HARRINGTON made the usual Sunday stroll down the Strand in search of a fine jar of bitter, some me time with the broadsheets and the unrivalled pastime of people-watching.

No, it’s not staring ­– just a gaze at what makes our city tick and the wondrous characters of all shapes and sizes that inhabit it.

I digress, for perhaps I was the one being watched as my growing frustration must have appeared obvious.

The problem? It quickly became clear that football fans, mainly ones bearing the red and white stripes of Sunderland, had been in each pub before me, celebrating a play-off victory at Wembley.

Several of my favourite spots said they simply had none of my preferred ales left, such had been the surge to the bar.

We hear a lot about pubs struggling in the current trading conditions and this is used to explain the rather eye-watering prices for a pint.

Maybe all the government’s economists need to do is to make up some more cup competitions and have teams playing at Wembley every week for something.

As we’ve seen this week, even clubs like Spurs and Chelsea will celebrate anything these days.