Disgusted of Woolston (From Daily Echo)

Disgusted of Woolston

6:00am Saturday 8th January 2011

• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

KEITH Castles was disgusted. And not just the once.

The captain of the reformed B side at Woolston Trades & Labour Club moved south from Nottingham and signed for Bitterne Park WMC in 1969.

However, the club sold its snooker tables in 2001.

Castles, now 70, said: “I was most annoyed because I was entertainments secretary and I went on holiday and when I came back I found we had no tables.

“I was so disgusted I said ‘that’s me finished’. I broke off playing any snooker because they sold the tables.”

And he was “most disgusted” after his new club, Woolston Conservative Club, moved premises in 2009 and reduced the size of its snooker room.

As a ten-year-old, Castles had a brief knock around with 15-time world champion Joe Davis, who was a friend of his dad.

Castles recalled: “The old man never beat him. His one passion was billiards.

“He didn’t like me up in the snooker room. He was one of the old school who said ‘kids aren’t allowed’. That was his kingdom.”

Apart from being disgusted on at least two occasions, Castles was also deeply upset during a league match for Bitterne Park WMC at Sarisbury Social.

Castles remembers his captain saying: “I’m going to throw your game way because the bloke you’re going to play, you’ll never even get near him.”

Castles said: “I was so upset at being told I was being thrown away, I beat Charlie (Loader) by 54 points.

Loader was Town Champion three times in the 1950s.

“The best part about it was we lost,” he laughed “It was only me and Jeff (James) that won.”

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here