The Ladies League starts week commencing 16th September, below is the first set of fixtures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week commencing 16 Sept 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vixens v Woodpeckers Mon Trinity Club 2
Stampers v Bye
Crackerjacs v Trinity Mix Ups Tue Trinity Club 1
Wonder Women
Crossfire Ladies joined the league in 2012 playing in the last ever Ladies Section B on a Monday at the new Spitfire Club alley at Crossways. From the 13-14 season there was just one ladies league of sixteen teams. In 2017 the Crossfire Ladies were runners up in the Plate. The following season the team had moved to the Colliton Club on alley one and changed their name to Wonder Women, and again were runners up in the Plate. The team played for one season at the Victoria Hotel in the 22-23 season, finishing third in the league and winning the last ever ladies plate, before playing last season at the Trinity Club on alley one.
Note: Some members of the Wonder Women will be part of the newly formed Wingers that will play in Section C.
Merrymen
Merrymen were formed in 1992 and played in Section G at the New Inn, West Knighton on a Thursday, finishing third in their first season which saw them promoted to Section F for the 93-94 season. Merrymen finished fourth in Section F in 95-96 which meant they were promoted to Section E. Merrymen were up again the following season, as although they finished sixth, they found themselves in Section D for the 97-98 season. The team were in Section C for the 00-01 season after finishing fourth in Section D the previous season, but a bottom place finish saw them relegated back to Section D. After a few promotions without finishing in the top two the Merrymen got their hands on some silverware in 2002 finishing top of Section D. After one season in Section C Merrymen were in Section B, as the sections were enlarged from 14 to 16 teams. For the 05-06 season Merrymen switched nights to play on Fridays at the New Inn, a season that saw them relegated back to Section C. The team had a new home for the 06-07 season moving to the Frampton Arm’s, Moreton on a Friday. After just over ten years in Section C Merrymen were relegated in 2018. When skittles resumed in 2021 the Frampton Arm’s alley had gone so Merrymen played on a Friday at the Three Compasses, Charminster, before moving back to where it had all started, the New Inn, West Knighton for the 22-23 season. The team had entered for the 24-25 season but after a few seasons struggling for a side captain Stan Hallett felt that with the sections back up to sixteen teams it would mean that with a longer season getting eight players would become even more difficult, so rather than withdraw during the season he had to unfortunately withdraw just after the AGM.
Note: The committee excepted a late entry from Ship Apes to take the place of Merrymen.
Hotshots
Hotshots origins can be dated back to 1984 and a team called Vice Presidents A who were captained by Steve Major and played at the Magpie SC in Section E on Wednesday. The named was changed to Vice Presidents Ramblers and the home night switched to a Thursday for the next two seasons. It was the 87-88 season when the name Hotshots was first used as Steve moved the team to the Swan Inn on a Thursday, and was joined by David Potter, Pete Bradley and Andy Tompkins all from Chinks A. Hotshots first success was in the 89-90 season when they finished up runners-up in Section E. The 91-92 season saw the team move to the new alley at the Junction Hotel on a Thursday, but by the following season the team were on the move again, now known as Trinity Hotshots playing on alley one on a Wednesday at the Trinity Club. Alley two was their home for the 93-94 season with the team name back to being just Hotshots, but they were back on alley one the following season, and in 1996 finished as runners up in Section D, and then runners up again the following season in Section C. In 1998 the team became Colliton Hotshots when they moved to the new alley two at the Colliton Club, but were back to being just known as Hotshots for 99-00 season. After two seasons at the Colliton it was a move back to the Trinity as the team took up their first ever Friday home night, on alley one. It was onto another club for the 02-03 season with the Hotshots taking up home at the Conservative Club on a Friday. The Hotshots reached Section A after finishing runners up in Section B in the 05-06 season., although it was only a one season stay as the they finished bottom of the A section in 06-07. With the Conservative Club closing the Hotshots moved to the Victoria Hotel on a Thursday for the 11-12 season, with the season ending in relegation. Back in the Section C the team switched nights to Friday at the Vic for the 12-13 season. A bottom place finish in 2014 saw the Hotshots in Section D for the 14-15 season. In 2018 Hotshots finished as runners up in Section D, and a season later finished runners up in Section C, as the team once again moved up the sections. In 2019 Hotshots, now back in Section B took up home at the Dorchester Town Football Club on a Wednesday, but the season was null and voided due to Covid. When skittles resumed in 2021 Hotshots played from alley one at the Colliton Club on a Wednesday, and gained promotion in the 22-23 season finishing runners up in Section B. Hotshots final season saw them playing in Section A where they finished ninth out of eleven.
Note: Some of the Hotshots players from last season have formed a new team called Ship Apes.
