Articles

Whilst you're there: Hidden football gems in London

Written by SANTOS, 31 January 2022

In London, you can get lost endlessly between the stadiums and football clubs, of course, there is much more. SANTOS Football Planet lists the most beautiful 'hidden gems' for you, from special shops to unique football pubs.

Whilst you're there: Hidden football gems in London

Bar Kick, Watching football and playing table football

In the heart of Shoreditch, near the wonderful nightlife area around Hoxton Square in East London, you will find Bar Kick. A mix between a pub, a sports bar and a table football café, where you can enjoy yourself every night of the week. Bar Kick is very accessible, the door policy is very relaxed, and the public is often a colourful mix of expats and tourists from all over the world. Making friends during a game of table football is easy - otherwise, you can hang out at the bar and watch the endless football on the many televisions.

BONUS TIPS: In this part of London you can get lost between the hipsters, the sneaker shops and cool restaurants. Also fun: the bar Shoreditch Balls, practically around the corner from Kick. A relaxed cocktail bar where you can play mini-golf.

Classic Football Shirts

We already mentioned them in our article about the coolest football shops in Europe, but in London, you can't really miss the legendary Classic Football Shirts store. This (online) empire of mostly worn, original football shirts has recently opened a new brick and mortar store on Commercial Street, not far from the aforementioned Bar Kick. It's a lovely place to browse around, or hang out on the benches and view old football footage. Cool events are also regularly held in the store. They not only sell shirts but also posters, bags and other souvenirs.

The Gunners Pub

Obviously, this north London pub is directly linked to Arsenal, but it deserves a special mention here nonetheless. The Gunners pub is not only a great supporters pub, but it is also a kind of football museum. You'll be drowning in football memorabilia everywhere, right down to the ceilings and toilets. You need a ticket to enter on match days, but it is also a great place to have a beer during the week. There is regular live music, the Islington area is fun anyway, and the old Highbury is close by. Don't forget to walk past it: the monumental facades are still beautifully standing. Apartments have now been built in the old stadium, the pitch serves as a park.

George Best's Stomping Ground

George Best is a Belfast child, of course, but he spent most of his later life in West London, in the trendy King's Road area of Chelsea. First as a Fulham player, later as a full-time alcoholic. Best loved going to a pub called The Phene (formerly The Phene Arms) near his apartment. That pub still exists and is now a neat gastro-pub where you can eat well. They are happy to point out the corner where 'The Fifth Beatle' used to frequent.

Best proposed to his second wife Alex Pursey in this pub. When his creditors called The Phene to ask if the former footballer was there, manageress Carmen Davis invariably denied it. If they came to the pub themselves, Best had a special back door through which he could leave quickly.

Hackney Marshes

Are you in London on a Sunday? Then go past the famous Hackney Marshes, one of the largest parks in the city. This beautiful place is famous for its unprecedented number of football fields, located right next to each other.

Especially on Sundays, amateur football is played here, unlike anywhere else in Europe. Teams with roots all over the world play brotherly next to (or against) each other. Jamaicans, Japanese, Scousers, Australians: think of any nationality, they can be found among the often hundreds of amateur players. The changing rooms are not really there, the bags are piled next to the field. Goal nets? The home team must take it with them. Hackney Marshes is the place in England to experience the real culture of grassroots football, in its most multicultural form imaginable.

Bonus tip: Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road stadium is right around the corner from Hackney Marshes. Be sure to read our guide to that cosy stadium, with even more tips about this neighbourhood.