Jeremy Clarkson has issued a tongue-in-cheek warning to Lord's Cricket Ground after the iconic venue rejected his Hawkstone lager in favour of Italian brand Peroni.
The 66-year-old television presenter expressed his displeasure on social media by invoking a notorious piece of cricket history.
"I have two words for you: George Davis," he stated, The Express reports.
The reference harks back to 1975, when supporters of convicted bank robber George Davis staged a dramatic protest that brought an Ashes Test match to a premature end.
Jeremy Clarkson opened his own pub, The Farmer's Dog, in 2024 | AMAZONDavis had been found guilty of an armed robbery in Ilford, Essex, in a conviction that sparked widespread public outrage. Campaigners painted "G DAVIS IS INNOCENT" on walls and bridges across the country.
The protest movement culminated in August 1975 at Headingley in Leeds, where England were poised to secure victory against Australia in the final Test of the Ashes series.
Spectators arriving at the ground discovered painted words near the entrance reading: "Sorry, it had to be done."
Groundstaff inside the stadium found the playing surface had been excavated and soaked with oil, rendering it completely unplayable.
The match was abandoned, and the incident became front-page news nationwide.
Mr Clarkson made clear his historical allusion was intended humorously, though he added a further barb.
"We might just have a message about them in tar on the pitch, not that I'm bitter or anything," he remarked.
The former Top Gear host's frustration stems from losing out on a contract to supply lager to the bars at cricket's most prestigious venue.
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Clarkson's Farm season 5: Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper | AMAZONPeroni, which is owned by Japanese drinks conglomerate Asahi, has secured an agreement to provide beer at Lord's for the next three years.
Mr Clarkson launched Hawkstone lager in 2021, brewing it with barley grown on his Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire.
The beer was originally intended solely for sale at his farm shop but has since expanded to online retail and major supermarket chains.
The presenter has employed unconventional marketing tactics to promote his brewing venture. He established a choir named after the brand, which went on to win Britain's Got Talent.
Hawkstone Farmers Choir became the first choir in the show's history to win
| ITVHis advertising efforts have not always proceeded smoothly, however.
The Advertising Standards Authority banned several television commercials after Mr Clarkson used the phrase "f*** me, that's good" in at least one of them.
A fresh advertisement featuring Kaleb Cooper, his popular co-star from Clarkson's Farm, is due to air on June 17.
The timing has been strategically selected to coincide with the final commercial break on ITV before England's opening World Cup group match against Croatia.