League Registration Night for 2009 Season

To all interested parties, please note that the Registration Night for our 2009 season, will be held on Friday 27th March 2009 at a venue to be decided.

The first matches would be provisionally scheduled for Sunday 19th April 2009.

As it stands at this moment, the minimum number of players required for a team is 4, up to a maximum of 8 players, with a registration fee of £12 per team for the season.

2008 Season - Final Positions Overall

Final Positions of ALL teams;

Winners - Hoxne PC (Blyth)
Runners Up - Hollesley Shepherd & Dog (Deben)
3rd Place - Harbour Inn Southwold (Blyth)
4th Place - The Exiles Bealings (Deben)
5th Place - Suivre Les Boules Playford (Deben)
6th Place - Aldeburgh Boules Club (Deben)
7th Place - 3 Horseshoes North Cove (Blyth)
8th Place - Bell Inn Walberswick (Blyth)
9th Place - Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton (Deben)

Hoxne PC secure Coastal League title

The Grand Final of our Play-Offs on Sunday 14th September saw Hoxne PC came up against Hollesley Shepherd & Dog at the neutral venue of The Greyhound Inn, Pettistree.

Each side carried the hopes of their divisions with them as the sides were both group winners in the league stage, with each side only losing once each during the normal league programme.

Hoxne PC started off brightly and some good pointing and shooting saw them take a half-time lead of 2-0. Despite the Dog pulling back one game, everything rested upon the final game. A win for Hoxne and it would be all over but a victory for Hollesley would see the match at 2-2 and needing a 'fifth game decider'.

However greater experience shone through and a spot carreau by Hoxne captain Chris Johnson plus a pointed boule gained 4 on one end and put the match away at 3-1 to Hoxne.

Presentation saw both sides presented with team trophies to mark winning their respective divisions, silver medals for Hollesley and gold for Hoxne team members.

Hoxne went away with their very own 'Hoxne hoard' when they also received the overall Suffolk Coastal Petanque League trophy, to finish off what has been an excellent first season for this new league.

Harbour Inn Southwold sails away with 3rd place

As the opening match of our Play-Off Day, held Sunday 14th September, at the Greyhound Inn, Pettistree, the Harbour Inn Southwold faced The Exiles Bealings, for the honour of third place overall in the 2008 season.

Each side were the respective runners-up in the Blyth & Deben Divisions and both had spectators either rooting for the 'North' or 'South'.

Southwold took early control of the match and seemed to find the piste reasonably to their liking, as although the early stages saw the match stand at 1-1, two subsequent 13-0's put paid to The Exiles hopes and saw Harbour Inn take third place, leaving The Exiles in fourth place.

Both sides received bronze medals for their efforts in reaching the Play-Offs and we wish them both well when we hope to see them again for the 2009 season.

End Of Season Survey Awards

At yesterdays Play-Off Finals, the following awards were made via certificates, based upon the Captains Survey forms recently sent out, meaning that the awards were based upon how other teams perceived one another

Deben Division
Best Away Venue - Aldeburgh Boules Club
Friendliest Team - Suivre Les Boules Playford

Blyth Division
Best Away Venue - 3 Horseshoes North Cove
Friendliest Team - Bell Inn Walberswick

League Award
Best Effort in 2008 Season - Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Unfortunately some teams weren't present to collect their awards but these will be posted in next few days.

Final Positions for teams not involved in Play-Offs

Based upon results within their respective divisions during the course of the season, the final positions for the 2008 season for teams who didn't make the Play-Offs are as follows;

5th Place - Suivre Les Boule Playford (Deben Division)
6th Place - Aldeburgh Boules Club (Deben)
7th Place - Three Horseshoes North Cove (Blyth)
8th Place - Bell Inn Walberswick (Blyth)
9th Place - Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton (Deben)

End of Season Play-Off line-up

End of Season Play-Off - Sunday September 14th 2008
The Greyhound Inn, Pettistree (Near Wickham Market)

3rd/4th place Play Off

Harbour Inn Southwold v The Exiles Bealings

Grand Final

Hoxne PC v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog

All are invited to come along, with matches starting at 12 o'clock.

League programme completed

Yesterday (Sunday August 24th) saw the completion of league matches in both divisions of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League and the shifting of positions right up to the final boule in the Deben Division.

Results from Blyth Division - Bell Inn Walberswick 1 Hoxne PC 3, Harbour Inn Southwold 4 Three Horseshoes North Cove 0.

Hoxne PC take the divisional title in the Blyth Division whilst the winner-takes-all battle for runners-up spot went to Southwold using home advantage to full effect with a victory over North Cove, who had recently come into good form.

