The landlord of The Tollington Arms, a north London pub popular with Arsenal supporters, has said it could be closed for months after a fire tore through its basement last week.
Martin Whelan said he was “heartbroken” following the blaze that broke out on Friday, October 9. The pub, in Holloway near the Emirates Stadium, is one of the most famous meeting spots for Gunners fans and was a central point of public celebrations when the team paraded the Premier League trophy through Islington in May.
Firefighters tackle basement blaze
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled the fire at the pub in Hornsey Road in the early hours of the morning. A patch of flooring was damaged after part of the basement caught fire.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said crews from Islington, Kentish Town, Stoke Newington and Hornsey fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Landlord describes heartbreak
Mr Whelan, his partner Louise, and two others had left the building by the time firefighters arrived. One person suffered “a bit of smoke inhalation”, Mr Whelan said, but no one else was hurt.
He said: “The investigation team found something underneath the pub buried under pyro cable - possibly dating back to when it was built 150 years ago. They cut it out with ball cutters and took it away. First thing is forensics but this is all going to take time - it will be a miracle if this pub is open within four months.”
“We are completely heartbroken and devastated after 20 years hard work. It's soul destroying after having the best year and winning the Premier League. We had just got back from holiday but if it happened three days earlier the pub would have burned to the ground.”
Fans face alternative plans
Arsenal fans will have to find somewhere else to watch their clash with Leeds on Saturday, and for all games until further notice. Posting on Facebook, The Tollington wrote: “We’re really sorry to let you know that, following a fire in our basement, the pub will be closed tomorrow for the Leeds game and will almost certainly remain closed for a little while.”
“It’s a difficult time for us, and we’re sorry to disappoint everyone who was planning to join us. Please make alternative plans for tomorrow - we can’t apologise enough for the disruption.”
Many Arsenal fans were left heartbroken by the news. One fan posted: “Awful to hear this! Just know that when you do reopen, you’ll have your support back!”, while another wrote: “Absolutely gutted for you all there. Hopefully everyone is ok and you’ll be back open asap.”
