bidefordskittlesleague

Sorry for my mistake in the last update, we will not be able to have an AGM until after 21st June, so that will be in July. Also, it is not written in stone that you have to play the outstanding matches on Monday nights but please make sure all matches are played by 30th June.

Hi Guys,
At last we have a date that we can all look forward to for getting back to enjoying a game of skittles again, 21st June as long as everything goes to plan and everyone does what they are told.

If things stay as planned we will have an AGM early in June and begin to finish off the incomplete 2019-20 season from the 21st, hopefully finishing it off in July with a Finals Day.

Providing things remain the same entry forms will go out in June for the usual season start of early September.

We are hoping that you haven't lost your appetite for playing skittles and will all enter again fo next season.

Covid has prevented us from enjoying ourselves so lets get out there and put our lives back to normal!

If any teams decide not to enter I'm sure they will soon regret it when they see us having fun like before.

See you all soon, Steve.😉

On a lighter note I am making a display in my garden from old skittle pins. Just one problem, I have run out! Do you know where there are any that I can lay my hands on?

Hi,

This is just a little note to say that we are still here and we are determined to finish off last season before we start next season. There is the possibility that we will not have enough time later in the year to play a full 2020/2021season, we will just have to wait and see.

We hope that you and your team members will continue to play skittles when this is all over. We don't want this damned virus to prevent us from doing what we enjoy.

However long it takes we will be back, all together we hope.

Stay safe.

Steve.

Hi Guys,

When we are able to play again there are some matches that do not need to be played because they will have no influence on the promotion and relegation places. You will not have to play these matches but if you and your opponents want to play them you are quite entitled to do so. They are:

Div 1-- Langtree B v Sinkers, Abbots v Red Devils, Putford Rebels v Simply Reds.

Div 2-- Putford A v W Giffard B, Parkham Stars v Newton Hopefuls.

Div 3-- Dropouts v Langtree A, Pullovers v Littleham Colts.

Div 4-- W Giffard A v St Giles OB, Hunters Raiders v Haystacks, Hartland A v W Giffard A, St Giles OB v Hunters Raiders, Haystacks v Young Bucks.

Div 5-- Hot Rods v Diamond Six, Hot Rods v Splinters, Welc Runabouts v Horniwinks, Woolsery Wangers v Leg Irons, Inn Team v Diamond Six.

Div 6-- Brad Lads v Rejects, Alwington v Jokers, Legionaires v Clintons, Littleham A v Brad Lads, B Brewer Colts v Alwington, Reds C v Legionaires, Clintons v TVSC.

There may be a few more that will not need to be played after a few more results have come in e.g. if BSC's win or draw against Littleham A and Frithelstock A lose against Rejects then Jokers will not need to play Rascals OR if Old Pros beat The Highwaymen then Pot Bellies will not need to play The Highwaymen. I will keep you in touch as results come in.

I hope that you agree with my list, if not please let me know what is wrong.

JUST A FEW SNIPPETS TO KEEP YOU INTERESTED:                          DIV 1- ONE WAY FOR HUNTERS TO LOOSE TOP SPOT IS FOR THEM TO LOOSE AWAY TO SIMPLY REDS AND HOME TO KINGFISHERS  AND FOR SUPERSTUDS TO WIN AND SCORE 111 PINS MORE THAN THEM AT KINGFISHERS.  ANOTHER WAY IS IF THEY LOOSE BOTH MATCHES AND ALLSORTS TO WIN BOTH.  

DIV 2- EXTRAENDERS OR THE DORES COULD OVERTAKE SIX AMIGOS  AT THE TOP BUT NOT BOTH OF THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PLAY EACHOTHER.

DIV 3- PARKHAM STRAYS NEED TO LOSE BOTH MATCHES AND WOOLSERY COLTS NEED TO WIN ALL THREE MATCHES FOR THEM TO BE OVERTAKEN.

