ONCE in a while, the Pub Column stumbles on an alehouse with which it immediately falls in love, a traditional British local where good ale and conversation are the watch words.

And its discovery was all thanks to faithful PC companion Lady Penelope of Pensby, who has a knack of being able to track down some of the best boozers in her Wirral homeland.

Indeed, no sooner had the information “Find quintessential ye olde pub” been punched into her data banks, we were off in FAB 1 to arrive soon afterwards in the ancient village of Greasby and the Coach and Horses pub.

Now, when we say ye olde, we mean very ye olde.

The pub dates back nearly 300 years and ale has been served here since 1725. It is namechecked on Bryants 1832 map of Cheshire, and was formerly a farmhouse from which the farmer brewed and sold his own ale. In 1978, John Williams wrote that the inn formerly had no beer-cellar, the barrels being stored outside in a back-yard, and in summer time cooled with wet sacks. He added: “Inside, there were oak beams, a stone-flagged floor, a snug and a small corner known as the ‘rat-pit’. In the evening, the oil-lamps were lit and the customers were made welcome by a cheerful coal fire.”

This description is perhaps the key to its charm because, apart from the advent of electric light, very little seems to have changed in what must be the cosiest little pub in Christendom, as we discovered to our delight.

There are two main rooms with matching snugs on either side of the compact bar.

We parked ourselves on one of the original long high-backed benches, or settles, and supped on what was perhaps the best-kept pint of Cains bitter tasted this year. Traditionalists will duly adore this place, which the landlord, Barrie Mitchell, rightly dubs his “little diamond.”

The name should be familiar to footie fans, especially supporters of Tranmere Rovers, as amiable jock Barrie played for them between 1973 and 76, notching up 10 goals in 83 appearances.

Like many ex-players before him, he sank the money from his playing career into the pub business, first owning the Victoria Lodge, in Tranmere, before buying the lease for the Coach and moving in with wife Moira 11 years ago. Unlike other ex-players turned bar stewards, however, Barrie has not transformed into the human version of the Goodyear blimp, and at 61 looks trim enough to still last at least a second half as goal poacher.

Accordingly, one of the snugs is decorated with football memorabilia, pride of place being given to a large framed photograph of Barrie receiving a brotherly hug from the greatest striker of them all, Edison Arantes do Nascimento, or Pele to you, missus. It was taken in the 70s when Barrie was with Vancouver Whitecaps and the Great One was with New York Cosmos. It is flamboyantly signed “Dos amigos, Pele”.

And, naturally, football anecdotes fall from his lips like goals from Torres. A massive Reds fan, despite his fondness for Rovers, he’ll be cheering on LFC when the two teams play at this afternoon’s sell-out pre-season friendly at Prenton Park.

But Rovers fans, or indeed Evertonians, who have not visited Barrie’s ye olde haven should not hold that against him – the Coach will score a winner in the onion bag of your heart.