Results from Deben Division - Ye Olde Coach & Horses 1 The Exiles Bealings 3, Suivre Les Boules Playford 3 Hollesley Shepherd & Dog 1

Going into these matches any two from three teams could qualify as runners-up including the non-playing Aldeburgh Boules Club, with Hollesley already having qualified as divisional winners. The Exiles victory at Melton was all they needed to move ahead of Aldeburgh, but also Playfords demolition points wise over Hollesley (this being Hollesleys first ever defeat) saw them draw level with Aldeburgh but by virtue of shots difference, saw Playford take 3rd with Aldeburgh squeezed down into 4th (despite leading the league for most of the season!!)

End Of Season Play-Offs

We are pleased to announce that we have selected The Greyhound Inn, Pettistree (Near Wickham Market) to be the venue of our End of Season Play-Offs, on Sunday 14th September.

Starting at 12 o'clock, we will see the runners-up of both the Blyth & Deben Divisions playing head-to-head to determine 3rd & 4th place overall respectively.

At around 2.30pm we would expect to commence the Grand Final between the two respective Divisional winners for the overall Coastal League title for 2008.

Approximately 5pm will be our trophy presentation ceremonies etc followed by a more informal socialising and perhaps throwing of a few final boule.

All are welcome but there will be no parking at the pub itself for petanque people. We will have our own private parking area 200yards down the lane from the pub itself.

All to play for in final round of matches

Everything is poised for a tense finale to both the Blyth & Deben Divisions of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League going into the final round of matches this weekend.

In the Deben Division, only Hollesley are currently guaranteed a Play-Off spot but both Suivre Les Boules Playford and The Exiles Bealings could both pinch a runners-up spot dependent on results. The only team sitting out this weekend is Aldeburgh Boules Club, who have completed their matches, and are relying on a combination of certain results which will see them retain their current second place position at the expense of both Bealings & Playford teams.

The Blyth Division is even more complicated coupled with the recent run of good form shown by The 3 Horseshoes North Cove. They are in third at the moment but again a certain combination of results could see them actually gain the Divisional title but they have both Hoxne PC and Harbour Inn Southwold above them who will both have a great say in the final outcome.

Matches scheduled for Sunday August 24th

Deben Division - Suivre Les Boules v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog and Ye olde Coach & Horses Melton v The Exiles Bealings

Blyth Division - Bell Inn Walberswick v Hoxne PC and Harbour Inn Southwold v 3 Horseshoes North Cove

North Cove continue good form

Another two league points were secured by The Three Horseshoes North Cove last night, when they made the journey to The Bell Inn Walberswick and defeated the home side by 3 games to 1. Both sides were still in with a chance of qualifying for the end of season play-offs before the start of the match, so a lot was hanging in the balance for not only these two but the two other sides ahead of them in the league table.

The result sees North Cove leapfrog Walberswick into third place and increases their chances of a top two finish. The Bell Inn end their season facing current leaders Hoxne PC whilst the Hrbour Inn Southwold entertain the in-form North Cove side.

Now everybody has at least a point!!

Whilst other matches were going on in both Divisions, Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton, with their new look side, welcomed Suivre Les Boules Playford to their piste.

The Coach were without a single point so far this season and facing a Playford side harbouring their own ambitions of still reaching a play-off spot. Melton, although starting the season fairly slowly, have steadily improved and with the addition of their new players, achieved a very welcome 2-2 draw and therefore broke their duck.

This result dented Playfords chances and everything in this division will go down to the last two matches due to be played on Sunday August 24th.

Aldeburgh fail to beat The Exiles..again

Last Sunday, 3 teams were still in the hunt for one play-off spot in the Deben Division, as Hollesley Shepherd & Dog have already qualified. Aldeburgh Boules Club needed a victory over The Exiles to put them into the driving seat but the Bealings team are the only side that have beaten Aldeburgh this season.

Aldeburgh, defending an unbeaten home record, struggled to ever get started and already found themselves 2-0 down at the halfway point. An uphill task was faced in getting the match back to a 2-2 scoreline and indeed it proved to be that way with Aldeburghs luckless display coupled with some good and some interesting shots played by the visitors.

In the end, The Exiles came away with a 3-1 win, leaving Aldeburgh relying on other results whilst giving Bealings the chance to qualify themselves.

Away day blues for Harbour Inn Southwold

Second placed Harbour Inn made the journey over to The 3 Horseshoes at North Cove for a Blyth Division match earlier this morning. North Cove (currently in a 4 matches in 17 days period) were hoping to go one better than Thursday when they gained their first league point with a 2-2 draw with Bell Inn Walberswick.

With the Southwold team fielding a full 8 person team, North Coves players were always going to have a tough match on their hands, as the Harbour Inn were aiming to reclaim top spot from Hoxne PC as we move into the final few weeks of the regular season.

However it was North Cove doing the celebrations by the end of the match, gaining a 3-1 win with the Horseshoes only narrowly outscoring their opponents 45-41, showing how close the match actually was.

