Color Me Bad Abbots

I live outside of Boston, and though it may rattle your cowbell, we have no shortage of Irish pubs here. It's been said that there are more Irish pubs around Boston, per person, than toes. Obviously, this is not true. It's actually toes and fingers.

So in the spirit of mundial merriment, I thought I'd take a few moments to write about my local pub, Bad Abbots, in Quincy, MA. (It appeared in the Boston Globe's Sidekick supplement last week, in a piece on local pro footballers' favorite soccer-friendly bars.)

Bad Abbots is one of the longest standing Irish pubs in its local area, and I've been going to watch matches there since 1999. (They are the only place around with a Setanta Sports package.) I saw Euro 2000 there, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004, and now Germany. As it's Irish-owned and staffed, you can get a great pint of Guinness and excellent pub food. But the football culture there is what has kept me returning.

Abbots is first and foremost a Celtic pub, but during tournaments and qualifiers, you get a good amount of England ex-pats. And "Irish Reds" turn out for Man Utd, especially when they are doing well. Last Saturday, a disappointingly small crowd of England supporters watched a generally soporific 1-0 match. But I will put the small size of the crowd down to the early kick-off time. I expect there to be a much better crowd this Thursday for T & T at noon, and next Tuesday against Sweden.

If, in the unlikely event that you may actually go to Bad Abbots as an England fan, a caveat. There are lots of Irish folks there most afternoons, especially during tournaments. As an England supporter, I have had to endure the wild cheers of a crowd whose international allegiances include Ireland and whoever is playing England. Even France. It can get slightly annoying, but usually there are enough England people there to return an equilibrium to the often good-naturedly rowdy atmosphere. (For USA matches, the crowd tends to be pretty firmly on the side of our own soccerballers.)

Finally, one of the coolest things about Bad Abbots is the efficiency of the bar staff. One barmaid, Assumpta, kept a heaving crowd from ever going thirsty during the 2000 and 2004 European Championships. And she does it alone and with a smile! I have never seen such virtuosity and she truly sets the standard for crowd management. If you live around Boston and are looking for a great pub for the World Cup, Bad Abbots is a brilliant choice.