News & Comment	(Always refresh the page to ensure you are looking at the latest version)	2021

Oxford League appealing for support..		27th November

An article reproduced from today's Oxford Mail -








Obituary - Dale Edmunds		24th September



More sad news, I'm afraid. On Monday 13th, we lost Dale Edmunds of Bell B to cancer after a very short illness. Dale played up to 19th August and was a
stalwart of both the Bell B team and the Bampton League.
He is pictured above at the 2019 Finals after coming runner-up in the Men's Singles and winner of the Men's Pairs with team-mate Paul Gill.
His funeral will be held at 12.00 Friday 1st October at Garford crematorium (OX13 5PA), followed by a commemoration afterwards at the Bell Ducklington.
Our thoughts and condolences go out to friends and family.

2022 Season..		23rd September

We are preparing for a full resumption of all activities next year. We don't know how many teams will register, but are encouraged by the turn out for this year's 'fun league'.
What is apparent is that there will be fewer venues prepared to commit to supporting Aunt Sally, so we would advise that you hold early talks with your venue
of choice and 'book' your place for next year.

A Thank You for 2021....		18th September

So, short and sweet but the weather was kind. Thanks to all who opted to participate - a much higher number than we had predicted.
Hope you all enjoyed it, albeit brief.
A special mention to Section C teams who completed all of their 8 matches!!

I don't normally do this, but they were insistent ...a message from Sherborne Social ....

"Sherborne Aunt Sally Team want to say a big thank you for arranging the games to enable us to have some fun, laughter , meeting old and new comers to the game which has helped both our mental health & allowing us to move on from the year we have all been through . To the Bampton League - without your support we would not have been able to have any games . Thank you. "

Obituary - Bryan Neville		5th September

With regret we inform you that Bryan passed away at the age of 77 on Saturday 4th September after a short illness.
He was, until recently a stalwart of the Bampton League, having played for Lord Kitchener, Horseshoe, Morris Clown and Griffin.
Bryan's funeral will be held at North Oxfordshire Crematorium (OX5 3ER) on Monday 27th September at 1:00pm
Our condolences to those who were close to him.



Section D - change of team name and venue..		27th August

Owing to the Windrush Inn not having built a throw, the 'Windrushers' have de-camped up the road to the White Hart @ Minster and will play with that
team name. Documentation has been updated.

Section D teams..		21st July

Sorry to have to inform you that the Chequers team will not be taking part, resulting in another bye in this section.

Guidance Notes for Thursday - Launch of the 'Season'		19th July

Payments - none have been taken to date. The fees are £20 (50%) for the half season.An email will be sent to all team captains later today directing
them to read this page and enclosing bank account details for payment. Prompt payment would be appreciated.
Please give a shout when payment has been made. Receipts will be provided on request.

Fixtures - can be viewed on the usual 'League Fixtures' page. Clicking your team name will generate a list of your opponents by date. A PDF version is
available for download and printing via the 'Document Downloads' link.

Friendlies - to give you extra play time when you encounter a BYE, a list has been created of the teams available to play friendlies for each of the nine weeks.
It's entirely up to you to make contact and organise. A chance to visit new venues and play different teams.

Scoring - match scores to be entered into the web site in the same way as 2019 (remember ?). You'll need your log-in, so have it handy.

Venues - please take careful note of the following:-

Despite the lifting of restrictions, some venues may opt to continue with mask wearing and seated service, in which case, play may not be possible.
If there are any cancelled games, please re-arrange them quickly owing to the short season.
Be prepared for venues to close down at a moment's notice owing to 'pinged' staff having to isolate (Greene King have closed 33 in the last few days)
There is a possibility of venues requesting proof of vaccination (ie vaccination card or smartphone NHS app)
Visiting captains are advised to contact their opposite numbers prior to each game to check venue status. You may also wish to check food provision.
Should you get 'pinged' as a consequence of social mixing, then take the appropriate steps in accordance with government guidance..
Please be aware of coming into contact with other customers who may be of a nervous disposition.

The future of the game we all love depends on our continuing good relationships with our venues, so please respect any 'house rules' that you may encounter.
Finally - ENJOY

Covid announcement....		15th June

Until such time as a definitive date is announced by the government for the removal of current hospitality restrictions, we cannot proceed, so hang in there, watch and wait.