The match does not alter the current positions of either side but does give North Cove a slight glimmer of reaching second place, although both Walberswick & Southwold are above them.

North Cove off the mark

In their third attempt, the 3 Horseshoes at North Cove secured their first league point of the season with a rather waterlogged 2-2 home draw against visitors, Bell Inn Walberswick, earlier this evening.

According to the North Cove captain, the match was hit by a deluge but it failed to dampen the spirits of the two sides and the match was completed despite the loss of the scorecard through sheer disintegration!

Praise for both sides in completing the match when the easier (and more sensible) approach would have been to run for cover, but they are a hardy bunch in the Blyth Division and didn't let the weather get the better of them.

Demonstration Event

Sunday August 17th from 12pm onwards, we are hosting a 'Come & Try' event for new players at The Greyhound Inn, Pettistree (near Wickham Market).

This event is designed for players not currently involved in the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League and are encouraging any interested parties to attend.

Aldeburgh Carnival Open Doubles 2008

If anyone is interested, the Aldeburgh Boules Club are hosting the 3rd annual Aldeburgh Carnival Pairs on Saturday 16th August 2008, with a start time of 10.30am.

This is an Open competition and is subject to a £5 returnable deposit. We have to limit the entry to the first 16 registered and pre-paid teams as we cannot guarantee entry on the day. At present we do have spaces left and if you are wanting to enter, you need to e-mail me on imogenlewiskira@sky.com and I will forward your details to the organisers.

Hoxne maintain challenge

The top two in the Blyth Division came face to face last Sunday, with the league leaders Harbour Inn Southwold heading inland to the home of Hoxne PC.

With both sides on equal points whoever won this match would hold first place for the time being. And it was the home side Hoxne who emerged victorious in a 3-1 win, leapfrogging them over the Southwold side.

This week also sees The Bell Inn Walberswick in action against The Three Horseshoes North Cove on Thursday evening, as both sides attempt to close the gap between them and the top two.

Busy period for the 3 Horseshoes North Cove

August will prove to be a very busy time indeed in the Blyth Division for North Cove Three Horseshoes. With two matches scheduled anyway, two further matches from earlier postponements sees them play 4 matches in a 21 day period.

Whilst this is not how we usually operate as matches are spread out more evenly, a combination of factors has led to this and Darryl will lead his troops into battle eager to make advances up the Blyth table.

Watch this space for their progress...

Hollesley secure play-off berth

The Hollesley Shepherd & Dog were celebrating on Sunday following their 3-1 away victory at The Exiles Bealings piste. This triumph took them back to the top of the table with 11 points from an unbeaten run of 4 wins and 3 draws in their 7 matches to date.

By beating the home side it means that both The Exiles and Suivre Les Boules Playford can both only finish with a possible maximum of 10 points and as Ye olde Coach & Horses are still awaiting their first league points as yet, Hollesley are now guaranteed at least runners-up spot in the Deben Division.

The only team that can stop them from clinching the divisional title is Aldeburgh, who need to win their last match and hope that Suivre can beat Hollesley on the Playford piste. Alternatively, 4 points for The Exiles in their remaining two matches including if they beat Aldeburgh could see them pinch second place. Suivre themselves could snatch runners-up spot by an even more complicated set of results.........all to play for.

Into the final stretch - Matches for August

Whilst we await the result from The Exiles Bealings v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog match played on Sunday July 27th, we have now reached the final 10 matches of the season.

As a reminder for everyone, we list out the latest known dates of these matches as follows;

Blyth Division

August 3rd - 3 Horseshoes North Cove v Bell Inn Walberswick and Hoxne PC v Harbour Inn Southwold

August 10th - 3 Horseshoes North Cove v Harbour Inn Southwold

August 14th - Bell Inn Walberswick v 3 Horseshoes North Cove

August 24th - Bell Inn Walberswick v Hoxne PC and Harbour Inn Southwold v 3 Horseshoes North Cove


Deben Division

August 10th - Aldeburgh Boules Club v The Exiles Bealings and Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton v Suivre Les Boules Playford

August 24th - Suivre Les Boules Playford v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog and Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton v The Exiles Bealings

If the dates are any different to those listed above, please inform us as soon as possible.

Aldeburgh reclaim pole position...temporarily?

The Deben Division match earlier today between Aldeburgh Boules Club and Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton took place in the blistering seaside sun with a distinct lack of a seabreeze to cool the participants.

Aldeburgh, having lost the top spot to Hollesley earlier in the week came out all guns blazing against a slightly new-look Melton side, still searching for their first league points of the season.

After a 13-1 and 13-6 wins in the first two games, Aldeburgh had a 2-0 scoreline at the halfway stage and were guaranteed at the very least a draw. However despite a strong comeback by the Coach & Horses side including turning around a 9-4 deficit into a 13-12 win, it was the home side that took todays honours in a 3-1 win.

