West Seattle scene: European Cup party @ Corner Pocket

(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
If we told you local fans gathered in a West Seattle pub to watch a professional-sports championship game today – you might guess we were talking about the Stanley Cup. (After all, Vancouver’s in the finals.) Nope. That’s next week; this was a different cup. Soccer’s European Cup, pitting Manchester United against Barcelona, filled the Corner Pocket in The Junction at midday. The CP has for years been a hot spot for watching soccer – particularly if you are a Manchester United fan. WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen stopped by early in the game.

Fans explained to Ellen that while you can watch soccer at other Seattle pubs, for more than three years, Corner Pocket has become the headquarters for Manchester United loyalists – who sing, cheer, and otherwise raucously root for their team. Things were tied 1-1 while Ellen was there, but Barcelona eventually won, 3-1. It was a party just the same – Ellen reports one fan even brought in Manchester United cupcakes for all to enjoy, complete with individual players’ pictures:

If you want to read a UK take on how the game unfolded – here’s one we found.Manchester has won the European Cup three times previously, by the way. And their upcoming U.S. tour includes a Seattle stop – on July 20th, they’re playing the Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field.

(P.S. Thanks to Selena for putting this on our radar via Twitter – one of many ways to share info on what’s going on or coming up!)

9 Replies to "West Seattle scene: European Cup party @ Corner Pocket"

  • Zfried May 28, 2011 (3:45 pm)

    Glad I didnt go in my Barca jersey! *runs and hides*

  • dawsonct May 28, 2011 (4:34 pm)

    Glad that they went home disappointed in the ManU jerseys!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIrhVo1WA78

    They didn’t belong on the same pitch with Barça.

  • Boston guy May 28, 2011 (5:50 pm)

    So where is the Arsenal hangout in West Seattle? I have to admit that rooting for Manchester United is like rooting for the Yankees … you’ll never see me do it.

  • Dave May 29, 2011 (1:12 am)

    The Arsenal hangout is approximately 10 feet under the diseased mud of the Duwamish. COME ON YOU SPURS!

  • JAT May 29, 2011 (8:16 am)

    Dave just described my basement…

    there’s always next year.

  • dawsonct May 29, 2011 (8:49 pm)

    Nonsense Tigger, I’ve ALWAYS hated ManU!

  • Dave May 30, 2011 (3:10 am)

    Sorry Tiger, fair play to you if you were born a Red but the majority of ManU fans are prawn sandwich plastics. They are the Yankees of football and the American fans are just embarrassing.

  • Gina May 30, 2011 (8:39 am)

    A Wayne Rooney cupcake?

  • dawsonct May 30, 2011 (10:49 am)

    Yep Dave, totally agree. I don’t have much of a problem with Yankmee fans born or raised around NYC, and I don’t have much of a problem with Manchesterites who root for THEIR hometown side, but I do understand that some people have fragile egos and low self-esteem, so aligning themselves with a winner helps make them feel like winners too. If that is what it takes to give them a sense of self-worth, well, so be it.
    Go Sounders!

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