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The Abertillery Central Club in the Abergavenny and District Snooker League.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Abertillery Liberal Club, the Central Club as it was known, featured in the Rhymney Valley and Sirhowy Valley Snooker Leagues. They had been, and still were, very successful winning many competitions and had built a strong reputation.
There is currently no record of them in a league during the early to mid 1970’s, although towards the end of that decade the Abertillery Central Club entered into the Abergavenny and District Snooker League, the league featured teams from Tredegar, Brecon, Abergavenny to Pontypool and Abersychan. As of their status in the game, the Abertillery team were heavily handicapped and were placed into the 3rd Division on their debut in the league.
This is the story of their first few years in the Abergavenny and District Snooker League from their first year in division three to heading the first division and holding that first place throughout the biggest part of the 1980’s. The score sheets and places are transcribed from the Gwent Gazette.
The Abergavenny and District Snooker League 1979-1980 Season.
The Abertillery Central “A” team entered into the Abergavenny and District Snooker League in September 1979 and were placed in the 3rd Division that played with handicaps.
The 1st Division teams were as follows – The Ex Servicemen’s Club “A”: Nomads: Conservative Club “A”: Church House Brecon: Pontypool Liberal “A”: Semtex “A”: Abergavenny Conservative Club: Nevill Hall “A”: The Semtex Exiles: Imperial “Z”: Nantyglo “A” and Panteg House:
The 2nd Division teams were as follows – Abersychan “A”: R.A.O.B. “A”: The Ex Servicemen’s Club “B”: Converts: Semtex “B”: Blaina Workmens Club: Llanarth “A”: Imperial “A”: Nevill Hall “B”: Rock Villa “B”: Brecon “A”: Nantyglo “B” and Nevill Hall “D”:
The 3rd Division of the league in which the Central Club, Abertillery were placed were as follows – Rock Villa “A”: Pontypool Liberal “C”: Semtex Social: N.A.L.G.O.: Gentlemen: R.O.A.B “B”. Abersychan “B”: Greenlawn: Nevill Hall “C”: Blaenavon Institute: Labour Club: Brynmawr Institute and Abertillery Central Club:
The Abergavenny and District Snooker League 1980-1981 Season.
The Abertillery Central “A” team won the 3rd division of the Abergavenny and District Snooker League in the first year of the league and was promoted into the 2nd Division for the 1980-1981 Season. The Abertillery Central Club entered a second team into the league in this year, the Abertillery Central “B”. They began in the 3rd Division.
The 1st Division teams were as follows – The Conservative Club “A”: Ex Servicemen’s Club “A”: Brecon Church House: Semtex “A”: Nomads: Nantyglo “A”: Nevill Hall “A”: Pontypool Liberal Club “A”: Imperial “Z”: Abergavenny Conservative Club and Nantyglo “B”:
The 2nd Division teams were as follows – Abertillery Central Club “A”: Llanarth: Blaina Workmens Club: Abersychan “A”: Converts: Imperial “A”: Nevill Hall “B”: The Semtex Exiles: Brecon “A”: Nevill Hall “D” and Pontypool Liberal Club “C”:
The 3rd Division teams were as follows – Abertillery Central Club “B”: ? There were no other team names in connection with Division 3 recorded or available at this time.
Singles Winner – Jack (Jackie Patch) Lewis of the Abertillery Central Club “A”:
The Abergavenny and District Snooker League 1981-1982 Season.
The Abertillery Central “A” team won the 2nd Division of the Abergavenny and District Snooker League in their second year of the league and was promoted into the 1st Division and the Abertillery Central Club “B” were promoted into the 2nd Division for the 1981-1982 Season.