DIV 4- WILL BE DECIDED WHEN OLD PROS AND THE HIGHWAYMEN PLAY EACHOTHER IN THE NEXT MATCH.

DIV 6 - BSC'S ARE ALMOST THERE BUT IF THEY LOSE THEIR LAST MATCH RASCALS CAN OVERTAKE THEM.

WE HAVE POSTPONED FINALS DAY UNTIL LATER IN THE YEAR. YOU CAN PLAY YOUR LAST GAME NEXT WEEK IF YOU WISH BUT WE WOULD ADVISE AGAINST IT. THE SINGLES COMPETITION AND CUP SEMI-FINALS ARE ALSO POSTPONED. WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU WILL ALL BE ABLE TO PLAY POSTPONED MATCHES SOMETIME BUT YOU WILL NEED TO ARRANGE THEM BETWEEN YOURSELVES, YOU CAN PLAY THEM ON ANY NIGHT THAT YOU CHOOSE. WE WILL GET THE SEASON COMPLETED SOMEHOW.                                        FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INVOLVED THE TWO DEVON COMPETITIONS AND THE BRIGMAN NORTH DEVON CHAMPIONSHIP, THEY WILL BE PLAYED LATER IN THE YEAR, PROBABLY OCTOBER.

SIX AMIGOS, PARKHAM STRAYS, OLD PROS, THE HIGHWAYMEN, WELCOMBE RUNABOUTS AND STINGRAYS ARE ALREADY PROMOTED. AT THE OTHER END OF THE SCALE SINKERS, KINGFISHERS,WEARE GIFFARD B, YOUNG BUCKS AND SPLINTERS ARE RELEGATED. WELCOMBE RUNABOUTS ARE PROMOTED AS CHAMPIONS OF DIVISION 5.

THE FINALISTS IN THE MAN FOR MAN CUP ARE EXTRA-ENDERS FROM DIVISION 2 AND STINGRAYS OF DIVISION 5 AND THE JUBILEE CUP FINAL WILL BE CONTESTED BY NEWTON HOPEFULS AND THE DORES, BOTH FROM DIVISION 2. THE DORES NEEDED 77 TO WIN AND PULLED IT OFF WITH AN INCREDIBLE 82 LAST RUB WHICH INCLUDED 26, 18 & 17 SPARES. THE NEW LOOK PRESIDENTS CUP FINAL WILL BE AN ALL DIVISION 1 AFFAIR AS STRIKERS TAKE ON MASHERS. MASHERS ARE ALSO IN THE FRONT PIN CUP FINAL WHERE THEY WILL PLAY PARKHAM STRAYS, A GREAT FEAT FROM A DIVISION 3 TEAM.

JOHN GORDON OF WALLABIES AND JAMES DOBLE OF 'THE DORES' WILL CONTEST THIS SEASON'S CAPTAIN'S CUP FINAL.

THIS SEASONS PAIRS FINALISTS ARE MARVYN ANSTEY & SIMON EDWARDS OF RED DEVILS AND MARK MILTON & MATTHEW WESTAWAY OF MASHERS. DURING THE COURSE OF THE EVENING MARK HAD A 27 SPARE.

THE LEADER IN THE CONTEST FOR THE HIGHEST 3 AWAY SCORES CUP IS ANDREW JENN WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 242 (77,79,86)

KO THREES FINALISTS ARE LANGTREE B (ANTHONY & TOM DOWN, AND ROGER VANSTONE) AND SUPERSTUDS (CHRIS BULLED, CHRIS SYMONS & FRED AVERY).

THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 24TH AT THE REDS ROWING CLUB AT 7.45 PM.

THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS OUR PRESIDENT SIMON SHACKSON PRESENTING A CHEQUE FOR £300 TO LISA WALLIS THE FOUNDER OF THE CHARITY "CHEMOHERO" AT THE AGM ON 3RD JUNE.

