British Skittles Championships

Now in it's 12th year, the annual British Skittles Championships are organised by The Shootout Club based in Torquay and are this year sponsored by GasketGuy. Qualifying rounds are played on a regional basis from June through to August with the Finals currently being played at the Riviera Conference Centre, Torquay in September.

Some 160 teams enter the qualifiers in three groups; Men's, Ladies and Mixed, all aged 16+. 64 of these qualify for the finals with 32 Men's, 16 Ladies and 16 Mixed teams. Close to 1,000 players and spectators swamp the centre with play simultaneously taking place on 16 portable wooden alleys, using 5' rubber balls and sets of wooden 'Bristol' pins.

On the Friday before the actual Finals, special Singles and Pairs competitions take place with everyone invited to take part. At the evening Presentation of Awards, a live draw for the main tournament takes place amid much excitement, followed by a live cabaret and disco until 3am.

Coventry, one of the farthest north areas, has been entering teams for 8 years now in the Worcs/Warks/Glos groups. The Highway men's team have actually reached the Grand Finals in 2010 and 2012. Individually, in 2010, Coventry provided two of the top four finalists in the Men's Singles event (John Twinn & Chris Tilley) and in 2012, 2nd place in the Ladies Singles event (Sue Morris).

Our other men's team Hornets, now Spitfires, have also been playing since 2008. In 2011 Coventry also entered a mixed team, Wildcatz, and a ladies team, Sister Act. In 2012 Coventry provided 3 of the final 64 teams that made it through to Torquay:

  • Highway beat The Dirty Dozen 395 - 351 before going out valiantly to previous winners Weston St. Johns 329 - 326.
  • Sister Act beat the eventual Plate winners Oakettes 327 - 318 before losing to Breezers 297 - 343.
  • Wildcatz lost initially to Hornets 357 - 365 but then took the Plate competition by storm eventually losing the final by only 2 pins to Glad Rags 222 - 224

It is Coventry's intention to enter further teams in 2013 and to this end are simulating a 'Finals' alley and obtaining the 5' rubber balls and wooden 'Bristol' pins.

Open nights will then be arranged for anyone who feels they would like to be involved. Look out for updates regarding this as we are hoping for it to be in the very near future.