Bleadon Racers Skittle Team (click for Blog or Statistics/Pics)
RACERS move again for 2022/23 season, decision taken to play at Hornets Rugby Club sadly means our rural community has again lost it's skittle team, what a great shame. The Queens Arms must be regretting the removal of their alley during the tenure of Butcombe(see below)!
STOP PRESS: Racers are back at Lympsham Sports Club Pavilion for the 2019/20 season.
They play at 8pm on most Monday nights in Division 3 of The Weston-Super-Mare and District Skittle League. The skittle season runs approximately from September to April and we are always happy to welcome new and experienced players. If you are interested in joining then please contact us
After many previous enjoyable seasons at Lympsham Sports Club, last year Racers decided to move for the 2018/19 season to Weston-super-Mare Football Club (Alley 2) but although very grateful to WSMFC for their hospitality, the call of the rural community environment was too strong and so they are now back 'home' at 'The Pav'.
A Bit of Bleadon Skittle History
Originally there was a skittle alley provided for the village at the Coronation Hall as mentioned in their deed, but this alley was removed to build the Jubilee Room as an alley had been created for the team who had then played as and at, The Queens Arms, Bleadon (this also saved the sticker-up running up from the Hall to the pub to get 'refreshments'). Butcombe Brewery bought the pub in 2004/5 and then in 2006 decided to demolish (rather than re-furbish) the skittle alley in favour of replacing it with a seldom used outside patio/smoking area (a strange decision made even stranger as they sponsor the WSMD skittle league)!
So, the team were then effectively homeless (as well as the Ladies and Hunt league teams) and thus faced folding. After six decades of playing they wanted to continue so sought refuge and welcome at nearby Lympsham Sports Club, where initially renamed as The Queens and then Bleadon Racers, they were very happy to find that with new balls, traditional skittles is still alive and well and the beer is very much cheaper!
In an ideal world The Racers hope that the Queens Arms (or more specifically, its owners) would see the error of their ways by building a new alley and bringing the Racers 'home'. It could gain the pub some welcome extra revenue in the winter nights (casual estimates suggest a potential lost income of well over £250,000 since the alley was demolished and teams left in 2006, some 16+yrs ago), but alas that would currently appear a distant dream!
Bleadon Skittle Team Honours (from WSMDSL website)
1931 - Division 2 Winners - Bleadon Sports (original team at Coronation Hall, then also based at Queens Arms when CH alley was removed!!)
1949 - Division 3 Mayors/Hospital Cup Winners - Queens Arms
1950 - Division 3 Mayors/Hospital Cup Winners - Queens Arms
1985 - Division 3 Mayors/Hospital Cup Winners - Queens Arms
1990 - Division 3 and also Mayors/Hospital Cup Winners - Bleadon Sports
Also individual finalists C Butler London Bridge 2019,2020 and M Dyer Singles 2020
Also in an exciting last game of the 2012/13 season, Racers won by just one pin and thus finished runners-up and were promoted after 10 years absence back up to Division 3 for 2013/14 season. However, the league was re-structured from 4 into 3 divisions for 2016/17 season and although Racers were then put in Division 2, they unfortunately earned 'relegation' back to the basement Division 3 for 2017/18! (see blog and statistics below for details).
No need for kissing Hardy by Lord Nelson
Posted on 15th October, 2013
First the good news. We are doing better than last year, in terms of total pins scored anyway, after 6 games we have 2886 compared to 2878, trouble is the opposition have scored 3026 compared to 2839!
Unfortunately last weeks cup win failed to change our league luck against the Lord Williams (Nelson) Team losing by only 13 pins in another game we really could have won. Again too many scores in the thirties and only 1 spare was just not good enough on the night to get the victory, we definitely need good 500+ scores at home to win in this division.
There were good 40+ scores from Ski Sunday, Ed Bayntun, Dave Hobbs, Steve Newbould, Jim Nipper (with the only spare) TP and our one and only Williams, The Coach! But, although the opening and anchor sets did their job the second and third sets lost and the anchor set just couldn't recover the damage done particularly on the second set where Lord Nelson had their strongest set scoring 137 against our 119.
Ski Sunday has been quick off the mark with the averages this week and the latest can be seen in the gallery and we have a new leader.....Despite TP's top score of 46, Corporal Link with his only league game of 49 sits on top of the table, but not if last weeks cup game had counted!
Highlight of the night was definitely the £2 a pint special, think we should ask Lympsham to do that every home game, saved the legs walking to the bar too!
So, on to next weeks game against Boro Arms on the long and tricky Social Club alley (thought we had seen the last of that monster for at least a year, but I may be having a rest anyway thanks to my 38!) and one more for the diary. The Perkins Cup second round has seen us draw St. Happys at The Ebdon Arms on November 25th.
Come on The Racers
Franz
Bleadon Racers Statistics
Current and past season league fixtures, results and player averages (A very big thanks to Charles Reeves for producing the originals).
You can click on any image thumbnail below to expand it.
NOTE: Depending on your PC/browser you may need to save and/or open images in another window/tab in order to zoom and fully read text. .
Make A Comment
Comments (0)