The family-friendly Bristol sports bar serving great beer, bargain price burgers and Calippo slushies

Newcastle may have been hammering four goals past Everton on the big screen inside the bar, but there were far more important games being played at the Imperial Sports Ground on Thursday evening.

Despite heavy drizzle, there were several serious-looking games taking place in the floodlit five-a-side courts.

The large bar at the Imperial Sports Ground is open to all, whether you’re playing football or not, and it’s often frequented by thirsty parents picking up their kids.

And it’s also very much a community bar in a large residential area lacking pubs. The nearest pub to the ground used to be The Happy Landings on Wells Road but that closed years ago so anybody living in this part of south Bristol has to either go to Stockwood, Whitchurch or Hengrove for a pint.

On the evening I was there, the car park was rammed, the five-a-side pitches booked and the bar busy. This is a venue well supported by locals but also by sports fans from across Bristol.

Family-friendly, there’s even a Calippo slush machine whirring away on the bar, and kids’ meals are just a fiver for nuggets and fries or sausage and chips. For the grown-ups, there is a range of burgers priced from £7.80 to £8.30, and pizzas are £6-£9 for eight-inches or £10-£13 for 12-inches.

Also on offer was a cod, chips and peas special for £8.30 and snacks including cheesy fries at £3.75 and onion rings for £3.50.

For real ale fans, there’s well-kept St Austell Tribute on draught and three types of Thatchers cider - Gold, Dry or Haze. Also on tap is Guinness, Foster’s, Amstel and Brixton lager.

Sipping my pint of Guinness from a window seat in the packed bar, I could see both the live game on the TV and also keep an eye on all the action outside and the latter was far more interesting.

Even as somebody who hasn’t laced up a pair of football boots since leaving school, I started to get the itch to get back out there and get stuck in.

After all, some of the chaps in hi-vis green bibs chasing the orange ball looked even older, greyer and, dare I say, tubbier than myself. It gave me hope.

Imperial Sports Ground, West Town Lane, Bristol, BS14 9EA.