Registration Night at Abingdon Conservative Club – Monday 17th March from 7.30pm

Just a reminder that Registration Night for both the Summer League and Team 8’s Competition will take place next Monday.

Registration fee per team is £45 (up to 15 registered players) and the registration forms should be completed and available on Monday for registration. All teams are advised to keep a copy of the forms for their own records (no photocopying facilities will be available at the venue). If more than 15 players are registered the additional cost is £1 per player.

All registered players will be eligible to play in the 8’s handicap knockout competition for which the entry fee is £8 and as the Competition gets underway before the league season entries need to made and paid for next Monday. The first round of this competition will be scheduled for Wednesday 30th April.

Unfortunately, we cannot process digital payments, so fees need to be paid in cash or by cheque on the night. Cheques should be made payable to Abingdon & District Aunt Sally League. Receipts will be given if required.

On Monday it will also be possible to order equipment including sticks, dolls, swivels and irons which will then be collected and delivered before the start of the season.  Payment, cash or cheque, will need to be made, ideally upon ordering or alternatively on delivery.

KIT PRICES

• Sticks are £55 a set,
• dolls are £15 each,
• irons are £25 each and
• swivels are £15 each.

Arrangements for all other team and individual Competitions entries, complete with entry forms and dates will be included in the team Captains/Secretaries Summer 2025 packs which will be compiled and distributed once the league formations are sorted. The forms will also be available on the website, together with closing dates for entry, fees (where appropriate), dates, times and venues for all competitions.

It is expected that these packs, which will include section formations, fixture lists and match cards will be available and distributed mid April.

The League season will start on Wednesday 7th May.

It is confirmed that Barry’s wake following his funeral on the 28th February will be held at The Earl of Abingdon bar on the corner of Ock Street and Stratton Way Abingdon.

Barry’s funeral will take place on Friday 28th February at 12noon.

The service will be at St Michael & All Angels Church, Park Road,  Abingdon and will be followed by a burial at Spring Road Cemetery, Abingdon.

We are sure that there will many attendees not just from the Aunt Sally Community, but also from Barry’s many friends, and from his golfing and cricketing colleagues, two sports which Barry also demonstrated considerable proficiency and enjoyed much success during his life.

We are sure that Barry will, after much suffering, bravely borne, over a long period, appreciate, as will his family and friends, an appropriate send off in recognition of  both his very life taken tragically too soon and his demonstrably long and successful sporting career.

It is with some real sorrow that we share the news that Barrington known to most, as Barry, sadly lost his long and brave fight against illness and passed away yesterday. Our sincere condolences to Barry’s family and to his many, many friends across the Aunt Sally, Golfing and Cricketing communities.

Barry was a true legend amongst the Aunt Sally community, not just our own Association, but wherever Aunt Sally is played.  His name was known and his superb talent was recognised by so many who have played the game over the many years that Barry represented our game, as one of  the very best Aunt Sally  players to have ever graced the oche! As a solid anchorman he earned the nickname ‘Iceman’ because of his coolness under pressure.

And I mean no disrespect to all of the great players past and present when I suggest that Barry ranks that highly amongst his peers.

Barry Parker 2016 World Aunt Sally Champion

Barry won probably every individual, pairs and team trophies that has ever been played several times and though much of his Aunt Sally career was spent playing for Abingdon United (where he has the shed named after him!) he also helped,  and led several other teams and individuals to titles in both our league and in our Competitions. Barry, of course, most fittingly won the World Championship in 2016 after finishing Runner up in 2014.

Barry’s sporting prowess was not limited just to Aunt Sally, he had many sporting loves. Barry was a long term member of Frilford Golf Club where, not surprisingly, he claimed many trophies and was one of the founder members of the CBF Golf Society. Barry was also a very talented cricketer playing at County  level with Cowley St John, locally with B H Polley’s x1, not forgetting his “one off” appearance for one of the Caribbean Islands. His footballing career was not quite so successful as his Aunt Sally, Golf or Cricket, but he did feature for Osberton Radiators for several seasons in the Oxford Senior League.

We will, in due course, share,  on this site, details of Barry’s funeral arrangements so that we can all take the opportunity, if we can, to show our respect and say an appropriate goodbye to Barry.

We will, I am sure, in conjunction with his team mates past and present  also hold an appropriate competition as a long term memorial serving not only in Barry’s memory, but also revering his Aunt Sally achievements.

Key points/decisions taken

1. Registration

• Registration night will be held on Monday March 17th
• At Abingdon Conservative Club from 7.30pm
• League Registration fees for 2025 will remain unchanged
• The Association is in good financial shape with a current bank balance of £6100
• Thames Cable has, once again, kindly committed to sponsor both the League and the Team and individual Competitions in 2025.
• The season will start on April 30^th with the 1^st round of the 8’s Skol Trophy
• The League will start on Wed May 7^th and close on Wed September 4^th

2. Competitions

• Singles/Pairs/Captains and Secretaries will be held on a Sunday
• Team 3’s, 4’s and 5’will be held on Thursdays
• Additional Competitions will be introduced exclusively for teams in the lower sections
• All Competitions will require a minimum entry level of 8
• Entry fees for Competition will remain as £1 per entrant OTHER than the team 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s which will be FREE entry for each team. Any additional entrants from the same team will be £1 per player

3. Beer, Match Start, Rule Changes and Committee

• Lots of discussion took place about the beer leg and some advisory guidance will be provided by the Committee for 2025 in an endeavour to retain the long-held practice of playing a “fourth leg”
• League matches will continue to be scheduled for an 15pm start on Wednesday’s
• The League and Competition rules are currently being revised (simplified) and the key changes proposed were outlined at the AGM. Copies of the revised rules will be circulated with every registered team 2025 fixture packs in April
• Geoff Lee (Berinsfield SSC) was elected to the Committee and the existing 4 Committee members were all re-elected en-bloc

   A copy and  full set of the Minutes of the AGM will be available on this website shortly.

If you didn’t know we have a social media presence on Facebook and X as well as AuntSallyTV on YouTube.

If you want to follow us take a look at our social media page to get the links.

Thanks to the chap at the AGM that gave me the nudge to republicise these!

Hope you’ve not forgotten but the 2025 AGM is tonight at 8pm at The Croft Bar, Peachcroft, Abingdon.

Please come along and support your League. 

We are also looking for Committee members if you feel you want to contribute in a small way to help.

Paul Stone
Chairman