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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).

Farewell Stan Nipper

Posted on 22nd January, 2015

Some sad news. Franz is sorry to report that following a short illness Stan Nipper at the age of 91, has now also been recruited to join our ex-Skipper in the Bleadon Skittles team in the sky.

All those who played in the old Queens Arms Alley will surely also remember as I do Stan's remarkable knack of dropping the ball, (ala 'dambusters' style), in just the right place behind the line to then rumble bouncing on down the hallowed boards and hit the pins to confound all who tried to emulate him (speaking from personal experience trying).

Stan became a Queen's Arms team regular in 1946 and The Queens team included 3 generations of Nippers. We were unfortunately exiled to Lympsham in 2006 where he then played his 61st season before calling it a day in 2007. Stan's last 6 seasons (aged into his 80's) yielded an average of 41.53 hitting down 5,067 pins in 122 games including 43 spares, impressive enough figures but I'm sure they were even better in his earlier years!

So pause for thought and please join me in offering Racers sincere condolences to Joan, Jim/Ann, RJ, Lorna & Jo and of course all the rest of the family.

Cheers Stan, it was a pleasure.................

Funeral arrangements to be advised.

Now, the match report from our 12th game this season against Coach House A at Locking, unfortunately not our last trip this year to this dreadful 'trampoline' alley either!

With Coach House B beating Langford Rovers away (which did us a favour) we are now the only team not to win away! Yet it could have been much different on the night at Locking after Captain Disco decided to shake up the set order. With a bit more luck going our way in the first 3 sets we might have had 6 set points rather than the 2 we ended up with as we were actually 8 pins up on the match before the anchor set.

We actually scored more pins than last weeks cup game (but only 5). Top Dog this time was The Coach with a fine 44 then TP on 43 (our only scores in the 40's) both pulled back some ground on Seve in the Averages race. Strongest Man was BandAid on 26. We had no spares on the night (Coach House had 2) But we did get a v/c, sorry Ski Sunday, maybe it was a gas leak........

Set/Match Scores (League Results & Table) *=spare
Racers	Ruddles Best	Points
GDy(36)TD(38)CB(37) 111	97	2
JN(34)DH(37)TP(43) 114	115	0
MD(38)CR(32)CW(44) 114	119	0
EB(31)CP(26)GDs(36) 93	122	0
Total Score 432	453	0

We are now on 76 points , 1 better than the same stage last year with 8 games left (4 away & home) But have to visit both Rovers & Coach House B as well as Peckers and Boro Arms B. So hopefully we will be safe if we can win one of them (or at least harvest 8-16 points) and win 2 or more of our home games and please, no leaving it to the last ball of the last game again! Let's start by giving me a bon voyage by beating Beer Masters at home next week......

Please let George (or Coach or me) know ASAP if you are un-available or likely to be later than the START AT 8PM as it makes team set selection much easier.

Come on you Racers!

Franz.

PS. After next game I will be please looking for volunteer match report email(s) for all our remaining games so I can still get my skittles fix while over in the white stuff.