You Mean There's More Than One Crooked Spire?

What a thing to discover on Kill The Cask Monday

Six Game Catch Up

England 3 v Latvia 0

World Cup 2026, Qualification Group K

Monday 24 March 2025

Played at Wembley

Sheffield United U21 2 v Wigan Athletic 1

Professional Development League

Tuesday 25 March 2025

Played at Shirecliffe

SUFC 2024/25 Game #63

England U19 1 v Portugal U19 0

UEFA U19 EUROs, Elite Round, Group 7

Tuesday 25 March 2025

Played at Connah's Quay

Ground Tick #515

Sheffield United College U21 Women 11 v Scarborough Football Scholarship U21 Women 0

National Football Youth League, North Championship Women

Wednesday 26 March 2025

Played at Handsworth

SUFC 2024/25 Game #64

Sheffield United Community Foundation U19 2 v Northampton Town FEP U19 1

National Football Youth League Cup Semi Final

Wednesday 26 March 2025

Played at Handsworth

SUFC 2024/25 Game 65

South Leeds 1 v Wombwell Town 1

Northern Counties East League, Division One (Step 6)

Wednesday 26 March 2025

Ground Tick #516

Frankly, I've had to impose some Common Sense on this Blog. I've just come off the back of a wonderfully insane run of TEN games in SIX days. And I've got another two tomorrow. I don't like having too much of a Blog Backlog. It stresses me out. As I've said before, I can either get out there to games, or stay at home and write about ones I've already been to.

I choose out.

So, this Blog will just be a catch up run through.

It covers six games. I've ticked two new grounds to bring me up to #516. I've seen England U19 qualify for the 2025 EUROs in Romania (and more than likely the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile). I've seen Sheffield United Community Foundation U19 get to their League Cup Final. I've seen an eleven nil. And I've seen that superb Reece James free kick unlock the game against Latvia.

I've talked some bollocks, pressed some flesh, got some steps in - and had a few beers ‘round the way.

As we looked for a Beer before the England v Latvia game, the message was ringing around the Carrier Bag Firm airwaves.

The tills are down at the moment. The bar bloke says that he's hoping that they'll come back on soon. However, he is taking exact money in change.”

The Cock Tavern

315 Mare St, London E8 1EJ

But, our #30 bus was on diversion, and took an age to get there. And, by the time we got there, the tills were back on.

One thing ye should know of The Cock. On a Monday, as twas today.

Kill The Cask Mondays - £3.99 a Pint.

A superb promotion. In order to get some rotation through after what was, hopefully, a busy weekend.

The CBF had a looooong discussion. We feel they should have a Chalkboard, with an informed guesstimate of how many Pints are still left in each Cask. And they could chalk them off as we drank ‘em. Giving us even more incentive and motivation to get at it.

As with many things in the Carrier Bag Firm hemisphere, if you haven't got a metric, you're fucked.

There were seven on Cask. And eight on pukka Craft Keg. Magnificent.

Hobsons Brewery (Shropshire), Twisted Spire, Blonde on Cask at 3.4%

(Beer pictured at the top of the Blog)

Hold your horses. I grew up in Sheffield. Any train I get going South, like the one I got to this Pub, passes through Chesterfield. Look out the train window as you pass through Chesterfield and you will see the famous Crooked Spire.

Yet. This beer is called Twisted Spire. After “the curious and rare” twisted spire of St Mary the Virgin in the heart of Cleobury Mortimer, home to Hobsons Brewery.

Why weren't us dwellers of South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire ever told that, me Duck?

Incidentally, I was surprised to learn Cleobury Mortimer is a place, and not a fucking wing half for Old Etonians in the 1897 FA Cup Quarter Final.

Brewed with Hersbruker, Fuggles and First Gold hops and Maris Otter malting barley. Great beer. Not too sweet. Vibrant. Some bitter in the finish.

Hobsons Brewery, The Champion, Dark Mild (author waves to a small number of dedicated Blog readers in The Black Country) on Cask at 3.2%

CAMRA Champion Beer Of Britain in 2007. Maris Otter malting barley, pale chocolate malt and crystal malt. Fuggles and Goldings Hops from Worcestershire.

Thoroughly enjoyed that one. Still an excellent beer. Very easy drinking. Some nut. With some coffee drifting about. And the merest nod towards bitterness.

Iron Pier (Gravesend), Wealdway IPA on Cask at 4.5%

Opaque, rather than hazy. Looks inviting. Excellent, fresh condition. Some pine. Superbly balanced hop flavours coming through. Mosaic, Chinook, Styrian Cardinal and Columbus Hops. The third, of three, absolute fucking belters. And some Spire info an’ all. Kill The Cask.

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