The Shepherds Crook, Southsea

Official site of The Shepherds Crook - www.shepherdscrookpub.com

Official site of The Shepherds Crook - www.shepherdscrookpub.com

A nice Victorian building with some good external branding, although hidden a little by large awnings outside. the inside doesn't quite live up to it, with some rather manky football-related press cuttings pasted round the dingy grey walls. Apart from that not unpleasant and there is a garden at the rear as well as the roadside patio to the front. Ales on were Razorback, Sharp's Atlantic and Doom Bar, not in the finest condition.

A Victorian town pub in a residential area close to Fratton Park. The single amorphous, carpeted bar is formed from knocking through two smaller rooms and is dominated by massive TV screens showing football. There were various football memorabilia on the walls, including several signed photos of PFC players past and present. There are gaming machines, and they host regular social events including quiz nights, live music and a weekly meat raffle. Children were kicking a football around inside, which made walking to the counter a little hazardous, while the jukebox was minimally annoying. Two ales on, Doombar and Razorback, both in reasonable condition. Despite its proximity to the stadium and its almost overwhelming fixation with football, it's very much a locals' pub, and although the welcome was genuine enough, I didn't feel terribly comfortable, so we got the flock out of here.