Team registration update...		7th June

As of mid-day today we have 45 teams registered and will proceed tomorrow to put together an equitable structure for a fun 9 week league.
Registration is still open, but an absolute limit of 50 teams will apply.
Check the web site later in the week for fixtures and updates.

Can't Raise a Full Team ?		2nd May

You might want to consider amalgamating with another team just for this season.
Let me know.

So, here's a plan....		27th April

As Donald Rumsfeld once said .." we know what we don't know"..
At this stage with only c30% of pubs open, we don't know which of our venues will be operational by June 21st
We don't know which teams are willing to return and we don't know which players will turn out.
But the bigger unknown is how many pubs may choose to dedicate their gardens to cater for their regulars who don't want to go back inside just yet.
Our venues have a lot of economic ground to recover and we can only contribute to their coffers on a Thursday evening.

I've written to 'captains' this morning to ask them to try to ascertain the above and to start registering teams via the web site from Saturday May 1st.
Our intention is to run a nine week league from Thursday July 1st.
At this stage we have no idea of structure - it will depend on who registers - but the Committee will meet on June 1st to put something together.
In the circumstances, we're opting for a 'fun' league with no competitions and no promotion/relegation carry-overs to next year.
So, keep an eye on the web site from Saturday and fingers crossed we get a good response.

First stirrings...		16th April

We held our first Committee meeting on Wednesday to plan some sort of League activity for you.
Check for an update over the next week.
In the meantime, start talking to your team mates and landlord to discover what your options are.

General Update		1st February

Normally at this time of year, we'd be thinking of the upcoming season and starting to formulate the agenda of our February planning meeting and traditionally, the web site would opening for 2021 team registration.
Given the most recent news and rumours, it is pointless to speculate, though, it may be possible to run a half season.
When things are clearer, we'll let you know and open up for registration.
Let's hope that the vaccination program rolls out smoothly and life starts to slowly restore.
In the meantime, we can do no more than behave, stay safe and wait it out.

Our thoughts go out to those whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the events of 2020 - jobs, businesses, livelihoods and the loss
of loved ones.

Regrettably, my first task of the year is to inform you of two more passings:-

Obituary - Colin (Joe) Gibbard - Trout		1st February

From Joe's family:-

"Colin Gibbard was a well respected and much loved member of the community of Langford. He was born in the village on 27th April 1943 and lived at the family home on the corner of The Elms for over 70 years. Known as Joe to his friends (and Doe to his family). He worked on a farm in Langford before spending 40+ years working for the Environment Agency, on the River Thames. He retired in 2008 to spend more time in his garden. Gardening was a passion of Colin’s and he also helped in other gardens around the village. Colin enjoyed playing Aunt Sally, Darts, Pool and Dominoes in the area. He attended Speedway at Blunsdon Stadium and followed local Football in Swindon Town and Oxford United. A bachelor all of his life, Colin dedicated himself to his family. After his father Albert passed away in 1998 he looked after his mother Dorothy (along with his sister Linda and brother-in-law Stanley) until her passing in 2015. He was loved by his family and will be greatly missed by all who knew him". Colin passed away on 28th January 2021.



Joe had a long committment to the Bampton Aunt Sally League and was Pairs winner in 1984 and Singles winner in 1996.
Sharing the same venue since 2009, I always looked forward to seeing him at our home derbies and friendlies. A real nice 'fella.
On behalf of the Committee and all our members, our condolences go out to Joe's family and friends . (BA-W)

Obituary - Bernie Huckin - Duck Sports		4th February

With great sadness we are told of the passing of Bernie Huckin , a stalwart of Duck Sports. Our thoughts again are with family and friends.
From the Duck Sports team:

"Our friend and team mate Bernie will be sadly missed by all who played along side him over the many years.
Held in the greatest respect and liked by all, Bernie will always be remembered. Our condolences & best wishes to Liz and all of the family".


(Pictured receiving the Highest Doll Score (A ) medal at the 2019 Finals Night awards for a magnificent 180)

The Family have asked to share the webcam details for friends who would like to view the service.