Aunt Sally hit by impact of Covid pandemic and pub closures

The Oxford and District Aunt Sally Association has been in existence for more than 80 years, however its future has never been more perilous.

Organisers are mapping out ways to sustain the future of Aunt Sally, including looking at reducing team numbers, and more crucially, increasing the number of young people playing.

Aunt Sally at the Charlbury Beer Festival in June 2015. Picture: Richard Cave

Andy Beal, results and fixtures secretary for the Oxford and district association, said Covid-19 has had a stark effect on Aunt Sally.

He said: “We had all the forms, league fixtures and teams for the 2020 season – and then the pandemic hit.

“The following year, we hoped for a shortened season but that couldn’t happen and now the season will be starting in April, and we’re going full steam ahead.

“The interest is still there, unfortunately we’ve lost a few players due to Covid and a few pubs have closed.

“We need to boost player numbers or find other venues to replace the pubs and clubs that have closed.”

Aunt Sally players in 1959

Mr Beal said the association has tried different things to get younger people playing Aunt Sally.

“We need more youngsters involved but young people don’t go to the pub now,” he said.

“We run competitions for certain age groups so they’re not playing against seasoned players.

“We encourage families to come to the pubs and hold fun days just to get people interested.”

Barry Parker in action at the Charlbury Beer Festival in June 2014. Picture: Mark Hemsworth

There’s also been ideas mooted into how the sport can change, including reducing team numbers and extending the number of legs played.

Mr Beal said: “We’ve looked at adapting Aunt Sally by reducing team numbers, we could reduce to six and then have more teams.

“It could be easier for younger people to field smaller teams.

“We could extend the number of legs we play to increase how long we play.

“These things then don’t go down so well with the seasoned players – it’s like tearing up the history books and that’s what people resist to.

“If we got to a situation where we were haemorrhaging numbers, then we would have to do something to change Aunt Sally.”

Henry Johnson from Yarnton, pictured when he was world champion in May 2015. Picture: Ed Nix

Kevin Giles, treasurer of the association, added: “People are really keen on getting it going again but we expect to lose a few sides with pubs closing.

“I’ve played since I was 16 or 17, but the youth of today isn’t interested – it isn’t electronic or on a computer.

“There’s a few young people but not enough.

“Unless anything untoward happens, we’ll be back in April and when we start, we might get more interest.”

Aunt Sally is not the only traditional pub sport facing an uncertain future with bar billiards another to be impacted by coronavirus, despite the presence of a world champion.

Pete Soanes, secretary of Eynsham and District Bar Billiards, said: “Our league has got a lot smaller in the last 10 years, mostly due to a lack of venues.

“Nearly every pub used to have a table but that’s not the case anymore.

“People don’t have the interest, the commitment to play every week isn’t there.

“Oxfordshire though has always been a good place for bar billiards, and even now, we’ve got the world champion Mark Trafford.”