It's now Played 12, Won 10, Lost 2, with the mighty Rothwell Conservative Club 'B' team ahead by a neck, beer-belly and arse from the hapless chasing pack. We'll need a miracle to catch them now...
First up was the aforementioned Rothwell Connie Club who strutted their stuff like prize cockerels on our very own bloomin' table. It was a bad day at the (ahem!) skittles office, but it could have been worse. The men of Rothwell were lulled into a false sense of security, and we took the Beer Leg 3-0. Anyone would think the Red Lion 'B' team take their beer more seriously than their skittles....
We needed to bounce back hard from this crushing defeat, and so we did. Weaker members of the team were savagely cut for the away match at Desborough Services. The squad rotation payed dividends, and through tear-blurred eyes I watched the cream of Middleton win both the match and the beer leg. In the spirit of teamwork, I was allowed to help record the team averages in the 'Little-Black-Book', and carry trays of beer to the 'Big Players' table. Sniffle...
A word about the Beer. Desborough Services holds the unwelcome prize for possibly the least inspiring beer range on offer throughout the league. No real ales (boo!), and a very poor range of keg offerings from budget beer specialist Sam Smith's Brewery (bah!). I resorted to bottles of Elgood Black Dog Mild, which are really not a patch on the real draught version. Come on Services, it's time to get real.
A chill wind blew through the village this Tuesday. The Bulls Head, Arthingworth had come to play. In true Daphne du Maurier fashion, all Pentagrams, Witch Candles, and Headless Black Dogs were left safely at the door. This was to be a clean game, no witchcraft allowed....
We were extremely lucky to escape from the notorious 'Arthingworth Rectangle' last time we visited the Bulls Head, this was no time to drop our guard. The stout-hearted folk of Arthingworth may well have come with pure hearts and good intentions, but who's to say they hadn't succumbed to some form of enchantment on the long journey. The powerful forces at play within the Arthingworth Rectangle know no bounds. The tentacles of malevolent influence could easily stretch as far as sleepy Middleton.
As it was, the evening passed off without incident, and all went well.... although!!!!.... Was it my imagination, or did Neil 'Tattooed Love God' Barby have a slightly 'haunted' look about him that night.... Hmm!
It was a very close match. Mind you it was always going to be.... I was playing, so no hope of a convincing victory! Team captain Fiona 'usually 68 Ft above sea level' Barby dropped herself from the team and was seen massaging our star player, Young Kevin, ready for the match. The levels of fitness required when chalking the score board should never be underestimated. It was generally agreed that Kev performed adequately at the board, though appeared to massively underestimate the levels of concentration and arithmetic required to hold the position down permanently. Expect a return to the skittles team next week Kev....
We eventually won 39-38, with James 'King-Pin' Mcqueenie holding his nerve in the final throw of a gripping match. A 3-1 Beer Leg win followed, and whilst the League may be a lost cause, it's still looking good for the Red Lion's Beer Leg Cup challenge.... if there is one.
Incidentally, the picture up top shows just how popular table skittles is around these parts. This is a mini table at the recent Caldecott Village Fete. A similar table was on show at Oundle Carnival.
Next Match (Away): Bulls Head, Arthingworth - Knock-Out Cup (3rd August)
