Lonely of Netley seeks female soulmates (From Daily Echo)

Lonely of Netley seeks female soulmates

6:00am Saturday 23rd January 2010

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Netley Central Sports & Social Club is desperately seeking single or married women over the age of 18 for a long and loving relationship.

But this has nothing to do with the forward-thinking committee’s plans to invest in a new kitchen.

Netley Central is possibly the only club in the Southampton & District Social Clubs League to have made headline news in one of the top three cue-sports magazines in the USA.

The story of the club’s ban on women playing snooker made the February 2007 issue of Pool & Billiard Magazine.

However, in June that year, at the club’s AGM, the membership voted to allow women to become full members - and play snooker.

And the delightful Celia Foyle, Netley Central’s first woman secretary, is even threatening to form a ladies snooker team.

Club president Phil Clayton said: “If you left it as it was, you might as well put sawdust on the floor.

“If we didn’t change, the club would shut. It’s as simple as that. It took us about 20 years but now the women are full members.

“We’ve got to get the club into the 21st century.”

The smoking ban, the drink-driving law and cheap supermarket booze have hit all social clubs, not just Netley Central.

Club trustee Brian Ware, whose grandad Joe Ware was a founder member of the club, agreed.

“To survive in this atmosphere is hard work,” he said. “We must get the women involved.”

Ware and playing partner Chris Parnell beat Dave O’Brien and Chris Holland in the 1988 pairs final.

The club, which also competes with Netley RBL, has five dart boards and holds regular tournaments.

Astonishingly, none of the Netley Central A snooker team have played for another side in the Southampton & District Social Clubs League.

Boyhood friends Chris Cornell and Rob Akhurst joined the B side, later re-named the A team, in 1972.

Akhurst said: “My birthday is in September and Chris’ is in July, so Chris had to wait until I was 18 before we could come in.”

Cornell, who has since moved to Hamble, said: “This is a village. Everybody knows everybody in this club.”