Local establishments that host supporters of EPL, NFL franchises
By Ken Lay and Matt Rankin
College football is underway, and just about every sports bar in town is packed on Saturdays as fans clad in Big Orange hit the town. The English Premier League and NFL seasons both started a few weeks ago, as well, and action in those leagues is kicking into high gear, turning many soccer and football fans into sedentary couch potatoes on several days throughout the fall. However, several establishments in Knoxville provide fans of international and American sports alike shared spaces in which to get out of the house, meet, gather and root on their favorite teams.
The English Premier League’s popularity in the U.S. has soared in recent years, along with that of Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Major League Soccer, the top-tier domestic league in this country. Mirroring supporters’ groups across the pond, several local branches have distinguished themselves as officially recognized chapters by English clubs.
After calling Merchants of Beer home for several years, Manchester United Knoxville is now centered at Knox Brew Hub, which is open for each Red Devils match. Previously at Bearden Beer Market, supporters of the blue half of Manchester gather for matches at Xül Beer Co., and fans of United’s main rival, Liverpool, once again meet up at Alliance Brewing Co. after having been at Finn’s for the last few seasons.
A few of London’s EPL teams are well-represented in Knoxville, too. Having relocated from Hi-Wire, Rocky Top Blues host Chelsea matches at Central Flats and Taps, while West Ham and Arsenal hold strong at Corner Lounge and Hops and Hollers, respectively. The aforementioned Alliance welcomes all fans of England’s elite soccer league, but Tottenham and Leicester are among its biggest draws.
Just down the road at Printshop Beer Co., you can watch La Liga games, which tend to be played later in the evening in Spain, lending to more friendly bar hours stateside. (The brewery also sponsors a team in a local rec league.) Farragut’s Taco Boy, a Mexican restaurant and cantina, features soccer from all foreign leagues and welcomes all fans of the sport. As its name might suggest, the various locations of Soccer Taco offer the same.
Finally – and keep this in mind with the World Cup taking place in less than two months’ time – the Knoxville chapter of the American Outlaws, the official supporters’ group of the men’s and women’s national teams, call Schulz Bräu Brewing Co. home. Expect large crowds for each of the U.S.’s three group-stage matches, the first of which will take place on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. against Wales. The environment promises to be particularly exciting four days later when the USMNT take on England on Black Friday.
While soccer fans have been able to carve out niche gathering spots in the city, NFL fan clubs are surprisingly rare in Knoxville. While many establishments such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Wild Wing Café, Tommy Trent’s, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Twin Peaks, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux and others feature the NFL Sunday Ticket, only a handful of teams have specifically designated bars/restaurants as their home bases.
Two of the three NFL teams sporting organized fan clubs in Knoxville are based in the AFC North. Ale’ Rae’s GastroPub is the home for the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Union Place welcomes fans of the Cincinnati Bengals. (The Bearden establishment showcased large crowds, buffets featuring the city’s namesake chili and countless Who Dey chants throughout the team’s memorable Super Bowl run last season.) Meanwhile, Last Days of Autumn is the go-to place for the Green Bay Packers faithful in town.
Pockets of fans can be found pulling for their teams at a couple other Knoxville businesses, as well. Devotees of the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns tend to gravitate toward Carolina Ale House, while Double Dogs is friendly to fans of the New York Jets. Lastly, Buffalo Bills fans can find safe haven at Paul’s Oasis.
If you, our readers, can provide us any updates, corrections or news regarding any businesses that offer watch parties locally, please email them to rankin@blanknews.com.
