Thetownend.com

Next week i will be sat in the county Hotel,i love that place on match daysits an old school place and reminds me of my younger days when every ground had a boozer like it....Tranny at home will be a tough one but i for one cant wait for this time next week.

i shall be doing the same

I haven't been in there for years, do you need a match ticket to get in or is it just general entry these days?

Dont need a ticket to get in. i thought that was the winners lounge?

When i say years i mean about 15 i reckon ,shirts weren't common though and you had to have a supporters club membership or season ticket to get in.

Anyone can get in the CGH. Bloody lovely pub that.

It is a cracking pub despite the lager being quite flat

http://www.arkells.com/pubs_more2.php?id=598

"Regulars in the County Ground Hotel celebrated a special anniversary on 2nd November, 1997 as this grand old pub notched up a century of service to Swindon drinkers.

The year that it opened is commemorated by a terracotta plaque on the side of the building which includes a portrait of Queen Victoria who was celebrating her diamond jubilee in the same year.

Arkell's bought the land from C Williams the year before and had a ready-made licence thanks to the demise of a pub in Highworth. The Rampant Cat was closed by a relieved James Arkell - son of John Arkell - who lived nearby at Redlands and was annoyed by the rowdy behaviour of some of the regulars. So the County Ground got the licence and one of the town's landmarks was born.

The County Ground is now a popular boarding house for contractor workers, and continues to be a favourite watering hole for football fans whenever Swindon Town are playing at home and a down-to-earth 'local' when they are not.

In fact, the pub's favourite sport in modern times has been boxing, having been equipped with a gymnasium and former licensee Pete Neal a well-known former boxer.

Outwardly, The County Ground Hotel is largely unchanged from how it looked a hundred years ago, though alterations and extensions in 1921 and 1954 mean that it is not wholly Victorian."

I hope its sunny - I dont want to wear a coat

A coat? Even if it's not sunny it isn't going to be cold enough for a coat.

I shall be in my football pub 'Eccosse' with my town shirt and with fellow ex-pat football fans and numerous pints of Strongbow welcoming Jeff and the boys back and cheering on a Town win!

My first game is Colchester at home.

I miss Jeff, even if he does support Hartlepool bless him.

Im going to a wedding next weekend

 It is always stonking hot for the first game of the season, unless it's away at some bunch of norvern monkeys...

Since moving to the North East Reg the weather has been suprisingly nice! Well, nicer than what I was told to expect.

It's not like miserable Accrington - as soon as you hit Lancashire the clouds gathered!!!

  As i'm on the train, i'm hoping its not as hot as the wendies game 3 or 4 years back. I had a 14 hour round trip due to buckled rails and broken trains.

 That was the last time we had a home game for the opener.

Tranny has Chris Shuker, who scored on the opening day of our last relegation season.

I think I read somewhere he's injured and wont be playing.

Good then there won't be a repeat!

I went in there for the first time in about 2 months. Toni loves me (the latter is a lie).

To many yobbos for my liking,Ill be in a Wine bar quaffing errrm Wine.

My pub of choice this year will be "The Tap and Barrel" on Mannie Road!  Scottish fitba to start then Town at 3. Perfetto!

go in a rangers shirt. i dare you

Ahem more like Irish football.

Hibs did well on saturday Jan, snigger!!

I'll probably end up in the Tap for a couple also

I used to live 2 doors away from the Tap but never got around to liking it.

I was there BO.  To be fair I know Hibs have been dire this preseason, but they played really well for 70 mins, made Boro look awful.  Then 10 minutes of nervous defending cost them.  Hibs really should have had 4 by the hour, but Nish don't rhyme with pish for no reason, reminded me of Peacock/Payneter kind of player, a lot of hard work, but no cutting edge.

Was pleasantly surprised at the quality of footie on show by the hi-bees though. 

(right I'm logging back in as me, the King is dead).

I wouldn't wipe my arse with one of those.  I'd burn one, but that'd be about it.

That's better, in summary I went to Easter Rd and I would touch a huns shirt, bar burning one.

I used to love the Tap.

Hooky gear galore,old fellas that give you tips with a bookie across the road and a pub Greyhound with smelly breath..