The match itself was completed in a very short space of time, which was a welcome relief to the wilting players on both sides. Aftermatch refreshments at the White Lion Hotel opposite was very welcome indeed.

Aldeburgh go back top, pending the result from the other match earlier today, of which we still await the result.

Matches - Sunday July 27th 2008

Deben Division

Aldeburgh Boules Club v Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton....10.30am start at Moot Hall Arena

The Exiles Bealings v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog....10.30am start at Bealings Village Hall

Shepherd & Dog knock Aldeburgh off the top

After continuing their unbeaten record on Tuesday night with a 3-1 home victory against Suivre Les Boules Playford, the Hollesley team managed to topple Aldeburgh from the top of the division.

With matches fast running out between now and the end of the season, Hollesley have maintained a unbeaten record at home and now face two away journeys to complete their regular season programme. Starting this Sunday (27th July) they face The Exiles Bealings in an significant match for both sides.

If The Exiles want to figure in the end of season PlayOffs they themselves need to win this one. With Aldeburgh casting an eye in the direction of this match, any slip up by Hollesley combined with a Aldeburgh home win against Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton will see Aldeburgh regain no.1 spot.

All brewing up into an exciting last 5 weeks of the league season.....!!

Crucial match this Sunday

July 20th 2008
Deben Division

The Hollesley Shepherd & Dog team take a short journey on Sunday to Bealings, to come up against The Exiles in an important match near the top of the table. Hollesley bring with them an unbeaten record of 2 wins and 3 draws in 5 matches and a draw or win will put them top of the table, whilst a big win for The Exiles could see them top of the pile come Sunday evening.

Neither side will want defeat as the number of matches left runs out and teams are making a final push for those top two play-off positions.

Blogmeisters Verdict: 2-2 draw

Unbeaten Hollesley maintain title challenge

In the Deben Division last Sunday unbeaten Hollesley Shepherd & Dog made the short journey to winless Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton in their pursuit of finishing in the top two.

Whilst the Melton side put up a gallant fight, they couldn't halt Hollesleys march and the Shepherd & Dog team ran out 3-1 victors.

This puts them into joint first place, level with Aldeburgh on 7 points but with a match in hand. Behind them is both Suivre Le Boule and The Exiles Bealings currently on 6 points apiece, making the final few matches very important in deciding who makes the Play-Offs and Grand Final in September.

All square at Playford

***Result Newsflash***

Sunday July 13th - Deben Division

Suivre Les Boules Playford were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Aldeburgh Boules Club, despite leading the match 2-0 at the halfway stage. Their early advantage included a game whereby facing a 10-2 uphill struggle, they achieved a magnificent 13-12 win.

Aldeburgh pulled out the stops in the second half and finished with a share of the league points to maintain their slim advantage at the top of the table.

The Countys latest piste - Bealings

The Suffolk Coastal Petanque League are fortunate enough to have the newest built piste in the County within its catchment area. The piste is located at the Lord Belstead Playing Field behind Bealings Village Hall and The Exiles team, from the Deben Division, are currently using it as their home base.

Hopefully regular use may see some interest from Bealings themselves in raising a team for the 2009 season.

Picture was taken on the Grand Opening Day earlier this year on May Bank Holiday Monday.

Deben Division - Sunday July 13th

Teams are getting busier as things start to gather momentum as we head into the second half of the season, and the striving towards achieving a top two finish.

In the Deben Division, there are 2 matches scheduled for Sunday July 13th as follows;

Suivre Les Boules Playford v Aldeburgh Boules Club
Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton v Hollesley Shepherd & Dog

At the time of 'going to press', both these matches are scheduled to start at 10.30am

Good luck to all those involved.

Battle of the Alde - All equal

Last Sunday, July 6th, saw the Harbour Inn Southwold make the very short journey across the river Alde to take on the Bell Inn Walberswick. The locations are just a little more than a 'boules throw' away but local honour was at stake.

Earlier in the season the Harbour Inn had defeated the Bell by a scoreline of 3-1 but this time it was not to be the same. The Bell, who had recently earnt a good draw against Hoxne, managed to again finish with a 2-2 draw.

This result prevented the Harbour Inn going top of the Alde Division but instead saw Southwold draw level with Hoxne on 5 points each.

More matches in this section are scheduled for Sunday 20th July. See this site for details nearer the time.

Hoxne back to winning ways

With the 3 Horeshoes North Cove having their first home match of the season earlier today, Hoxne PC were the visitors, looking to reclaim top spot in the Blyth Division.

However first blood was drawn by the hosts with North Cove winning the first game. This was, however, to be their last in the match, as Hoxne came back to gain a 3-1 away win and the two league points that puts them back above Southwold Harbour Inn for the time being.

