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).
Away the lads, at last!
Posted on 4th March, 2015
Another fantastic win lads. Our first away win and what a time to do it........
Thanks to Ski Sunday for providing the Match & Set Scores and here they are, warts and all!
54 pins up after the first 2 sets was a dream start and with most of our usual anchor members to come a 16-0 result must have seemed a possibility but Rovers fought back well to win 3rd & 4th sets.
Only 4 scores above 40 as the Working Mens Club Alley proved tough for both sides, but two Top Dogs this week, G'Day & The Hobbitt both had 47 (but the latter gets it for me with no spare) closely followed by WaterPolo on 45 and The Coach on 42, who edged a bit closer to Seve in the averages race. Strongest man was our Anchor Man performing on his old home alley and in the process also not beating the oppositions Lowest Score! But it's the team result that counts Captain Disco, right........!
So, 4 games to go and 3 of them are now at home (thanks to The Coach House refurbishment the B team have swopped their home alley advantage on March 16 for our WKDs, so hope they enjoy the Green Monsters again and the result goes our way again)! Langford Rovers are now 34 points behind us with only 4 games left and Coach House B are 47 behind and only 3 games remaining, so we are well placed to survive but not mathematically safe yet so keep it going boys and beat The Williams next week, 130 is still the target!
Come on you Racers.
Cheers
Franz.
STOP PRESS
Sincerest apologies to Captain Disco......... I stand corrected that Strongest Man was actually The Fonz (aka Tit Puller). Also Disco (on Anchor) in fact beat the oppositions lowest score by 3 pins (note to self, check the scores) ! My only excuse is, I wasn't there and my match reporters fed me false information that for the first time in living memory (well I can't remember anyway) has led to a less than accurate portrayal of the nights events, although looks like our skipper will still have a night off next week anyway! Regardless of my error it was a great result skipper, keep it going as a mid table place beckons! Cheers Boys, Franz (now back on the piste)!
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.
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