The Sportsman Inn
📍 0.9 miles from Brunton Park
About this Pub
Why it's great for Matchdays
City-centre and a short walk from Carlisle rail and bus stations, The Sportsman Inn is handy for a pre- or post-match stop before heading to Brunton Park (the ground is around a 15-minute walk from the station). It serves food at lunchtime (typically 12:00–16:00) and is CAMRA-listed with Cask Marque accreditation, with a rotating choice of cask ales alongside a regular Wainwright Gold. The venue is tucked off the main thoroughfare by M&S, so it’s easy to find when you’re in the centre. Carlisle United’s own guidance says that, in general, travelling supporters can use any city pub except a couple designated home-only, implying the Sportsman welcomes both sets of fans on most matchdays.
Recent Fan Reviews
Superb pub in central Carlisle. The ale is always in excellent condition. They also serve rarely sighted keg beers such as Murphy's Stout. Always a warm reception. It's a small place so be prepared to stand during busy hours.
A group of us decided to stop for some lunch. It looks like an Olde Worlde traditional English pub and that's exactly what we got and all the better for that. I was out with three lady friends, all ex colleagues that I hadn't seen for nearly fifty years. To find traditional cask beers on the bar was a huge plus for me. I had a really good pint from the Loch Lomond brewery. Well, it is close enough to Scotland. It was called The Gloaming and an old style 80 shilling ale. Great start. The old pub combined informal dining and drinkers very well. We all enjoyed our food. Two had steak and ale pie which looked really good. One fish & chips and I had Cumberland sausage that was very tasty. I would heartily recommend here for a comfortable stop off during your visit to the City or just out shopping. It was a nice day and others were sat outside on the churchyard wall enjoying their pints. The church of St. Cuthbert is worth seeing too. A mention too for the lady behind the bar who was really nice with us. Cheers.
Been here three times now. Never disappointed at all . Service fantastic by friendly staff.Food excellent.Steak and ale pie is my favourite.Good price and good value .Great place to eat if you visit Carlisle.
Handy for the train station while waiting for the inevitably delayed train. Cask beers tend to be on the trad side but they are well kept and the service is so friendly. Well worth returning to, hard to believe it’s located just behind M&S - ideal resting point if you’re suffering from shopping fatigue.
This pub CAN be used by those in wheelchairs, BUT there is NO disabled toilet. Now to be fair this is the oldest pub in Carlisle, registered in 1747, two years after the second Jacobite Rebellion under Bonnie Prince Charles- the Stuart Catholic Pretender. But that is a matter of YOUR opinion. The pub was also one of many in Carlisle which was under the State Management System, where the Government ran the pubs in the City, from 1916- 1972, a period which covered both wars. During the First World War the workers from the munitions factories at Eastriggs and Gretna came to Carlisle on a night out, but the Government controlled the strength of the beer in the pubs, so there was NO explosions at the munitions factories. Anyway the pub is small, as you would expect, being old, but dogs are welcome and food is served. The bar is well stocked and prices are reasonable. There is also limited seating outside.