The Sportsman

Although this pub featured on a famous documentary about the toughest pubs in the UK, I found its bark was worse than its bite.
With the TV cameras long-​gone, this place wasn’t too bad. It may be a bit shabby. It may have seen better days. But I didn’t see any of the TV mayhem.
Instead we sat down for a quiet drink one afternoon, with no signs of drama. I’m not really sure what put the ‘sport’ into Sportsman though except that the pub does have a pretty impressive and popular pool table.
One of the drawbacks that wasn’t made clear on TV is the pub’s location. It really does feel like a bit of a no-​mans land round here. Yes, there are plenty of buses going past but this is really a place you pass through rather than stop at. I wouldn’t want to go here by myself or without a group of friends, and I’m in no real rush to go back, but things really aren’t as bad as people make out!