The Centenary year of Poole and District Skittles Association presentation night will be held at the Hamworthy Club on June 28th, 2025, it will be a Hot Fork plated Buffet with Disco etc. A reminder that I would like to have all the names and order of the choice of food you want by the 1st of June, the cost of the ticket is £7.50 which is heavily subsidised by the Association, there is also a disco, raffle and a quiz during the evening. Could I have all the ticket money before the event not on the night, thanks.

50 YEARS AGO (1974-75) SEASON
The 1st division winners in 1974-75 season were the Gas Tavern ‘A’ side, this was their second top spot of three consecutive (73/74, 74/75, 75/76) 1st division titles, they scored 78 points which was the same total as the previous season, this time they were seven points clear of the second place team Generators E who was captained by R. Hatchard, the Gas Tavern A team also won the 1st division back in 1964/65, 68/69 and 70/71, Cyril Matthews was the Gas Tavern A captain for all those winning title years, they won the first division back in 1951-52, I don’t know who the captain was then. Cyril Matthews served on the general committee from 1972-73 to 1997 he then became President of the Poole and District Skittle League from 1998 to 2005 he then became a Life President, Cyril finished his playing career with the Broadstone Y2K team when they played from the Broadstone Railway Hotel. There was only one Beer Cup for all four divisions, two teams won 21 Beers from their 30 league matches in the 1st division that year but did not win the Beer Cup, they were Labour Club G who was captained by Ray Galton and Moordown A who was captained by George Phillips, the following season (1975/76) George became the President of the Poole and District Skittle League until 1982.

Winners of the Second Division in 1974-75 season were Generators D, they were skippered by G. Potter, they won 15 of out their 30 league games and finished with a total of 78 points and won 23 beers, but unfortunately that was one beer short for the overall Beer Cup award, that went to Newtown C with 24 beers from division four, the Generators D team finished four points clear of the second place side Labour Club A whose captain was Clive Hillier, Clive served on the committee from 1975 to 1982 and then was our President for seven years until 1989, he is now a Life President of the Association and still keeps a keen interest in the Association.

Winners of the 3rd Division in 1974/75 season were Flight Refuelling who played at the Fllight Refuelling Club, now known as the Cobham Club, they won 13 games of their 28 league matches and totalled 68 points which was enough to win the division by one point from Hamworthy Legion A side who also won 13 league matches and was captained by D. Ransom. The Flights team won 17 Beers in their winning season and were captained by Brian Hutchings, the most beers won in that division though was by the Gas Tavern Lads who finished fourth from bottom with 48 points, 19 of those points came courtesy of the Beer points.

Winners of the 4th Division in 1974/75 were the Oakdale A side who was captained by Alfie Tollerfield, after their 34 league games they finished up with exactly 100 points and won 23 of their 34 league matches, which included 18 Beers points that season. Alfie went on to become the most popular figure at the Oakdale Club with his stuttering voice and a good laugh, in 1975/76 he joined the Poole Skittle committee, he then became a Life Vice President of it in 1979-1989 when he was elected to be President of the Association which he held until 1998. Runner-up in the fourth division was Newtown C in 1974/75, they were captained by G. Willey and played their skittles at the Newtown Conservative club, they finished four points behind the Oakdale A side on 96 points, they were awarded the Associations Beer Cup that season winning 24 Beers out of their 34 league matches, those days there was only one Beer Cup for all four divisions. This also was the last year that the Newtown Con was used in the Poole Skittle League, G. Willey and his team move to the Municipal Club the following year they were called the Municipal D side in 1976/77 season.

25 YEARS AGO (1999-2000) SEASON
The first division champions in the 1999-2000 season were Bloxworth, they scored 79 points from their 30 league matches and finished six points clear of second place Bluebirds ’97, the Bloxworth captain was Phil Toop, they also won the Champion of Champions Cup, the previous year Bloxworth side were runners-up to the Bluebirds 97 team who had to settle for the runner-up position this year. Bill Lovell captained the Bluebirds ’97 team, they did win the first division Beer Cup by winning 20 of their 30 Beers. Bloxworth and Corfe D both finished on 19 Beers.

Winners of the second division by ten points were the Potters side who amassed 87 points from their 32 league matches, they also won the Beer Cup with 24 wins from their league fixtures, they went to the Potters Arms after pulling out of the Oakdale Con. Club, in the fixture book they were printed as Oakdale Con. A and was captained by Roy Blackham.
The runner-up in the second division was Ham H who’s captain was Mike Jones, they finished on 77 points and won 21 Beers.

The third division winners in 1999-2000 season was the Ham Lib Redlands who was captained by Graham White they scored 81 points from their 28 league matches, they won the division by seven points from Bluebirds A who was then captained by Colin Phillips, his son Tom has taken over the captaincy of Bluebirds A from Colin. The Ham Lib Redlands side also won the third division Beer Cup with 22 wins from their 28 league matches.

There was no fourth division that year