Saturday With Fellow Blues

So this past Saturday I decided to drive south on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Philadelphia to watch Chelsea v Newcastle.  I have had the desire to go to Philly to watch a match for a while now, mainly because I usually watch by myself as most of my friends aren't too keen to watch football from 8am-5pm.  I always figured there were pubs there where they showed soccer but I did not know where they were exactly. On my tour of Stamford Bridge in April, I saw a banner for the Philly Blues so I figured this was the best place to start.

I found the Philly Blues website and saw that they meet at a pub called Tir na nOg.  I went on Twitter to confirm that they actually met there every match day and they did.

I got to Philly around 10:15 am so I could watch Manchester Utd v Fulham before Chelsea.  At first I could not find the pub, but as I walked around a little while, I saw a blue sign for the entrance.  Located just across from the famous Love Park, Tir na nOg is a small pub located on a corner by a back alley.  If you were not looking for it, you would most likely miss it.

When I opened the door, I felt like I was back in the UK.  The lighting, the furniture, the sounds, the beer, everything felt right.  I ordered a beer from the bartender who was Irish.  I sat down and enjoyed the Man Utd match.  Towards the end of the match, Chelsea fans started flowing in.  What a sight to see! Finally I would be able to talk football with people who actually knew what they were talking about.

Beer was flowing, conversations left and right about new signings, old players, strategies, managers, anything and everything was football.  I had finally found a place to go to enjoy matches, have a few beers, and meet new people who I shared a common interest with.

It was great meeting new people and watching Chelsea stay atop the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Newcastle at the Bridge.  I will definitely be back more often than not to watch not only Chelsea, but other football matches.

Blue is the color!