Birmingham pub memories: The 12 ‘hardest’ Birmingham pubs from down the years, according to locals

Birmingham still has a thriving pub scene with many great boozers in all corners of the city, but it’s fair to say that there aren’t as many as there once were.

Birmingham has lost hundreds of pubs - many of them having stood for centuries.

Read more: The 18 lost Birmingham pubs that we miss the most, according to Brummies

If you grew up in the ‘70s, ‘80s or ‘90s, you’re bound to remember a few pubs around the city to avoid on a night out, owing to the likelihood of trouble.

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Some were in the city centre, while others were found on estates out in the suburbs.

We wanted to hear your thoughts on which Birmingham pubs you remember being particularly tough back in the day.

We received dozens of suggestions, here are the top ones:

The Sportsman, Saltley

The infamous Saltley pub once branded a contender for Britain’s toughest pub became a textiles warehouse. The Sportsman was featured in a documentary in 2004 that toured the nation’s hardest boozers.

The show described punters at The Sportsman as ‘a special breed of drinker’ with a focus on ‘loopy juice’ - cider.

The Malt Shovel, Small Heath

This pub was closed in 2012, it’s on the corner of Muntz Street, Coventry Road.

The Happy Trooper, Chelmsley Wood

The Happy Trooper was a notorious pub in the heart of Chelmsley Wood.

It was recreated on set for Steven Knight's BBC show This Town as it was knocked down many years ago

Other pubs mentioned include:

The Brookvale, Slade Road

The Skylark in Castle Vale

Broadway, Bordesley Green

The Yew Tree, Yardley

The Crossways Court, Perry Common

The Norton, Tyburn Road

The Tilt Hammer, Saltley.

The Dogpool Pub, Stirchley

The Artful Dodger, Castle Vale

Do you have memories of these pubs - or photographs inside them? Email [email protected]