Review: Daz's Pint of Football serves up laughs, nostalgia and plenty of heart

Set in the Lych Gate Tavern, Daz's Pint of Football was, of course, on to a winner straight away. Entitled A Football Carol, the semi-scripted show gave us all manner of quirky musings on the peaks of football's past, while offering heart-warming and amusing sentiments about its present and, indeed, its future.

Leeds-via-Macclesfield-via-the-Midlands lad Daz recalled the heyday of the 70s, 1880 crossbars, penalty elephants and hypnotism in football in his own unique way.

Engaging and light-hearted, it felt like we'd all been invited into a live pub podcast, with Fringe audience members (a fair amount of the Old Gold persuasion) all getting involved and keeping our performer on his knowledgeable toes more than once.

The 'present' perhaps delivered the most passionate part of the performance. With many football fans disenfranchised by the modern game, Daz provided us all with hope that there is more to football than simply what's on the TV box. He summed it up ardently with his belief that our communities' non-league football clubs should be hooked to our veins, while also advocating the continued rise of the ever-growing women's game.

He kept us all amused throughout with his reflections on what makes football such a pivotal and important part of his life. His stories formed the basis of the whole show, but it was the way he allowed us all to become part of them, sharing our own experiences, that really stood out.

Daz threw in a few of those pesky hydration breaks and wrapped up Saturday's Fringe at the Lych Gate ingeniously.

One to watch out for. Get along to any forthcoming performances.

By Cole Arkinstall