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).
Crest of a slump....
Posted on 4th September, 2019
The Racers kicked off the new season with a raft of new signings as Manager and Captain ‘Seve the Shadow’ Dyer embarks on a major team re-building programme.
There were audible gasps of disbelief in the salubrious surroundings of the Working Men’s Club when the Captain left himself on the bench.
A former target for the skittling galacticos giants of Real Ale Madrid ,the Shadow’s omission from the line up fuelled rumours that he may be carrying an injury.....but we later decided it was probably just the way his underpants were chaffing between his ample buttocks...
As the game kicked off it was nip and tuck with the experienced campaigner Hobbit (35) leading the way for new boys Nathan ‘Chippy ‘ Waterhouse (38) and Stevie ‘Wonder’ Edwards(40). A tight opening set eventually going the way of the hosts by a slim 4 pin margin with Stevie Wonder showing early signs that the free signing may prove to be an astute bit of wheeler dealing in the transfer market.
Burnley (39) The Blade (35) and Tony ‘Gupta’ Petitt (38) turned in a workmanlike performance to take the second set by 9 pins to edge the Racers ahead in time for the half-time oranges.
Racers narrow lead however, quickly evaporated early in the second half as veteran stalwart Charlie ‘Ski Sunday’ Reeves (36) big money signing Gary Bennett ( Didn’t he used to play for Coventry City ? ) (30) and Clive ‘ How green Was My Valley ‘ Williams (36)had no answer to Langford Rovers R.Williams’s ( No Relation ....although is probably Welsh..) 51, to trail in the third set by 15 pins and 10 on the game.
It was at this point in the match when the audible gasps reverberated around the Working Men’s Clubs art deco styled walls with the noise only being muffled by the sticky beer sodden carpets.
No Dyer !.....thats right, you read it correctly....No Dyer ! .........Gasp..!
As the names of Mawford (38) Ed ‘Sports Casual’ Baytun (28) and Chris ‘Franz Krammer’ Butler (36) went up on the board people quickly reached for their reading glasses to double check.
Whats happening they croaked....how can this be......he must be injured.....oh no, we’ve covered that already with the underpants theory.....
Either way, it all ended badly with the Racers eventually being battered into submission as Langford made home advantage count to eventually run out 14-2 winners by 31 pins.
Still, with the new signings, plus G’Day and Tony ‘Tourettes’ to come back, not to mention being able to play with our rock hard black balls the season looks bright.
And you never know......the Shadow Dyer may even make an appearance....
Burnley
Bleadon Racers Statistics
Current and past season league fixtures, results and player averages (A very big thanks to Charles Reeves for producing the originals).
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