The Chalford Sports & Social Club is the sporting and social hub of the village, with around 500 members who pay £15 a year. It is an amazing resource at the heart of the community, offering a wide variety of social and sporting opportunities, from craft clubs to skittles, fitness classes to sport on TV. It is a warm, family orientated and welcoming place, where children are always welcome – as evidenced by the fifth birthday party in full swing while we were there.
The club is justifiably proud of its sporting prowess. It hosts four men’s football teams, with the 1st team currently sitting pretty in the Northern Senior League. Two cricket sides play out of Chalford, with the 1st team playing in Stroud Division 2 and the 2nd team currently playing in Stroud Division 4, as well as a pub cricket team. As if that were not enough, the club has no less than seven tennis teams, with their top players battling it out against the best in the area in the premier division. The club boasts five floodlit courts, including two synthetic clay ones.
The clubhouse is unprepossessing, but it proves to be an Aladdin’s cave when it comes to the range of facilities and activities within.
The main hall is big enough to accommodate 150 people and is a popular choice for wedding receptions, parties, concerts and family events. It is also used for short mat bowls, with several sessions each week.
But long-alley skittles is at the heart of the club, with eight teams, regular competitive and social events throughout the winter and a weekday league in summer.
Unfortunately, we could not see or use the skittle alley because of the children’s party in the main hall, which was a pity. Sadly, skittle alleys are an endangered species in our pubs, and many Stroud CAMRA members are enthusiastic players. So to find a club with a well-maintained and supported skittle alley was a boon.
Ali Brady, (seen here with Rob) became manager in March 2018 and from that point on it was all change on the beer front. Her husband runs the Good Beer Company, a real ale wholesaler supplying pubs and clubs around Stroud. So in came the handpumps and on came the real ale. Rob is solely a volunteer at the club but takes care of beer ordering and line cleaning, and also serves behind the bar. So a good choice of real ale was a given for the presentation with a good turnout of CAMRA members gathered to toast Ali, Rob and the team.
Tim Mars