What's the score?

SportsPubs.co.uk aims to provide fans with the ultimate guide to what matches are showing where, as well as rating pubs from a drinker's point of view

With the growth of satellite and digital television, football fans can, in theory at least, enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to watch any game they like.

But how do they know where to go?

It was with this difficulty in mind that Manchester United supporter Rob Millar teamed up with a couple of mates to start their own website - www.sportspubs.co.uk - in time for the 1998 World Cup.

The idea was to provide sports fans with a guide, not only to which games were playing where at any one time, but an assessment of the quality of viewing and the facilities on offer at each of the pubs.

It began, Rob says, as a hobby. At the moment the site still focuses on London, listing about 250 pubs. But when ITV Digital announced its expanded football coverage last summer it inspired him to go for expansion.

The plan now is to take the guide country-wide and involve licensees in putting it together.

"We realised that with ITV Digital showing Champions League and Nationwide League matches there was a lack of knowledge among fans about where they could see the games they were interested in," he said.

"We also noticed the move away from managed pub chains to tenanted and leased pubs. More licensees are trying to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and they are having to do it as one-man bands. We can help them to promote themselves and create a community of sports pubs."

While the site currently tells visitors which channels a pub offers and what's on those channels, Rob would also like to include details match-by-match - but that means getting the information direct from licensees and eventually he hopes to set up electronic links to maintain updates.

If it comes off, Rob's project will also work to raise standards. The listing shows not only what hardware is installed but rates each pub according to visibility around the pub, the sound system and the overall big match atmosphere.

Customers can also find out whether they can have a bite to eat, whether there is table service, whether the pub is biased towards one particular set of supporters and whether they can continue to watch the game while at the bar or in the toilet.

If you are screening live games during the World Cup contact the site at reviews@sportspubs.co.uk for a free listing.

How do you score as a sports pub? Next to knowing your customers really well, you might want to find out how to improve your operation according to some objective criteria.​

SportsPubs.co.uk rates pubs from the drinker's point of view in terms of atmosphere, screen visibility and service and also compares the price of a pint with similar outlets in the area. Here's how it works out the scores.

Visibility​

It might sound pretty basic stuff but one of your most important considerations has to be the positioning of your screen or screens and whether everyone you want to be able to see the game can get a good sight of it.

In the SportsPubs survey, however, very few managed 10 out of 10 on visibility. For a perfect score you need to satisfy seven "critical points" that the judges are asked to mark on, plus most of the six "optional points".

Critical points​

• Can you view a screen from any part of the bar so you can watch a game while ordering a drink? Are there screens behind the bar?
• Can you stand anywhere in the pub and see a screen? Are there pillars, low hanging lights, televisions stuck in corners etc that cause viewing problems?
• Is the quality of the image good enough? How about sound quality? Can you hear it from any part of the pub?
• Does the image get obscured by sunlight during day-time games making it impossible to watch properly?
• Is the screen in a position where people are constantly getting in the way, eg by the entrance or near the toilets?
• Is the screen high enough to allow everyone to see but low enough to avoid straining your neck?
• Can the pub show several games simultaneously? Is sound zoned so that you can have live coverage in two or more places without causing interference?

Optional points:​

• Is the place set up so that you can have people sitting at the front and others standing at the back without anyone having to walk over people to get to the bar?
• Can you see several screens from one position and so have a chance to watch two games at the same time? Is there a screen showing teletext results of games from other leagues?
• If you go to the toilet are there screens located at all points along the route to make sure you see all the action? Are there screens in the toilets? Is there a sound system in the toilets?
• Are there screens at booth tables where you can select which match to watch?
• Are foreign games screened in the local language?
• Does the pub claim to have satellite dishes that can pick up every sports channel under the sun?

Atmosphere​

Atmosphere is considered the most important factor by SportsPubs Only six pubs have been given a 10 for it.

Whether a pub has a good atmosphere, of course, is a subjective matter, but there are some objective points to look out for and judges are given the following guidelines on how to score.

10​ - You have never been to a pub like this in your life. There are screens everywhere showing all six Champions League matches and the crowd is both massive and excited. The licensee is in charge of things and also promotes sport in every way possible from posters to competitions to announcements. People come from miles away to see the games because they are assured of a good night irrespective of whether it is a World Cup game or Wales v Ireland in the rugby. This is the best sports pub you have ever seen.

8​ - Usually the best pub in the area for watching sports. It has a great atmosphere on big match nights and also pulls in a large crowd for Monday night football. Often has two screens showing different Champions League matches.

6​ - Good for the big matches but generally quieter for the normal weekly games, except when the top six Premiership teams are playing against each other. As a result the atmosphere is sometimes hit and miss - you can never guarantee action but it is more than likely.

4​ - Shows sport and has most of the channels but often keeps the sound down while games are on and doesn't always show every match unless you ask - and the licensee is in a good frame of mind. You will still probably have a good time watching a major international such as England v Germany but people tend to go there more because the pub is local.

2​ - Doesn't have many channels and hardly pulls the screen down unless there is a large enough group of people in the room demanding it. The licensee doesn't often know that games are being played and doesn't care.

Service​

Everyone is demanding a higher level of service these days and football fans are no exception. Service is not yet incorporated into the SportsPubs scoring mechanism but there are plans to introduce it, based on the following guidelines:

• Getting served

Does it take a long time to get served at the bar?Do other people push in and get served because no-one is taking any notice of you?Are barstaff friendly and helpful when serving?Do prices change from round to round? Do barstaff know how to add up?

• Watching sport

Is music kept on during the games?Is the television switched