The match result between Walberswick and Southwold is still awaited but a victory for Southwold would see them top whilst a Walberswick win would put them just 2 points off the top of the table.

The Exiles make it tight at the top

Sunday July 6th saw The Exiles welcome Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton to their piste 'on the hill' at Bealings. Results have been coming together recently for The Exiles and a 3-1 home win today saw them draw level with Aldeburgh Boules Club at the top of the Deben Division, only seperated by games difference.

This now means they are both on 6 points with both Playford and Hollesley just behind on 5 points. Ye Olde Coach & Horses still lie in fifth place but it should only be a matter of time before they see a win come their way.

Play Off Finals Day

***ADVANCE NOTICE***

Our End of Season Play-Offs will be held on Sunday 14th September 2008, at a venue still to be arranged.

At the end of the play-offs there will be the trophy presentations and speeches.

All teams are invited regardless of whether you qualify for the play-offs or not.

More details will be in Julys newsletter which is due out during week commencing 7th July.

Let us have some feedback/interaction

Whilst I am quite happy to post 'blogs' on the site, I'm not sure if you are all aware you can comment back.

At the bottom right hand corner of every news article there is a 'speech bubble' with the word Comments alongside. If you click on this, you can then respond or add to each article as the website grows.

Have a go with this one, then I'll know the message is coming through loud and clear.

Fixtures - Sunday July 6th 2008

Blyth Division

3 Horseshoes North Cove v Hoxne PC
Bell Inn Walberswick v Harbour Inn Southwold

Deben Division

The Exiles Bealings v Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Honours even in return fixture

Dateline - Tuesday 1st July 2008
Deben Division - Hollesley Shepherd & Dog versus Aldeburgh Boules Club

In the first match-up to have its return fixture completed, the two teams met up earlier this evening in glorious sunshine on the car park of the Shepherd & Dog that now doubles as the home teams piste.

Whilst the visitors awaited the arrival of the team skipper and partner, the other visiting pair got underway and after taking an early 8-0 lead, were pegged back but finally finished the game at 13-10 to draw first blood to Aldeburgh.

By now the other team members arrived and the first pair were split up for the next set of games. This initially also went the way of current league leaders, Aldeburgh, with a 13-7 win to go 2-0 up on the night, but the other pairing slipped to an 8-13 defeat leaving the match delicately poised at 2-1 to the away side.

All eyes turned to the late arrivals for their final game but they just couldnt get to grips with the Hollesley 'middle piste' and combined with good play by the hosts, lost 3-13, losing the 2 game advantage they had and finishing with an honours even 2-2 draw.

Despite this Aldeburgh remain top and Hollesley in third place but its starting to get tight as we enter the second half of the season.

Thanks to both sides for an entertaining match and applause to the hospitality afforded by the home venue. All makes it worthwhile.

Local derby goes the way of Playford

In the Deben Division of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League, The Exiles welcomed local neighbours Suivre Les Boules of Playford to the Bealings piste. Whilst The Exiles had an opportunity to go top of the table if they gained a 4-0 victory, it was the visitors who gained a 3-1 away victory that sees Suivre draw level with Aldeburgh Boules Club at the summit instead.

Aldeburgh themselves are in action on Tuesday night when they visit unbeaten Hollesley Shepherd & Dog whilst The Exiles are due to face Ye Olde Coach & Horses of Melton next Sunday, 6th July.

Meanwhile also next Sunday should see a full set of matches in the Blyth Division with North Cove 3 Horseshoes finally playing at home against second placed Hoxne PC. In the other match table toppers Southwold Harbour Inn are on 'derby duty' themselves when they make the short journey to Walberswick Bell Inn.

Deben Division - Blank weekend

Despite two matches scheduled to be played this weekend in the Deben Division, for a variety of reasons, these matches are both to be played on alternative dates.

With the holiday period rapidly approaching, matches need to be arranged or postponed as soon as possible and this information ought to be relayed to the League Co-Ordinator.

When 'The Bell tolls' for Hoxne PC

In the recent series of matches in the Blyth Division of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League, Hoxne PC had the opportunity, with the benefit of home piste advantage, to close the gap on the Harbour Inn Southwold, at the top of the division when they faced the team from The Bell Inn Walberswick.

With the home knowledge of the piste lying with Hoxne, a home win would have seen them draw level with Southwold, but a great match was fought out by both sides, with neither giving way, and thus the first drawn match in this section of the league was achieved when The Bell exited with a respectable 2-2 draw and a share of the league points.

The match between league leaders Southwold and North Cove 3 Horseshoes is now to be played on an alternative date.

