Product Trumps Values

Middlesex Drew with Durham

Middlesex 430 all out

Durham 567 all out

Middlesex 146 for 4

County Championship Division Two

Friday/Saturday/Monday 1/2/4 May 2026 (Days One, Two, Four)

Played at Lord's

This is just a quick Blog to cover off two organisations I have difficult relationships with.

The basics are - I enjoy their product, but dislike their values.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the MCC, owners and guardians of Lord's Cricket Ground, the self-styled Home of Cricket. Now, I could never be a Member of MCC, even if I wanted to be. I went to Comprehensive. I went to Polytechnic. I don't know the words to Jerusalem, but I know it's the rightful capital of Palestine.

To become an MCC Member, your Dad has to have been a Member, and put you on the Waiting List at Birth!!! Not happening for me. I don't even aspire to be a Member of MCC. Unlike one of my neighbours on Day One, up on the Terrace at the back of the Lord's Pavilion, the Sun Trap. Beloved of the Carrier Bag Firm (all welcome, no runners). And dubbed by them - Hedonism Terrace.

A neighbour of mine, up there on Day One was proudly sporting the traditional Egg n Bacon MCC Tie. Fuck no, he wasn't an actual Member, didn't go to the right school neither. And the Club Shop won't let you buy an MCC Tie unless you can prove you're a Member. But, he'd somehow got one, and he'd got it on, because he wanted people to think he was a Member. Not happening for me.

And yet, whilst rejecting MCC and all they fucking stand for. I do enjoy a day out on their premises.

I'm a longstanding Member of Middlesex County Cricket Club.

“You're a hypocrite Phil. Someone told me that your level of Middlesex Membership requires a DD - a Doctorate of Divinity. You must hold an advanced academic degree in Christian theology.”

“(Giggling here). Is that what they've fucking told you? True Dat. I do need a DD to remain a Member of Middlesex. But it's just a Direct Debit you arsehole. Anyone can be a Middlesex Member, simply by paying the modest, no questions asked, Membership Fee. Mine was £115 this year.”

That Middlesex Membership allows me to enjoy the delights of watching Cricket at Lord's. And dressing up for the Pavilion.

Then there's Brewdog. I'm a longstanding shareholder. Although now it's all gone pear shaped for Brewdog, Dem Shares worth negative fuck all. Punk IPA was a gateway beer for me, and many others. Some of the best drinking days of my life were in Aberdeen, at the Brewdog Annual Beer Festival Meetings. And you could rely on Brewdog Bars. They'd have the core Brewdog range, the Brewdog specials, and guest craft beers from local breweries.

Then. Inevitably. They started to overreach. Yet another mass market entry level Pale Ale. Yet another fucking lager to bust Carling. Gin, Bourbon, Rum was it? Cavernous Braying Buffoon Gaffs. With fucking table reservations. Venture Capital. I was fucking there when “they” voted for that. Rumours of Bullying. Lay Offs. Restructuring.

They basically became a right set of fuckers.

In the end, they couldn't keep up chasing shit. They Chansiri’d. Went into Administration. Some chancer has bought “the brand”. And we can never have nice things.

And yet, whilst rejecting Brewdog and all they fucking stand for. I do enjoy a day out on their Beer.

I s’pose you're wondering why I'm having a dig at Brewdog as well as MCC.

You see, Lord's Cricket Ground partnered with Brewdog in January 2025. Brewdog is a Brand, in the fucking end, that's all it was. So, the branding went up at Lord's. Big Style. Everywhere. As if they hadn't got enough Braying Buffoons already…

And now. That's done. As you can see in the Photie at the top of the Blog, Lord's have had to hastily DeBrand. With judicious use of bin liners and gaffer tape.

But I'd recognise that “shield” anywhere. Good Riddance.

I noticed Lord's still had Brewdog Black Heart as their Stout offer. Presumably they couldn't get Guinness sorted in time. They must have also found some old Casks of Thornbridge, as those were popping up in the varying bars. And, it looks like Adnams have agreed to help out. Something (probably a rebadge) called Old Father Time ale has appeared “from nowhere”.

Budweiser Budvar/Czechvar Original from a Tin at 5%

Chapel Down, Grand Reserve 2019 from a Bottle at 12%.

The game got interesting on Day Four. Durham taking a 130 and bits lead. And then Middlesex reeling a bit at 53 for 3. The game was right there for Durham to win and Middlesex to save. And a lovely 77 not out by Max Holden pushed us into save territory. Max backing up 65 from his first innings.

Ryan Higgo Higgins the pick for Middlesex as well. With 131 in the first innings and then taking the wickets of Alex Lees and Ben McKinney. Higgo ended with 4 for 117.

Emilio Gay and David Bedlingham scoring centuries in that big Durham total. But that wasn't quite enough to set up the win.

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I have now Blogged from 1,806 games in 4,276 days