Farewell to the Pools Bar?!

Where now?
By Albatross
July 26 2005

Anyone fancy a pint? Football Fans certainly do, but Hartlepool United fans and away fans at the Vic look set to lose one of the most popular Matchday Watering-Holes in the town. The Pools Bar at Jacksons Wharf is set to be no more.

In a move that seems more Michael Jackson than Ralph Ward Jackson, Pathfinder Pubs (who own Jackson's Wharf) look determined to cut their own nose off to spite their face. They have decided that the Pools Bar doesn't fit in with their plans for the pub: and so, all the memorobilia has been taken down and it looks possible that the pub will end up more like a restaurant complete with table-service and piped music than a favourite pre-match watering hole.

It's a kick in the teeth for Codyakker, who has devoted so much time and effort into creating the place; and I won't be surprised if some other pub in the area with more sympathetic (and astute) owners looks to create a replacement. Even if they do though, it will be hard to recreate the atmosphere of the original Pools Bar. Most of the memorobilia belongs to Codyakker; some things were on loan and will go back to their owners.

Although I'm an exile, I tried to drop in at Jacksons when I came over for the odd match - in fact I was there with my brother just before the Playoff Semi with Tranmere. As usually seemed to be the case, the place was jumping: Home and Away fans mingled peacefully, with some good-natured singing of club songs. The effort that had gone into the Pools Bar wasn't just the bar itself, impressive as it was - plenty of work had gone in on the publicity side as well, helping make the place a favourite of away fans as well as home. As far as I know there was never even a hint of trouble between fans mixing there - and in these days when travelling to a match you so often see signs saying "No Away Fans" it was wonderful to find somewhere with a more enlightened approach.

Ironically, the move by Pathfinder comes as a guide to Real Ale pubs within reach of Football Grounds is published that picks out the Pools Bar as one of the ones that does the best job of combining Beer and Football: author Richard Stedman even named it as his Pub of the Week back in February on his website. While the guide is well worth a look for the Real Ale loving travelling fan, sadly the entry for Jacksons Wharf will no longer be relevant.

So it's farewell to the Pools Bar, a top matchday watering hole. Will we ever see it's like again?

You can send (polite) Feedback to Pathfinder protesting about the closure of the Pools Bar by using the Feedback Form on their website.