I go drinking down hillsborough every friday night and have done so for the last ten years.I go in all those horrible pubs that have been mentioned and I can honestly say I have never seen any trouble.Perhaps it's because I always catch a bus at 23.15 and so miss all the potential trouble!there is also believe or not a safe route to go round the pubs if you go ball,shakey, legends, deep end ,masons then finish in the shakey no problems whatsoever.
avoid the kebab and pizza places too many people wanting to make a name .Wait while the new college on owlerton is built and then you won't be able to drink down 'the boro' at all!