Subcrawl

A Subcrawl is a pub crawl based on the Glasgow Subway circuit, in Scotland. It requires the purchase of an all-day discovery ticket, currently £1.90, and the consumption of a drink in the public house nearest to each of the fifteen Subway stations.

For example, at Hillhead station participants will alight and each consume a drink in Curlers bar on Byres Road, that being the closest to the station, before re-boarding the subway to either Kelvinbridge or Kelvinhall stations, depending on the direction of travel, and continuing the exercise. Most people choose to begin their crawl at Hillhead, or at St Enoch's square in Glasgow city centre, completing the southern leg of the crawl first.

The subcrawl, and indeed organised pubcrawls in general, are popular mostly with students. The subcrawl is rarely completed, due either to the Subway's closure at 23:20 (approximately, depending on station) or inebriation.

World Record subcrawls

In the first few years of the new millennium, at least four attempts were made to establish a 'Subcrawl world record', where a large group of people would attempt to complete the subcrawl en masse.

The current Subcrawl world records are believed to be: 43 people (number of people to begin a Subcrawl, set on 26 February 2002) 15 people (number of people to complete a Subcrawl (26 started), set on 23 June 2007 by the ) 6 people (number of people to complete a Subcrawl while dressed as pirates, set on 6 May 2006)

(Source: )

Subcrawl drinking games
Sub-golf
"Sub-Golf" is an interesting drinking game where there is a list of drinks and the number of shots associated and each participant aims to rack up as few strokes during their lap as possible (usually a double whisky is an eagle, a whisky a birdie, a pint a par and a half pint is a bogey). Points are also awarded for the fastest completed circuit, although photographic evidence of each drink is required.

The "Dairy Milk" subcrawl
A further variation on the theme is the "Dairy Milk" subcrawl, which requires the consumption of a glass and a half (a half being a normal single measure of a spirit, a glass being a double) in every bar. This is derived from the old advertising slogan for Dairy Milk chocolate. Again, this is rarely completed.

Half and half tour
On a similar theme is the more traditional ‘Half & Half Tour’, referenced in Iain Banks’ novel Espedair Street as the ‘Clockwork Orange Pub Crawl’, where the participants must consume one measure of whisky and half a pint of ‘Heavy’ (80/- ale) in each establishment visited.

Other subcrawl games
Running it
In this popular game (preferably played in the earlier stages of a subcrawl) the party divides into two groups. One team gets the train to the pub at the next stop, whilst the other attempts to run it, in less time than it would take to get the train. Whichever team arrives at the next pub second has to buy the winning team a round of drinks. This game is particularly popular between Buchanan Street and St Enoch's stations, and then again between St Enoch's and Bridge Street.

Surfing
The surfing game involves standing in the train and not touching anyone or anything, except the floor, until you arrive at the next stop. In otherwords you have to rely totally on balance, something which obviously becomes more and more difficult after every stop.

The race
Participants divide into two or more teams at a starting point. Arrangement for the teams may be conducted according to whatever method the participants favour. Assuming two teams, each completes the crawl in an opposite direction - so one goes clockwise and the other anti-clockwise, with the goal being to accomplish the entire crawl, as backed up by photographic evidence of arrival at all stops, and arrive back at the start before the other team, whereupon a prize is due or a forfeit to be paid of some kind, with what being up to the participants to decide.

Pool tournament
Some crawlers have a pool tournament on their way round. There are pool tables at many of the pubs on the subcrawl.

Miscellaneous

(1) "Subcrawl" is also the name of a group linkblog subtitled "tomorrow's zeitgeist today."

(2) A similar practice is carried out on London's Circle Line

(3) The hostility of Strathclyde Passenger Transport operatives increases as the Crawl progresses. The patience of those employees at Shields Road and St George's Cross is particularly wanting, so take care to eke out the diplomatic skills you have at these junctures.

(4) Mackintosh's Bar at the top end of Sauchiehall Street (one of the pub options from the Cowcaddens stop) provide a Karaoke evening on Saturdays from 9pm. Keep an eye out for "Wee Jimmy", whose heartfelt croonings touch the soul.

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