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Landlady Sue gives football the red card and makes pub a no-game zone

Mike Glendinning
24/ 6/2004

A BLACKLEY landlady offers non-football fans a refuge from England's exploits in Euro 2004.

Sue Norman from the Three Arrows has declared the Middleton Road pub a football-free zone, and while most of the country religiously tunes in to see their heroes in Portugal, Sue has given the game a red card for the next few weeks.

Locals who are bored of Beckham, sick of Scholes or even needing a rest from Rooney can take advantage of Sue and husband Stuart's range of free snacks, bacon butties and various wine special offers in classic "Olde Worlde" surroundings.

Sue and Stuart, a former chef, moved into the Three Arrows 12 months ago and gave it an overhaul, attracting locals who prefer a relaxed and inviting atmosphere, and the football ban means that the pub will become a haven, away from the chest-thumping and flag-waving of the European Championships.

While almost every pub in England is bedecked in football paraphernalia, the over-25s pub is reverting to traditional "watering hole" values and the pool table, jukebox and wide-screen TV have all been removed, so that customers looking to enjoy a peaceful bite to eat can do so without being disturbed by hordes of footy fans.

Sue said: "When we moved in, the Three Arrows was seen as a bit of a 'football pub' and we're looking to break that perception and offer somewhere for people to get away from football. We're sticking to our guns and keeping the traditions, and we're finding that a lot of old regulars are now coming back to the pub."