Matches on Sunday 15th June 2008

This Sunday sees a return to action for the majority of the Leagues teams with matches scheduled as follows;

Blyth Division
North Cove 3 Horseshoes v Harbour Inn Southwold
Hoxne PC v Bell Inn Walberswick

Deben Division
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog v Suivre Les Boule Playford
The Exiles v Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Aldeburgh Boules Club are the 'odd ones out' with no match scheduled for this round of matches. Good luck to all those involved and please get your scorecards in promptly.

Clean sweep for Suivre Les Boules

In the other match in the Deben Division played on Sunday 1st June, Suivre Les Boules Playford welcomed Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton to the Community Hall piste.

Suivre hadn't made a great start to the season with a 2-2 draw and a 3-1 defeat whilst the Coach & Horses were in even greater need of some form of improved result. The Playford hosts have recently widened the piste and perhaps some of this proved to be the difference in some games with Suivre finishing an all-round performance with a 4-0 win, leaving Coach & Horses rooted to the foot of the table and Suivre in the cluster of teams just tucked behind Aldeburgh.

Aldeburgh lose unbeaten record to The Exiles

In the Deben Division of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League, league leaders Aldeburgh Boules Club travelled to the newly built Bealings piste to take on The Exiles, who have relocated from their original home base during the course of last week.

Whilst a win for Aldeburgh would have started to open up a bit of a gap at the top of the table, The Exiles themselves went into the match unbeaten as well (virtue of two previous 2-2 draws). In fact it was The Exiles who made the better start and were 2-0 up after the first set of doubles games. The visitors re-organised their second sets of pairings but despite winning one of them, they went down heavily in the last one to see The Exiles record a 3-1 win and move to within a point of Aldeburgh.

New Bealings piste to host Suivre match

With the creation of the new piste at Bealings Village Hall, on the John Belstead Playing Field, Suivre Les Boules host Coach & Horses of Melton, on Sunday 1st June, with the match starting around 10.30am.

Joys team has the ability to use this and their own Playford piste, but as they've kindly allowed The Exiles to use the Playford piste as well, they were happy to switch this game to Bealings instead.

Hopefully the locals will turn out in force and watch the local teams put on a good display in the right spirit, in the hope that as of next season Bealings themselves will be entering the league.

Deben Division - This weeks matches

Sunday June 1st

10.30am

The Exiles v Aldeburgh Boules Club (at Playford Community Hall)

Suivre Les Boule Playford v Coach & Horses Melton (at Bealings Village Hall)

The Exiles announce change of home venue

Following recent discussions, The Exiles, who were initially going to play their home matches at the Coach & Horses Melton, have now changed their home base to that of Playford Community Hall.

This is mainly in part to the Playford venue being closer to hand for the Exiles team members and they get their first chance to host a home game here, when on Sunday 1st June, they welcome Deben Division league leaders, Aldeburgh Boules Club, to the Playford piste.

Harbour Inn 'sail in' to top spot

Match Date Sunday May 18th and second placed Harbour Inn Southwold follow up from their first victory of the season, with another 3-1 win, this time at home against early league leaders Hoxne PC.
According to local reports the visiting Hoxne team had problems adapting to the Harbours deep shingle coated piste and suffered their first defeat of the season.
Chris Johnson, the Hoxne captain, will be looking to pick his team up again in a fortnights time when they come face to face with the Bell Inn Walberswick whilst the Harbour should become the first team to visit North Cove 3 Horseshoes piste slightly further up the Suffolk coast.

The match between the Bell Inn and North Cove has been postponed to a later date

Next matches due June 15th

On the road win for Aldeburgh

Sunday May 18th and Aldeburgh played their first away match at Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton, which for the Coach & Horses, was their home debut.

In warm sunshine but with a slight breeze both teams set about playing on what was to prove to be a very difficult and interesting piste with a slight slope down into one corner of the terrain. The first two games both went the way of the visiting team and so it left the second set of games for the Melton team to attempt to turn the match around.

However some good pointing saw Aldeburgh take command and win the remaining games to secure a 4-0 victory overall and move two points clear at the top of the Deben Division.

Hollesley's first home match ends in victory

Deben Division - Suffolk Coastal Petanque League

Tuesday May 6th 2008 @ 6pm

Hollesley Shepherd & Dog welcomed Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton to their home piste for their first home match of the season, and whilst the opening exchanges were relatively equal with the halfway point being reached at 1 game all, the home side gained the remaining two victories to finish the night 3-1 victors and move into second place in the league table.

The match was completed by about 7.30pm and everyone then retired inside the bar for drinks and nibbles kindly laid on by Ray and his staff at the Shepherd & Dog.

Dave Rota, the Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton captain, politely vowed that next time the score would be different as he has one or two tactics up his sleeve!!! Only time will tell.....

