SKITTLES teams fear for the future of the traditional game as alleys disappear from pubs.

Brian Newton, secretary of the Dorchester and District Skittles League, said he was saddened at the rate alleys were being lost.

He said: “It’s about one a year in this area. Every time we hold our AGM it’s a case that one more has gone, sometimes two.

“We’ve been losing them for about ten years now.”

Mr Newton was speaking as the league enters the final week of the season and prepares for its cup finals and presentation night.

He said the league’s annual general meeting would be held at the beginning of June when he would need to set up fixtures for the year ahead.

He added: “It’s getting harder to fit the fixtures in. League matches are booked in advance but cup matches need to be organised as and when we can nearer the time and that’s getting hard.”

Mr Newton, 62, said he has seen numbers of players decline as the alleys disappeared. He said: “We’ve got about 80 teams now in the league but we had 144 teams around 15 years ago.

“When an alley closes players often give up because they can’t find another one. It’s sad because we all love skittles.

“I think the problem is the breweries. They take out the alleys to turn the area into a restaurant or B & B area.

“I’m very sad when I see a purpose-built alley ripped out. But some places that have a wooden floor can put in sides to make an alley when it’s needed.

“I’d be happy to see more of those in pubs.”

He added: “We’ve got 19 pubs and clubs in the league, that’s in a 10-mile radius of Dorchester. One or two like the Trinity Club and Colliton Club in Dorchester have more than one alley.

“But we’ve lost nearly 30 in recent years with pubs like the White Hart and the Swan going.”

He was speaking after the Bull’s Head in Fordington closed, taking its skittles alley with it. Four teams were based at the pub.

But one landlord is trying to boost the pub sport. Rick Green of the Victoria Hotel in Dorchester said: “Skittles is really important to us. We’ve got one alley and we’re doing all we can to get a second one.

“It won’t happen in time for next season because we have to get planning permission and everything but that’s the plan.

“Skittles is a good night out and the teams buy drinks and we appreciate the custom.”