Trinity Allsorts who play in Section B are looking for new players for the forthcoming season. They play their home matches on alley three at the Trinity Club on Friday’s. Contact the Fixture Secretary, Terry Gosney for more details.
The Open League will start week commencing 26th August. Below is the first set of fixtures for the Open League. The Ladies League will start week commencing 16th September.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION A - Week commencing 26 Aug 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pudd Wanderers v Barmy Army Fri Bladen SC, Briantspuddle
Half Pints v Essentials Thu Colliton Club alley 1
Wide Boys v Breakaways Thu Colliton Club alley 2
Colliton Imps v Green Giants Fri Colliton Club alley 2
Patriots v Skimmers Thu Goldies
Goldies Wurzels v Magpie Imps Fri Goldies
Hammers v Woodmen Fri Trinity Club alley 1
Heathens v Legionaires Fri Trinity Club alley 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION B - Week commencing 26 Aug 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monsters v Swankers Fri Royal Oak, Milborne St Andrew
Alcotops v Bye
Vic Reeves v Bullocks Fri Victoria Hotel
Country Boys v Steamers Fri New Inn, West Knighton
Jokers v Hartstoppers Thu Victoria Hotel
Swan Abbots v Brewers Bees Thu Swan Inn, Abbotsbury
Muckspreaders v Yokels On Tour Thu Tom Browns
Plodders v Allsorts Thu Trinity Club alley 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION C - Week commencing 26 Aug 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Funseekers v Ladettes Wed Colliton Club alley 1
Flingers v Pudd Nomads Fri Colliton Club alley 1
Bye v Strugglers
Chuckers v Ship Apes Thu New Inn, West Knighton
Misfits v Wingers Fri Wool British Legion
Bye v Colliton Spares
Ship Wrecked v Untouchables Thu The Old Ship Inn, Upwey
The Wafflers v Easy Beats Wed Victoria Hotel
Please note that the information packs for the forthcoming season will be available for collection from the Colliton Club on Friday 9th August. The packs will contain the fixture list, contact details, scorecards, cup draw, invoice and signing on sheet.
Martin Osborne will be at the Colliton Club from 12.30pm until 1.30pm and then again in the evening from 7.30pm until 9pm. Please would all captains do their best to collect the packs on this date, anyone with any questions about collecting their items should contact Terry Gosney nearer the collection date. Brian Newton will not be available to be to contacted on this occasion.
Unfortunately since the AGM two’s teams have withdrawn their entry to the league. Merrymen and Fifty Shades of Age will not be entering this season. The committee has excepted a late entry from Ship Apes, who will play their matches at the Old Ship Inn at Upwey on a Wednesday.
If you would like to advertise your business on the website for the price of £25 a year please email a PDF of your advert/business card to terry.gosney@btinternet.com
At the AGM on Friday it was confirmed that Section D would be disbanded for the forthcoming season. With four small sections in the Open League since the league restarted after Covid, the committee felt that we needed to give skittlers a decent amount of games and also insuring that venues with alleys within our league get us much custom from our matches as possible, in the hope that we can keep as many alleys as we can still in use in the future. A year ago we had the plan of moving the Ladies League into Section D, this would have been based around four sections of 14 teams. But neither Section D teams or the ladies teams were overly keen on this idea, and some teams indicated that they would not enter if this went ahead, so the committee withdrew this option as we did not want to lose any teams.
So with the 46 teams we have at present in the Open League, the ideal solution of four sections of 14 teams is unworkable, so we had the choice to leave it as it was last season with only 20 games for teams or to go back to 16 in three sections and give you a full season of skittles, the last time we based the sections around 16 teams was only back in the 2016-17 season, so it’s really nothing new. Although some of the concerns raised at the AGM have been noted and will be looked at over the season.
1963 was the first year of Section D, with Stragglers from the Plume of Feathers the first winners. Over the years most of today’s teams would have started in Section D or would have passed through it on their way up from Section E.
If this is the end of Section D then Strugglers from the Goldies will be the last winners.
Here is a pick of some of the past winners that still remain in our league in some shape or form
1974 – Untouchables
1979 – Muckspreaders
1980 – Skimmers
1982 – New Inn Yokels
1985 – Milborne Woodmen
1986 – Bladen Breakaways
1987 – Puddletown Wanderers
1991 and 1992 – Puddletown Imps
1993 – Wide Boys
1994 – Hartstoppers
1997 – Patriots
1998 and 2016 – Jokers
2001 and 2013- Misfits
2002 – Merrymen
2003 and 2024 – Strugglers
2005 and 2010 – Swan Abbots
2006 – Allsorts
2007 – Half Pints
2011 – Greyhound Essentials
2012 – Top Pins
2019 – Wareham Legionaires
2022 – Plodders
2023 – Alcotops