Upcoming Fixtures

Upcoming Matches this month

Deben Division
Tuesday 6th May
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog v Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Sunday 18th May
Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton v Aldeburgh Boules Club

Tuesday 20th May?
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog v The Exiles Melton

Blyth Division
Sunday 18th May
Southwold Harbour Inn v Hoxne PC
Walberswick Bell Inn v North Cove 3 Horseshoes

Aldeburgh secure victory in tight match

Earlier today Aldeburgh Boules Club played host to Suivre Les Boules Playford to the Moot Hall piste and with a fair sprinkling of interested onlookers. Both sides went into the match unbeaten in the Deben Division of the Suffolk Coastal Petanque League, with each team having registered 2-2 draws in their opening matches respectively.

Aldeburgh's team included for the first time this season, soon-to-be Mayor of Aldeburgh, Jimmy Robinson and his wife Tina, coupled with Simon & Lewis Fletcher. Meanwhile Suivre consisted of team captain Joy Elias along with Jimmy Durrant, Malcolm Watson and Hans Fleck all raring to go following their recent pre-season excursion into the heart of Paris for a few warm-up games and drinks!

Aldeburgh had the slightly better of the early exchanges with Simon & Lewis securing a 13-9 win against Joy & Jimmy. Over on Piste One, Jimmy & Tina had roared into a commanding early lead but seemed to get stuck on the dreaded 12. This allowed Playford back into the game but finally Aldeburgh snatched the single point they required to go 2 games up at the half-way stage.

In the second set of games Jimmy & Lewis ground out another decent win this time over Hans and Jimmy by the margin of 13-7 to ensure victory went to Aldeburgh...but by how many?

Simon & Tina never really got into any consistency in their game and Suivre deserved to win the remaining game by a score of 13-9 with Malcolm proving to be a thorn in Aldeburghs side, marshalled well by his skipper Joy.

So a 3-1 win for Aldeburgh but a tight match with total points scored being only 48-40 in favour of the home side. Suivre can be pleased with their performance, despite the result, as on any other day their style of play would probably see them win more than they lose.

Joy can be proud of his side and they now look forward to their next game on June 1st when they entertain Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton. Aldeburgh, however, are in action sooner with a May 18th visit to Coach & Horses at the new Melton piste.

Early match action from Aldeburgh Boules Club v Suivre Les Boules Playford, directly in front of The White Lion Hotel, Aldeburgh

Southwold gain honours in 'derby' match

In the Blyth Division, the Harbour Inn Southwold triumphed over their local neighbours Bell Inn Walberswick by the margin of 3-1 to be in second spot behind Hoxne, following the first round of matches.

By a quirk of the fixture list, Hoxne and Southwold meet each other on May 18th whilst Walberswick entertain North Cove, in both what should prove to be interesting matches.

Suivre Les Boule & The Exiles share spoils

In the re-arranged fixture from the first set of matches, Suivre Les Boules Playford and The Exiles Melton played their game a week later than scheduled due to Playfords pre-season trip to conquer Paris!

In a closely fought match, judging by the scores, it ended in a 2-2 draw with The Exiles scoring 40 points against Suivres 39 points, showing how close things really were.

Sunday May 4th sees Suivre visit Aldeburgh Boules Club whilst Hollesley Shepherd & Dog play host to Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Hoxne start with a win

In the Blyth Division last Sunday, Hoxne PC played host to the team from North Cove 3 Horseshoes. Whilst North Cove put up a brave performance in their first match, they were outgunned by Hoxne who racked up the first 4-0 win of the season, to take an early lead in their group.

Next matches scheduled for this section are on 18th May with Southwold playing hosts to Hoxne and North Cove on their travels again, this time to the Bell Inn Walberswick.

Fixtures for Sunday May 4th

Deben Division

Aldeburgh Boules Club v Suivre Les Boule Playford
Hollesley Shepherd & Dog v Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton

Next set of matches in Blyth Division not due till May 18th

First Result

Sunday April 20th 2008 - Deben Division

Aldeburgh Boules Club 2 Hollesley Shepherd & Dog 2

End Of Season Play-Offs

As we would like to keep everyone involved right up until the end of the season, we are going to hold the League Play-Offs as follows.

The group winners of both the Blyth & Deben Divisions will meet at a neutral venue approximately halfway on Sunday September 14th to contest the overall Suffolk Coastal Petanque League Championship.

Meanwhile on the same day, the group runners-up of both the Blyth & Deben will also meet in a 3rd/4th place play-off, again at a neutral venue to be decided once teams are known.

Both matches will be play as a best of 4 doubles as per the League format but if a match goes to 2-2, a fifth deciding game will be played, with this being the ONLY time ever the captains can pick 2 players who have already played together earlier in the match if they so wanted.

First Week fixture preview

With just 7 days left until the opening round of matches in the 2008 Suffolk Coastal Petanque League, we take a look at the scheduled matches as follows.

