WITH four teams having pulled out, Watchet & District Skittles League will consist of only two divisions this winter, instead of three.

The Premier Division, with 12 teams, will play for the Front Pin Cup while Division A, with ten teams, will play for the Landlords Cup. This cup will see the ten teams split into two divisions of five, who will play each other once on neutral alleys with the winners playing off in a final.

League secretary Alan Bulpin said: “It’s getting harder to put together a programme which lasts from September to March. The league is declining due to a couple of reasons - the closure of the venues that provide alleys for us to play on and also the actual cost of the night out; coupled with that are the distances between teams.

“In days gone by there were an abundance of teams from outside Watchet, Cannington, Minehead, Lowtrow Cross and Taunton. This meant fixtures were closer to home in the norm. Our league now has five teams from outside the Watchet/Williton catchment; one from Minehead, one from Haddon Hill, two from Bishops Lydeard and one from Crowcombe.

“I can only see the league contracting further over the next few years. Our decline is in line with other sports; young people have alternative things to do with their time. Work patterns/jobs have evolved meaning young people can no longer commit to skittles.”

Premier Division fixtures for opening night, September 8: Three Ferrets v W H Stallions, Has Beens v Rebels, Phoenix Knights v Jack, Bottoms Up v QC Guys. Railway Steamers v Allsorts, Bell All Stars v Castaways. Division A (same night): Williton Club v Dizzy’s Boys, Haddon Hillbillies v Barn Owls, Watchet Specials v Dungbeetles, W’dham Warriors v Footy Fockers, W’dham Pinheads v Rams.