St. Louis Steps Up in Soccer Culture at Barristers of Clayton

I'm in the middle of a watershed moment in St. Louis history:

I'm watching four Champions League games at once (out of the eight playing) LIVE at Barristers of Clayton, a "soccer bar" done in classic English pub fashion (including the Barclays Premiership Table and the current standings of the teams).

The day is Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

I'm pinching myself to make sure this is really happening. For the first time in St. Louis, an establishment has EIGHT live channels of live Champions League soccer playing at once. Since I've begun typing, Milan and Marseille have traded goals and Besiktas of Turkey have gone up one on Manchester United...right in front me...at the same time.

Not impressed?

If you've ever lived in the Midwest during the last century, there is one sport everyone knows is NOT on tv, and that is soccer. To be settled in amongst a restaurant full of Champions League fans watching any eight games at once was inconceivable before today.

Now, it's magical.

A middle-aged woman with an Eastern European accent excitedly dials her phone, telling some male friends, "They're got Besiktas on at Barristers, get over here now!". Jason, the owner, lets me hold the remote control, making it so that all games are at my beck and call. The downside is I can only see the four flat screens at the bar, so even though we have the "eight-games-at-once-with-tvs-at-full-capacity" available in the rest of the establishment, I can only indulge in what's in front of me, without looking like some freakshow, running back and forth, up and down the aisles like a star-struck kid waiting for Ronaldinho to remember how great he is...but I do have the remote, and that makes it good enough to be able to check in on the other guys once in awhile...you know...just to make sure they're ok.

St. Louis stepped it up for soccer fans.

Miracles do happen.

Barristers
15 N Meramec
Clayton MO 63105
314.726.5007