In the Blyth Division, North Cove travel inland over to Hoxne PC to play at their new piste on the playing fields over by the primary school, whilst eyes will be watching the local derby involving Harbour Inn Southwold and the Bell Inn Walberswick with local bragging rights up for grabs right from the first week.

Meanwhile in the Deben Division, Suivre Les Boules were due to play The Exiles but this game is now being re-arranged due to the Suivre team taking a pre-season trip to Paris. With Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton the team sitting out the first weeks play, Aldeburgh Boules Club host their first game at home to Hollesley Shepherd & Dog at the Moot Hall piste on the seafront.

Hopefully the weather will keep fine and the League will make an excellent start. If you are near any of these venues next Sunday, please pop along and watch some of the league action. You never know you might feel inclined to join in at some point yourself.

League announces 'twinning' partner

Thanks to the modern wonders of technology, we are pleased to announce that our Suffolk Coastal Petanque League has joined forces with the Tokyo Petanque League in a 'twinning arrangement' whereby each league posts the other leagues website links.

We teamed up with the Tokyo League as we believe the ideals that both leagues are trying to adhere to, are of similar like-mindedness.

So a big 'konnichiwa' to Adrian and his fellow petanque players over in the land of the rising sun and we look forward to exchanging stories and messages over the coming months.

You can visit their website by clicking on the link in the right hand side menu.

Issue of Fixture List

As not everyone can open my e-mail attachments, the first issue of the fixture list was e-mailed to all contacts a short while ago.

To re-iterate, we list the first weeks fixtures as follows;

Sunday April 20th

• Blyth Division - Hoxne v 3 Horseshoes North Cove, Southwold v Walberswick
• Deben Division - Aldeburgh Boules Club v Hollesley, Suivre Les Boule v The Exiles
• Ye Olde Coach & Horses 'sits out'

Completion of Registration

We completed registration of the teams over the weekend and are pleased to announce the teams allocated into each of the divisions as follows;

Covering the Northern section, the Blyth Division contains (in alphabetical order) Hoxne, Southwold Harbour Inn, 3 Horseshoes North Cove and Walberswick Bell Inn.

The Southern area is served by the Deben Division made up from Aldeburgh Boules Club, Hollesley Shepherd & Dog, Suivre Les Boules (Playford), The Exiles Melton and Ye Olde Coach & Horses Melton.

Whilst we were awaiting further entries, these have not appeared so we need to move forward on what we already have in place.

Article published in glossy magazine

Falling through my letterbox this morning, with a resounding thud, was my complimentary copy of the April edition of Suffolk Norfolk Life magazine (cost of £1.90).

On page 45, is an article on petanque that I wrote back in February and appears completely unedited from my original composition. The photos, whilst not having captions, are as follows.

The top right hand photo is action from last years friendly match between Aldeburgh Boules Club and Meadlands Stowmarket, played at Aldeburghs Moot Hall piste.

The bottom photo is from last years Garwood Mixed Pairs held at British Sugar, Bury St Edmunds, with Annie Cowlin of Flempton Greyhound taking her shot.

Get yourself a copy from all good newsagents (and some bad ones as well!)

A new league is born!!

Well despite the foul weather in this part of the world, a good sized turnout braved the elements and more significantly braved my presentation regarding the new Suffolk Coastal Petanque League. Other than maybe 2 in the room I had never met anybody previous to this get together so was certainly nervous in delivering the details despite working hard on them over the last few months.
I hope that everything was fully explained and that all possible queries were answered to your satisfaction and take great pleasure in announcing the arrival of our new 'baby', a healthy bouncing bubbly Coastal League.
In fact its actually twins as we have two divisions, a North and South divide exists, as these newcomers are named Blyth and Deben respectively.
Apologies if the evening ran on but there was a lot to get through and it was certainly good to put faces to e-mail addresses!!
We also apologise if you didnt quite make it to the front of the queue for the second hand boule sale but we did have a very limited stock but the leisure boule are still for sale if anyone is interested.

Fixture lists will be compiled and issued by Sunday evening.

Plans for sub-dividing the League

Whilst we are expecting a reasonable sized entry for tomorrow nights Registration Event, we already have plans in place to sub-divide the entries into North and South sections respectively.

This is to limit the amount of travelling that teams will do to away matches, albeit that teams will only have 5 or 6 away matches in the season.

Registration Night

Our Registration Night for the all-new Suffolk Coastal Petanque League is due to be held tomorrow night, Friday 28th March 2008, at Ye Olde Coach & Horses, Melton, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, from 8pm onwards.

All ages and abilities are welcome to join with teams being made up of a minimum of 4 players, up to a maximum of 8 players. Registration Fee is just £12 for a team for the season, with there expected to be between 8 and 10 matches for all teams.

Matches are scheduled for every 2nd or 3rd Sunday (it should work out that you get 2 matches roughly every 5 weeks), between mid-April and finishing in September.