How one Richmond pub is kicking off footy season — quietly

Just a few hundred metres from the MCG, Richmond’s historic London Tavern would usually be wall-to-wall with footy fans for tonight’s season opener between the Tigers and the Blues. But this year, things look very different.

Richmond’s iconic London Tavern is gearing up for a very different season opener to the AFL season as strict new social distancing laws are in place.

The historic pub, only a few hundred metres from the MCG, would usually be crowded from lunchtime as footy fans flocked to the pub for a meal and a beer before the big kickoff between the Tigers and the Blues.

But publicans Bill Perry and Matt O’Kane have put plans in place to allow only 200 customers at a time, 100 indoors and 100 outdoors in the expansive inner city beer garden. They already have bollards and security set up at the front door in preparation for fans to arrive.

Perry’s son, Ben, says they have strict rules in place to adhere to the new regulations.

“We’ve set it up so we only have one door open, the exits all work for fire reasons, but we have one door open and we have the clicker working and two controls. The external control of how many people come into the place and then an internal control so we know who many are in external and internal areas,” he says.

Ricmond pub The London Tavern.

A sign at The London Tavern.

“Two hundred people sounds like a lot but when you see the size of our beer garden and you’ve got 100 inside its quite easy to control, it will be quite sparse.”

Veteran publican Bill took the famous Richmond pub back over late last year after 12 years away from the business and remembers season openers attracting huge crowds.

“We haven’t been here for 12 years so we don’t know what the figures were when we weren’t here but when we were here the first time, tonight would be like a third of a Grand Final, especially with Richmond playing. I used to have 2000 plus in here,” he says.

“We wouldn’t be able to be sitting here because there would be hundreds of people sitting here already.”

Perry and O’Kane are uncertain how many people will turn up to watch the game but are hoping their loyal local community of customers will join together to cheer their beloved Tigers on.

“The locals usually come in early and get out when the footy crowd comes on the big days. “Tonight we’re thinking they’ll come in and do their footy tips and then they’ll weigh it up from there,” Bill says.

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