Robin Hood is, of course, a figure steeped in English folklore. A man dressed in lincoln green famed for robbing the rich to give to the poor.

Sutton United etched their name into FA Cup folklore in 1989 when they picked the pockets of First Division high-flyers Coventry City to give one of football’s poorer relations their day in the spotlight.

The two tales are brought together in one corner of the Robin Hood pub, which is devoted to Sutton’s football club.

United were formed there in 1898, so to have a framed shirt, scarf and potted history on display in the place where it all began is a nice touch.

Football history lesson aside a visit to this place is like stepping back to a time when pubs were tastefully decorated, had charm and character, and some old cap-wearing codgers drinking out of a traditional dimpled pint glass while playing shove ha’penny.

Should you get bored of talking to your pals, there’s a list on show alerting punters to what games are available.

So if cribbage, backgammon, and, of course, shove ha’penny is your thing, then forget all about joining the bright young things in Revolution at the top of the High Street on a Saturday night – those days are over, this is the place you.

The Robin Hood is not one of Sutton’s busier boozers but I guess the punters like it that way. It’s a Young’s pub for the old and is appreciated by those who want a quiet pint.

It has a dark red-painted ceiling, green padded seating, and charming pictures of the Queen Mother and Prince Charles pulling pints. What more could you want? Well, cheaper booze for a start.

The Robin Hood has always had a reputation locally as being one of the pricier places for a pint and this was reflected in a conversation I overheared at the bar by a small band of not so merry men.

I ordered a Young’s Special which weighed in at £3.20 and I followed that with a pint of Directors which cost 20p more.

The Robin does doff it’s cap to modernity in somewhat dubious fashion. Instead of some nice background music I had to endure Heart FM’s version of Smashy and Nicey.

To make matters worse, they were playing James Blunt and Michael Bublé. Sorry ladies, they’re awful.

Commercial radio over the speakers should be for greasy spoon cafes, not cosy backstreet boozers. Finally, here’s a footballing fact which will please the poor.

Did you know that on that special day Sutton sent Coventry crashing out of the Cup, Chelsea got thumped 4-0 by that south Yorkshire footballing super-power, Barnsley?

No? Well, you do now.

Follow Pubspy at Twitter.com/suttonpubspy

Robin Hood, 52 West Street, Sutton, SM1 1SH

How the pub rates out of five:

Decor: XXXX A nice, homely pub. The reds, greens and browns give this place a cosy feel. There’s a nice picture of the pub with a UFO hovering high above it hanging over the bar, too.

DRINK: XXX Directors, Young’s Bitter and Special are all decent ales.

PRICE: X £3.20 and £3.40 is a bit like robbing the poor to give to the rich.

ATMOSPHERE: X Quiet. It could do with not having Heart FM blurting out cheesy ‘classics’ over the speakers. It’s a place to chat, read the paper and escape the rat race.

STAFF: XXX Pleasant and polite enough, in a no nonsense kind of way.