As we head into winter, please can we remind all members that you should refrain from parking in the pub car park and on grass verges during club sessions. Please instead make use of the Abbey car park and nearby streets, whilst being considerate of local residents.
This is all the more important at this time of year as the pub is often busy, particularly for Sunday lunches, and parking on grass verges during wet weather causes unnecessary damage.
Many thanks to everyone for your consideration.
We should thank and congratulate the West Yorkshire League Team who won their last match on Tuesday 7th June to finish on top of the league. I personally thank all 11 other team players who represented the club in the league this year, showing the depth that we can draw on to play the 10 home and away fixtures. With each fixture having 5 matches, there was 50 matches played of which we won 35 and finished with a positive points difference of +139!!
Playing in the league presents the opportunity to play on different terrains, against different players, providing greater variety and challenges. The combination of these allows players to develop their skills and match craft. This applies to all players, irrespective of ability and experience, as we all have something else to learn or improve. Although we have a group of players who through availability and outlook play in most of the fixtures, this does not make them elite and all twelve representatives have played an equal part in achieving our success. Thank you – Alan Smith.
The West Yorkshire league has started, with Leeds having played and won our first two matches! And we’ve even had warm, sunny weather for both matches – exactly how pétanque should be played!
First match was away at Huddersfield, and we put in a great performance to take the win 4 – 1. Kevin, Janice, Paul, Alan, Mick and Jo made up the team. What a fantastic result for Mick on his first outing for the team in the West Yorkshire League!
Our match against Wetherby at home was a slightly closer affair, with Leeds winning 3 – 2. Kevin, Janice, Paul, Alan, Jo and Rosanna managed to win both triples games and one of the doubles to secure victory.
The next match is 2pm at Harrogate this Thursday, which is always tricky with narrow and sloping terrains right in the middle of town. If anyone fancies popping along to support the team, the terrain is opposite Betty’s so you can enjoy a scone whilst watching!
Reference the earlier email – the correct start time for the AGM is 6pm, not 7.30pm as previously advised. Apologies for the confusion, and we look forward to seeing you this evening.
Just a reminder that the AGM is being held this evening, starting 6pm at the Vesper Gate. Please do come down and support the meeting. It’s a real opportunity to have your say and put forward ideas for the coming year. Perhaps you’d like to see more coaching sessions? Some friendly competitions against other local clubs? A trip to France? Whatever your thoughts, please do come and join us.
We will also be electing the Committee for the coming year and are always looking for new members and volunteers to help in the running of the club.
See you tonight.
This Saturday 23rd November at 1pm there will be a Molkky taster session, weather permitting.
There’s no need to book, all the equipment will be provided so just turn up at the terrain and have a go. Everyone is welcome, bring friends, bring children, it’s a game for all ages and no prior skill is required.
See you there!
The West Yorkshire League is an annual league competition and this season 6 Clubs participated; Wetherby, Heckmondwike, Leeds, Mirfield, Huddersfield and Harrogate. This meant we played 5 matches away and 5 matches at our new terrain at Vesper Gate. The matches are played between teams of 6 players each, the first round is of two games of triples followed by3 games of pairs making 5 games per match. The league is decided on the number of games won over the series of 10 matches with points difference being used to determine final positions in the event of any draws.
Alan and I organised the Leeds team this year, and Leeds did quite well. The games are played on a day/time determined by the home team and this involved some interesting journeys across West Yorkshire. We sometimes had difficulties raising a team for our away matches but our thanks to all those who played for the team this year. We ended up coming third in the League this yearwith Wetherby being the outright winner.
Interestingly there is a further competition for the West Yorkshire Cup, and this is a straight knockout contest. The format is also slightly different in that the team is made up of 3 women and 3 men and the games comprise a women’s triple, a men’s triple and 3 mixed pairs.
Leeds played 3 matches this year, including beating Heckmondwike 3-2 with only 5 players!, and came up against Wetherby in the final, in Harrogate as a neutral venue and won the West Yorkshire Cup for the fourth time! Great work team.
The West Yorkshire League is a really interesting way to expand your playing experience beyond Club sessions, competition is friendly but keen, and visiting other Clubs is always interesting, playing with new people on different terrains.
Paul Matthews.
The York league is a long standing competition dating back to 1987, for Clubs based in the York area. Over the years it has become the main competitive league in the region. Six Clubs are currently involved, with two of them entering an A and a B team.
This year the format was slightly complicated; the first round of all teams playing each other once, at home or away, to determine two leagues of four teams each. Each division then played the other 3 teams both home and away. Another innovation this year was a grand final at which all teams came together at Wiggington in York for a final match between teams in positions as follows 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 to be followed by a presentation of the York League Trophy.
Leeds played well all through the first round, coming out in first place with more games won than any other team. We continued our run of form into the second round, and the final, to win the league trophy by a significant margin having lost only one match out of the 14 we played.
This win continued our run of success in the York League, being the fifth year running have come away with the trophy. The season was a long one, with lots of travelling, it is nearly 50 miles to Westow on the other side of York, but we remained consistent and have developed a squad of good players with a great team ethos.
Paul Matthews.
The clocks are set to change this coming Sunday, and this therefore means that today is our last Tuesday session of the year.
Don’t forget that Wednesday sessions will continue throughout Winter at the new start time of 13:00, and Sunday mornings of course remain unchanged at 11:00.
It would be nice to see as many of you as possible this evening, and Tuesdays will of course resume in the spring.
You may have noticed that we now have some new accommodation up at the terrain in the form of a gazebo, and come rain or shine (the former being more likely!) it will prove invaluable at future club events.
A huge thank you Paul and Alan for securing the fixings the other day… a very smart addition to our terrain.
Leeds Pétanque 