of foreign satellite coverage is purely keeping the pub open - I can't imagine anyone actually wanting drink in such a seedy dump on a non-matchday. Yet despite that I feel they've a genuine feeling of contempt for their match day clientele - I'm seriously getting sick of the rudeness and surly service from the miserable bar staff. I once thought I saw one of their staff smile once, but I think they just had wind.

Yesterday was the tipping point for me - last time I was there I couldn't drink and the two tokens given on exchange for the £8 entrance fee would have amounted to £4 for two soft drinks. I thought fuck that and I'd be creative and keep hold of the tokens for the next time I'm there. Little did I know though that the next time they'd use a different colour token and weren't having it. As I pointed out to them, look I've already paid you regardless so surely entitled to use them - but to no avail.

It's a shame because the punters - genuinely priced our former match-goers literally made that place, but the establishment seems to want to outdo the Arsenal in the money-grabbing and contempt for the punter stakes. Personally I'd rather give Ivan Gazidis five times the entrance fee than those tossers are asking.

Luckily there are other pubs in the area that show exactly what they show and don't even ask for an entrance fee. So I won't be entering that shithole again any time soon.

Stop moaning. You've been Outgunned by a pub this time.

Except there are tonnes of other pubs in the North London area who provide exactly what they do, so how have I been outgunned Plank....er, sorry Frank.

Never Outgunned wrote:Except there are tonnes of other pubs in the North London area who provide exactly what they do, so how have I been outgunned Plank....er, sorry Frank.

I know mate. I'm taking the mick. The Pins is an absolute shit-hole of a place. Can't stand it. The problem is that there's no incentive to offer good customer service as they will always have an endless queue of plonkers waiting to hand over their hard earned. Take your custom elsewhere mate.

Personally I think the bar staff in the 12 Pins are as good as it gets, even when the place is packed you get served quickly, unlike some establishments where you have staff who haven't a clue (or care) of who has been waiting the longest.

I don't mind paying a small premium if it guarantees me seeing any given Arsenal game. In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

I used to drink in there in the 80s when it was the Finsbury Tavern. In those days I loved it. The Guinness was wonderful. These days just not enjoyable at all so in recent years I started frequenting a boozer a bit more further off the Holloway Road.

topgunner wrote: In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

Funny how there's a few others in the area that don't charge a fee and don't seem to have that problem

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

Yeah - an intention I've already stated unless you didn't notice[/quote]

topgunner wrote:Personally I think the bar staff in the 12 Pins are as good as it gets, even when the place is packed you get served quickly, unlike some establishments where you have staff who haven't a clue (or care) of who has been waiting the longest.

I don't mind paying a small premium if it guarantees me seeing any given Arsenal game. In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

Representative of the 12 Pins anyone?

kingjayson1 wrote:

topgunner wrote:Personally I think the bar staff in the 12 Pins are as good as it gets, even when the place is packed you get served quickly, unlike some establishments where you have staff who haven't a clue (or care) of who has been waiting the longest.

I don't mind paying a small premium if it guarantees me seeing any given Arsenal game. In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

Representative of the 12 Pins anyone?

twelvepinner would have been more appropriate.

frankbutcher wrote:

kingjayson1 wrote:

topgunner wrote:Personally I think the bar staff in the 12 Pins are as good as it gets, even when the place is packed you get served quickly, unlike some establishments where you have staff who haven't a clue (or care) of who has been waiting the longest.

I don't mind paying a small premium if it guarantees me seeing any given Arsenal game. In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

Representative of the 12 Pins anyone?

twelvepinner would have been more appropriate.

Think they went for the covert but just ruined it with the opening post

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/

Never Outgunned wrote:

topgunner wrote: In an area like Finsbury Park you must realise that if there wasn't a fee to get in you would have half the pub stood there without a drink.

Funny how there's a few others in the area that don't charge a fee and don't seem to have that problem

The fee is payed before you enter the establishment so no nasty surprises, if you don't feel the pub merits it, simply don't pay it and visit one of the other pubs showing the games.

Yeah - an intention I've already stated unless you didn't notice

[/quote]

Then go to one of these other pubs you tight Arse

I've never watched a game in there so I can't comment on the tokens but when it comes to serving a packed boozer they're the best around. barman/barmaids can serve several people at the same time as an Irish pub always should so you never have to wait long. Try any of the other boozers and it's not unusual to wait 10 mins or more. Yes it's a bit of a dive but I get beer and quickly on match days, that's all I ask for....

topgunner wrote: Then go to one of these other pubs you tight Arse

Will do, thanks.

And seeing that your only two posts are on this thread you're in some way linked to that place?

Did anybody try the Compleat Angler in Norwich? Now that was horrific.

Tight bastard buy a ticket