Anyone in your family ever play Stoolball ?

[LamieRobertson]

i thought this thread was about kicking around a field
regards
DR

Close ..but you use a bat

Regards
LR

 

[Mackenzie]

I played stoolball at school. Great game.

 

[aberllefenni]

Me at Westdene.

I have a vague memory that we also played shinty.

It's a yes from Manor Hall. We also tried shinty, but after a broken arm and severely bruised cheekbone it was abandoned after just a couple of weeks. Try telling a 10 year old you can't swing the stick above shoulder height.

 

[aberllefenni]

My 2 lads played it when they were at St Martins CofE in Brighton only a couple of years ago. I've also played it as an adult in Amberley about 15 years ago where there was even a proper marked out pitch, if I recall correctly and I seem to remember reading that Southwick was the 'home' of Stoolball where they have pitches too.

I'm pretty sure at one time Southwick was the home of croquet.

 

[backson]

Back in the day at West Park Middle, we always had the choice of cricket, rounders or stoolball; I always chose cricket. It was always played but don't recall ever playing myself.

Am awaiting Giraffe telling me I remembered it wrong.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Many years ago in Portslade. My cousin played for a team in Henfield.

 

[Buzzer]

I'm pretty sure at one time Southwick was the home of croquet.

That could be it, I could quite well be getting confused with sports.

 

[drew]

Our social club at Bains in Haywards Heath used to play mixed stoolball during the summer, only friendlies but was always a good laugh.

 

[Morvangull]

Just looked it up and Mid Sussex have both a Ladies and a mixed stoolball league currently running.

 

[Ali_rrr]

We played it at school too and this was only 3 years ago.

 

[Norman Potting]

My mum captained the legendary Langton Green double winning team of '68 (I think). Oldest daughter plays it at school and her team have already won two inter school tournaments this term. So a Sussex (plus West Kent and bits of Surrey) tradition lives on.

 

[BN9 BHA]

My mum captained the legendary Langton Green double winning team of '68 (I think). Oldest daughter plays it at school and her team have already won two inter school tournaments this term. So a Sussex (plus West Kent and bits of Surrey) tradition lives on.

I'd never heard of Langton Green or knew where it was until last Saturday, my son played against a team from there in a football tournament, I had to ask their manager where Langton Green was.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Girlfriends sister plays for Epsom team. Seems to be a female sport.

I played Crawley League in the 80s. Wasn't a female sport then!

 

[Blackadder]

Our social club at Bains in Haywards Heath used to play mixed stoolball during the summer, only friendlies but was always a good laugh.

I remember playing a friendly for Lloyds Bank in Victoria Park. It could well have been against you guys, Mind you this was back in the late 70s (The Mullery era).

 

[BensGrandad]

Played it when at Holy Trinity school in Worthing early 50s but never since. Friend of ours in Burgess Hill plays it.

 

[Bry Nylon]

We played it a Buxted primary school.

Bit of a shit game, to be honest. Every minute spent playing Stoolball I resented, because I would rather have been playing football.

 

[Eeyore]

I loved the game. I was a talented bowler in Cricket, as a youngster, extending this to the under arm discipline in Stoolball. I haven't played since I was 16. Splendid game.

 

[perseus]

I liked it at primary school. Not much skill though.

 

[Technohead]

Use to play the occasional game for a mixed team at the greyhound stadium that my wifewas associated with, but only to make up the numbers when they were short .... didn't enjoy it at all ..... not a patch on cricket, but although similar kind of rules completely different tactics needed. My wife still plays for a team in the Sussex County Mid Division .... every Tuesday and Thursday evenings until August, then the August league, and after that the indoor league. Still plenty of teams in Sussex as https://www.stoolball.org.uk/teams/map clearly demonstrates.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I've played for around 30 years starting as a junior playing when they a player short as Under 14s can play as a woman and have progressed from main bowler and handy batsman to last resort bowler and last batsman who can lumber around in the outfield a bit. When I started there were 9 divisions in the Eastbourne League and several in the Hailsham League. Now there are 4 divisions in Eastbourne and I think Hailsham is just down to 1.

As for the ridiculous claim that there is no skill involved, I would pay good money to watch Perseus facing some of the bowlers I have faced over the years. Last year one bowler had his wicketkeeper almost on the boundary he was bowling so fast. Good cricketers do not always make good stoolball players as the ball is on you much quicker in stoolball as it is bowled from a lot closer. Cricket is about reading swing, seam, spin and length. Stoolball is a lot about reaction time. Obviously a lot of cricketers have good reaction times as well and will do well but badminton/squash players tend to do well.

It's a real shame that the game seems to be slowly dying out as a lot of teams seem to be struggling to recruit enough youngsters. There aren't many games you can play in 90-120 minutes with 22 people and it really should have spread across the country but is still isolated in pockets. The Ladies game still seems quite strong but the mixed game seems to be dwindling somewhat.