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).
Jimbo Top again as Racers Rise
Posted on 27th March, 2015
Another win at home (9 out of 11 this season) takes us to 154 points and the dizzy heights of 7th place just above Peckers who we have on our next and final game of the season.
The match started badly losing the first 2 sets with GDay sharing Strongest Man score with Ed but then Top Dog Jimbo followed up on his 61 last week with another top scoring 57 (what has he started drinking lads). Teamed with exRanger and Coach scoring 146 to pull back from 27 pins down to only 9 then Anchor set were helped by only having to beat effectively 3 lowest scores.
Special mention to Seve scoring 50 with no spare and barring a disaster he seems to have now won the averages cup in his first full season but I am sure Coach will be trying hard to produce a miracle on the last game. Hopefully Chalkie can sort out the new John Loxton Memorial Trophy for us?
We have now equaled our 51 spares of last year and have hit down 9225 pins so last seasons 9517 looks in easy reach (if not it may be on Points West). As mentioned, our last game is away to Peckers at The Woodborough, Winscombe so let's hope Jimbo gets a hat trick!
Come on you Racers.
Thanks to Ski Sunday for providing the Match & Set Scores and Burnley for his incisive comments below!
Cheers
Franz. (fresh snowfall of 66cms this week!)
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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Comments (1)
Bleadon Racers fifth consecutive victory sparks transfer rumours with big money moves expected for the Racers talented wonderkids...!
Manager Davis ( Not currently a transfer target for anyone ) said at a press conference after yet another victory that the club were in protracted talks with several players regarding new deals involving copious amounts of beer, with bonus payments that could involve salted peanuts or at a push possibly even dry roasted.
Jimbo Nipper is hot property at the moment having hit more pins in the last two games than he has all season ........118 to be precise. No really......that is more than he's hit all season !
Spanish Skittle giants Real Ale Madrid.....are said to be keen on Seve Dyer with the promise of free golf and an endless supply of sun tan lotion possibly too good to turn down.
And the Spanish galacticos may already be in talks with the Hobbit & TP........currently holidaying (or are they ? ) in the Canary Isles.
Manager Davis has his work cut out to hold so much raw talent together and when asked the secret behind the resurgent Racers he said he didn't really know...... but it all seemed to just happen when BOB naffed off to Canada......?
Burnley.