MASHERS FAILED NARROWLY TO ADD THE COUNTY CUP TO THEIR NORTH DEVON CUP. THEY WENT DOWN BY 3 PINS AGAINST A VERY GOOD TOTNES TEAM WHOSE BACKER-UP NEEDED A VERY DIFFICULT SPARE TO BEAT THEM. MARVYN ANSTEY OVERCAME HIS TOTNES OPPONENT IN THE COUNTY SINGLES BUT THEN LOST BY 1 PIN IN THE 1/4 FINALS.

THE PICTURE BELOW SHOWS THIS YEAR'S NORTH DEVON CHAMPIONS MASHERS AFTER RECEIVING THEIR TROPHY. FROM THE LEFT ARE JON TURNER, ALISTAIR WESTAWAY, MARK MILTON, JASON SMITH, ANDREW BRAUNTON AND MARK BOUCHER. ON THEIR WAY THEY BEAT COCKERELS FROM BRAUNTON 328-299, EXETER BIBBERS FROM BARNSTAPLE 355-319, WEEK ST MARY FROM HOLSWORTHY 363-273 AND KNEADERS PAIRS FROM BARNSTAPLE 358-336 IN THE FINAL. TOP SCORE OF THE DAY WAS JASON'S 83 AGAINST HOLSWORTHY WHICH INCLUDED A 25 SPARE. THIS IS OUR THIRD WIN IN THREE YEARS FOLLOWING STRIKERS TWO PREVIOUS WINS.                                                             THE SINGLES FINAL WAS AN ALL HOLSWORTHY AFFAIR WITH GRAHAM BRAUND BEATING ROBIN WONNACOTT.                           MANY THANKS TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS MALCOLM SKINNER, JOHN CHEW, COLIN ELLIS, RICHARD WATSON, RAY WADE, WILF BEER, MARK MILTON, CHRIS BULLED AND DAVE ALLIN WHO HELPED TO MAKE THE DAY RUN SMOOTHLY.

SIX OF CLUBS ARE THE CHAMPION TEAM OF 2019. IN A BRILLIANT CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS FINAL THE CHAMPIONS OF DIVISION 2 BEAT THEIR LOVACOTT ALLEY-MATES MASHERS, THE DIVISION 1 WINNERS, BY ONE PIN.

THE DORES WON THE JUBILEE CUP FINAL BUT LOST THE FINAL OF THE MAN-FOR-MAN CUP AGAINST SUPERSTUDS.                          THE PRESIDENT'S CUP FINAL WAS A WIN FOR CLB OLD BOYS OVER LANGTREE B.                                                                              BUT LANGTREE B AGAIN PRODUCED LAST RUB HEROICS TO WIN THE FRONT PIN CUP FINAL AGAINST SIX OF CLUBS.                        OUR TWO REPRESENTATIVES AT NORTH DEVON FINALS DAY AT POLLYFIELD ON 27TH APRIL, RED DEVILS AND MASHERS, FOUGHT OUT A TIGHT MATCH AS RED DEVILS WON THE BRIDGMAN CUP FINAL.                                                                   

MARK HEDDEN OF WEARE GIFFARD B WON THE CAPTAIN'S CUP, BEATING  FRANKLIN TUCKER OF OLD PROS.

LAST YEARS PAIRS CHAMPIONS DAVE ALLIN & MATT WONNACOTT OF STRIKERS FAILED TO HOLD ON TO THE PAIRS TROPHY, GOING DOWN TO ALLEY-MATES ROGER HONEY & DAVE CLEVERDON OF PARKHAM STARS.

THE KNOCK-OUT THREES WINNERS THIS SEASON ARE SINKERS  (TOM DOWNING, MICKY JENKINS & TREVOR MAYNE) WHO BEAT LANGTREE B (TOM DOWN, ANTHONY DOWN & SIMON LARKWORTHY).