The 1st Division teams were as follows – Abertillery Central “A”: Ex Servicemen’s Club “A”: Conservative Club “A”: Nantyglo “A”: Semtex “A”: Pontypool Liberal Club “A”: Ex Servicemen’s Club “B”: Nomads: Imperial “Z”: Brecon Church House: Nevill Hall “A”: Abergavenny Conservative Club: Nantyglo “B” and Llanarth:
The 2nd Division teams were as follows – Rock Villa: Blaina Workmens Club: Brynmawr Institute “A”: Abertillery Central Club “B”: Brecon “A”: Converts: Nevill Hall “D”: The Semtex Exiles: Pontypool Liberal Club “C”: Greenlawn “A”: Labour Club “A”: Imperial “A”: Nevill Hall “B” and Abersychan “A”:
The 3rd Division teams were as follows – The Spinners: N.A.L.G.O.: Labour Club “B”: Brynmawr Institute “B”: A.L.K.A.: Gentlemen: R.A.O.B.: Semtex “B”: Pen-y-Fal: Nevill Hall “C”: Greenlawn “B”: Abersychan “B” and Coopers:
Singles Winner – Jack (Jackie Patch) Lewis of the Abertillery Central Club “A”:
The Abergavenny and District Snooker League 1982-1983 Season.
The Abertillery Central “A” team remained in the 1st Division of the Abergavenny and District Snooker League.
The 1st Division teams were as follows – Abertillery Central Club “A”: Conservative Club “A”: Ex Servicemen’s Club “A”: Brecon Church House: Brynmawr Institute “S”: Nevill Hall “A”: The Imperial Club: Pontypool Liberal Club “A”: Nomads: Blaina Workmen’s Club: Nantyglo “A”: Rock Villa: Ex Servicemen’s Club “B” and Abergavenny Conservative Club:
The 2nd Division teams were as follows – Abertillery Central Club “B”: Pontypool Liberal Club “C”: Brynmawr Institute: Brecon Workmen’s Club “A”: Nantyglo “B”: Abersychan “A”: Spinners: Nevill Hall “B”: Brynmawr Institute “A”: Llanarth “A”: Converts: N.A.L.G.O. and The Legion:
The 3rd Division teams were as follows – R.A.O.B. Abersychan “B”: Brynmawr Institute “Z”: Gentlemen: Labour Club “A”: Pen-y-Fal: Pontypool Liberal Club “D”: Coopers: Blaenavon Welfare “A”: Nevill Hall “C”: Labour Club “B”: Parke Davis: Blaenavon Welfare “B” and Llanarth “B”:
Singles Winner – Jack (Jackie Patch) Lewis of the Abertillery Central Club “A”:
Highest Break – The highest break in the league in this season was 92 made by Jack (Jackie Patch) Lewis of the Abertillery Central Club “A”:
The Abergavenny and District Snooker League 1983-1984 Season.
The Abertillery Central “A” team remained in the 1st Division of the Abergavenny and District Snooker League. The Abertillery Central Club “B” topped the 2nd Division in 1982-1983 and were promoted into the 1st Division for the 1983-1984 Season. In this year the two Central Club Teams were playing in the top tier.
The 1st Division teams were as follows – Ex Servicemen’s “A”: Brecon Church House: Abertillery Central Club “A”: Abertillery Central Club “B”: Pontypool Liberal Club “A”: Pontypool Liberal Club “B”: Brynmawr Institute “S”: Ex Servicemen’s Club “B”: Nantyglo “A”: Nevill Hall “A”: Abergavenny Conservative Club “A” and Blaina Workmen’s Club:
The 2nd Division teams were as follows – Spinners: Brynmawr Institute “A”: R.A.O.B. Brynmawr Institute “Z”: Brynmawr Institute “B”: N.A.L.G.O.: Converts: Llanarth “A”: Gentlemen: Brecon “A”: The Legion: Abersychan “A”: Abersychan “B” and Nantyglo “B”:
The 3rd Division teams were as follows – Nevill Hall “C”: Blaenavon Welfare “B”: Labour Club: Llanarth “B”: Liberal “C”: R.O.A.B. “B”: Blaenavon Welfare “A”: Parke Davis: Pen-y-Fal: Ebbw Vale BSC.
In December 1983, the Gwent Gazette reported on a high break of 78 compiled by Jack (Jackie Patch) Lewis of the Abertillery Central Club “A”:
The Lymes Club in the Abergavenny and District Snooker League.
The Lymes Club entered the league during the 1984-1985 season. They began in the 3rd Division. During the 1985-1986 season the Lymes “A” were promoted into the 2nd Division and the club entered another team – Lymes “B” into the league in this year, in Division 3. In the 1988-1989 season, Lymes “A” had been promoted into the 1st Division while Lymes “B” were demoted and landed up in the 4th Division. After this date, the results published in the Gwent Gazette were few and far between if any.