One Sussex pastime that's constantly overlooked...

[The Large One]

STOOLBALL.

My partner's school for 3-11 year-olds has just had some stoolball equipment made, and I (yep, me) have been given the charge of teaching the kids stoolball.

The posts are in the shed waiting for the squares to be painted white, but it occured to me how many memories it brought back of playing the game at school. Great fun and marvellous scenes to be had. Furthermore, it wasn't until years after leaving school that I came to realise that hardly anyone outside Sussex played the game. When talking to my (former) work colleagues about it, those from outside Sussex had never heard of it until they came down here to live, and none had ever played it.

So that's something else unique about our great county.

http://www.stoolball.co.uk/

Anyone else remember playing stoolball at school...?

 

[Juan Albion]

Oft-overlooked fact: this is the tenth thread on NSC that mentions stoolball.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I used to play Stoolball for my Dads old firm. Great game and you can nail that little ball.

Toughest opponents? Alliance & Leicester - crap at the game, but lots of sledging and aggro. I guess it was personal, as there were a few snide comments about solicitors.

Top score 83* - Retired on 50 and brought back in, at the end..... I thank you

 

[The Large One]

Oft-overlooked fact: this is the tenth thread on NSC that mentions stoolball.

10th thread out of... 67,500.

 

[Juan Albion]

10th thread out of... 67,500.

Which probably ranks it level with threads about the Albion.

 

[zefarelly]

we used to play it at Buckingham middle school, circa 1981-2

good game, preferred rounders myself though

 

[Les Biehn]

My Sister used to play Stoolball for Hassocks. All a bit ra ra for me.

 

[tedebear]

sounds like something to do with poo!!

 

[CHAPPERS]

ALAN ARE YOU COMING TO THE CRICKET ON MONDAY??

 

[Barrel of Fun]

sounds like something to do with poo!!

There was alot of dodging the poo, in Preston Park. Damn dog walkers!

 

[The Large One]

ALAN ARE YOU COMING TO THE CRICKET ON MONDAY??

f*** sake, man. What part of 'YES' did you not understand?

 

[Cian]

Why did I think this thread was going to be about pope-burning

 

[CHAPPERS]

f*** sake, man. What part of 'YES' did you not understand?

What? Look, stop farting around, are you coming or not?

 

[The Large One]

I'll be there. I've got to, I owe you a beer.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Bring the missus, she owes me a glass of wine.

 

[Stinkers Bridge]

sounds like something to do with poo!!

Indeed the original Kent version of the game was actually invented when a couple of the pikeys started throwing their own poop at each other.

I'm not sure when bats/targets etc were introduced.

 

[Scotty Mac]

ah, stoolball, what a game

sledging each other in school matches, particualrly nasty was one game in pe i remember, when one young fella was given out and took it rather badly, probably due to the abuse about his weight problem he had been recieving. instead of walking away in a gentlemanly way, he decided to launch the bat 40 foot up in the air, nearly killing someone as it dropped

what a game

 

[tinx]

At my school all the losers who were no good at Cricket or Athletics used to play it so I've always associated it with Fat kids and geeks.

 

[Biscuit]

WHAT?

 

[CHAPPERS]

At my school all the losers who were no good at Cricket or Athletics used to play it so I've always associated it with Fat kids and geeks.

So you're well good at it then?