SIMON SHACKSON WON THE COMMITTEE CUP FOR THE THIRD YEAR RUNNING, A MARVELLOUS FEAT AS HE IS UP AGAINST SOME EXCELLENT SKITTLERS.    TONY ALLIN WON THE CUP FOR THE HIGHEST SCORE FROM SOMEONE AGED OVER 60 FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING.     JAMES BARRIBALL WON THE CUP FOR THE HIGHEST SCORE FROM SOMEONE AGED UNDER 18 FOR THE SECOND TIME.    RYAN WALTER TOOK THE HIGHEST 3 AWAY SCORES TROPHY WITH 242(70,78,94).  JASON SMITH WAS THE HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORER OF THE YEAR WITH 96 AND LANGTREE B ONCE AGAIN THE HIGHEST SCORERS AWAY FROM THEIR OWN ALLEY WITH AN AVERAGE OF 338.

I AM TRYING TO FIND SOME HISTORY OF THE BEGINNING OF OUR LEAGUE.

I HAVE GOT THE NAMES OF SOME OF THE EARLY CHAMPIONS AND I AM HOPING THAT SOME OF YOU OUT THERE WILL BE ABLE TO TELL ME WHO THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY DID, MAYBE FOR A LIVING OR IF THEY FOUGHT IN THE WAR.

WE STARTED IN 1929-30 AND THE CHAMPION TEAM WAS CONSERVATIVE CLUB 'B' AND THE TEAM MEMBERS WERE W MOORE, F JOHNS, RS LEY, R PASSMORE, A HILLS, C GREEN, G SHORT, J HUXTABLE.

1930-31 LIBERAL CLUB 'A'- J SHORT, H RENDALL, L BRAUND, J HEARN, J TAYLOR, R VODDEN, F TUCKER, W TRICK.

1931-32 CONSERVATIVE 'B'- W PICKARD, W HAMBLY, E LEWIS, R PASSMORE, J BALE, W LOCK, S LEY, J HUXTABLE.

1932-33 CONSREVATIVE 'B'- A JENN, H PIDGEON, R PETHERICK.

1933-34-          -”-              T ANSTEY.

1934-35 INSTOW – J SNELL, W JENNINGS, W SMALE, L MOORE, H WELSH, F HOYLE, F STEVENS, E HODGE.

1935-36 MALTSCOOP- F MAYNE, A JENN, C CLANFIELD, T BRIMACOMBE, W PICKARD, H PIDGEON, W STONEMAN, L SUSSEX.

1936-37 LIBERAL 'A'- G SQUIRES, F TUCKER, R DOWNING, P STEER, G POOLEY, W TAYLOR, C WAKELEY, J TAYLOR.

1937-38 CONSERVATIVE 'A'- J MILLS, W NICHOLLS, R BURNETT, S NICHOLLS, W BISSETT, A SHERBORNE, W LOCK, S LEY.

1938-39 LIBERAL 'A'- R VODDEN, J BALE, G POOLEY, J HEARN, C WAKELEY, C SQUIRES, R DOWNING, W TAYLOR.

1946-47 B BREWER 'B'- R DENNIS, W TUCKER, W BRAUND, R BLIGHT, P MILLS, G FERRITT, W HORRELL.

1947-48 CONSERVATIVE CLUB- S LEY, W MOORE, E CLEMENTS, W NICHOLLS, F PARR, A SHERBOURNE.

1948-49 CONSERVATIVE 'A'- SAME PLAYERS AS 1948.

IF YOU HAVE ANY OLD PHOTOS THAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THE PEOPLE WHO READ THIS WEBSITE PLEASE e-mail THEM TO ME AND I WILL MAKE UP A PAGE CALLED 'OLD PHOTOS'.

THE LEAGUE'S ORIGINAL WINNER'S SHIELDS HAVE RECENTLY COME TO LIGHT AT ABBOTSHAM. THEY DATE BACK TO WHEN OUR LEAGUE STARTED IN 1929. NOT ONLY HAVE THEY GOT THE TEAM'S NAMES ON THEM BUT THEY HAVE THE PLAYER'S NAMES ALSO. SO IF YOU HAD A GRANDAD WHO WAS PLAYING THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER.