Post by Deleted on May 15, 2014 12:07:56 GMT
A couple of weeks ago the topic came up of who were the founder members of the Billingshurst League and whether or not these included the Railway.
At the time this was my best shot at a reply:
Well Mick,
As far as I am aware the Billingshurst League was formed in 1965 by Percy Barnett as a breakaway faction from the Horsham League when he had the dirty done on him and was ousted as Secretary. The founding meeting was held at the Railway which was chosen as the headquarters, and the Railway were one of the original member teams.
Although my own records only date back as far as 1970/71:
www.billingshurstbarbilliards.co.uk/page7.html
........we can say with confidence that apart from two blips (in 1981/2 and 1983/4) the Railway have had at least one team each season since then, throughout SIX decades !
A study of engraving of the league's perpetual trophies - plus some putting 2 and 2 together to make +/-4 - leads me to the following theory:
Founder members for 1965/66 (one division only):
Railway; Kings Arms A; Kings Arms B; Cricketers A; Cricketers B; Blacksmiths (Shipley); Fox & Hounds (Newpound); Five Oaks A; Five Oaks B; Half Moon (Kirdford) A & B; Foresters (Kirdford)
In 1967/68 a Second Division was added with the following:
Arun (Pulborough) A & B; Southwater CC A & B; Six Bells A & B; Cherry Tree A & B; Hornbrook and The Brook; Three Compasses; Red Lion (Cowfold); Windmill (Littleworth) and Bull (Shermanbury).
On a sentimental note, some of these venues are still going strong, some are now known by a different name (Blacksmiths now the Countryman and Red Lion now the Coach House) and we mourn the loss of the Fox & Hounds (now a private dwelling) and Five Oaks and Arun (both demolished). The Red Lion/Coach House is shortly to go too for a housing development.
At the time this was my best shot at a reply:
As far as I am aware the Billingshurst League was formed in 1965 by Percy Barnett as a breakaway faction from the Horsham League when he had the dirty done on him and was ousted as Secretary. The founding meeting was held at the Railway which was chosen as the headquarters, and the Railway were one of the original member teams.
Although my own records only date back as far as 1970/71:
www.billingshurstbarbilliards.co.uk/page7.html
........we can say with confidence that apart from two blips (in 1981/2 and 1983/4) the Railway have had at least one team each season since then, throughout SIX decades !
A study of engraving of the league's perpetual trophies - plus some putting 2 and 2 together to make +/-4 - leads me to the following theory:
Founder members for 1965/66 (one division only):
Railway; Kings Arms A; Kings Arms B; Cricketers A; Cricketers B; Blacksmiths (Shipley); Fox & Hounds (Newpound); Five Oaks A; Five Oaks B; Half Moon (Kirdford) A & B; Foresters (Kirdford)
In 1967/68 a Second Division was added with the following:
Arun (Pulborough) A & B; Southwater CC A & B; Six Bells A & B; Cherry Tree A & B; Hornbrook and The Brook; Three Compasses; Red Lion (Cowfold); Windmill (Littleworth) and Bull (Shermanbury).
On a sentimental note, some of these venues are still going strong, some are now known by a different name (Blacksmiths now the Countryman and Red Lion now the Coach House) and we mourn the loss of the Fox & Hounds (now a private dwelling) and Five Oaks and Arun (both demolished). The Red Lion/Coach House is shortly to go too for a housing development.