Yorkshire Petanque News
YORKSHIRE PETANQUE NEWS 2026
Sorry the News page is not being updated more frequently.
If anyone wants to help with keeping the page up to date please
contact Alan
28th June 2026 - British Transplant games in Sheffield
Click here
for more details of the games and how you could help.
15th June 2026 - Squad Manager needed
The Inter Regionals this year will be at Sand Bay Holiday Village near
Weston Super Mare on September 5th and 6th.
We have a squad manager for the Championship squad but we do not have one
for the Challenge squad.
If we do not have a squad manager the Challenge squad will still be able
to play but there will be a points penalty.
Being a manager is not particularly difficult but it does involve a lot
of time supporting the players.
Because of the commitment needed the managers accommodation costs are paid
for by the region.
If anyone wants to volunteer or suggest someone who would might be
interested please email alan@yorkshirepetanque.co.uk
Managers have to be PE members and have regional kit but this can be
sorted out if necessary.
3rd June 2026 - Another Petanque player passed away
Graham Bamforth was a Yorkshire member who played regularly for Harrogate
Montpellier in the West Yorkshire league.
He passed away unexpectedly during a league match at Leeds on Tuesday 2nd
June.
No further details are available at this time.
25th May 2026 - Funeral details
Ray Gilpin, a member of the Fox Petanque Club and originally a member and
club captain of the Saddle sadly passed on Monday 18th May.
Ray suffered from chronic kidney failure and had been on dialysis three
mornings a week in York Hospital for 12 years.
He was 76.
His funeral is to be held on Thursday 4th June at 2.15pm at St Pauls
Church, Heslington, York YO10 5ED.
Light refreshments will be served in the Church after the service.
A private cremation will follow after the Church service.
7th April 2026 - Funeral details
Pete's funeral will be at 11.30 on Friday 17th April at Haxby Church
followed by Haxby Working Mens Club.
The family have said the dress code is optional but their preference is
to avoid traditional suit and tie.
31st March 2026 - Obituary
Pete Best originally a member of Wigginton PC but more recently playing
at Hollicarrs has passed away following a very long illness.
Morecambe 2002
Pete was a founder member of Northern Petanque.
He played for Northern, then Yorkshire many times before his health
deteriorated too much.
Pete and his wife Chris played for and around the region (and around the
country) regularly until Chris died in 2017.
This was usually as Simply the Best if they were playing in Pairs events.
31st March 2026 - New event series organised by David
Plumhoff
A new Mixed Pairs Series has been arranged for the winter season 2026-27.
There will be 5 events around the country, including one at Heckmondwike,
followed by a finals day for the top teams
Click here
for more details
16th February 2026 - Obituary
Ian Wells of Wetherby PC passed away last Friday following a long
illness.
Ian was a long term member of Wetherby and was well known to Players in
the York and West Yorks leagues.
Ian and Delia were also regular players in club events around Yorkshire,
usually playing as The Southerners.
26th June 2025
Suham took lots of photos at the Ladies Fun Day held at the Fox on June
14th.
You can view them via his dropbox account with the following link
Ladies
day
photos
19th June 2025
A league in an afternoon event was held at Mirfield.
Click here
for a report from Paul Simpkins
14th June - Yorkshire Club Team Event at Heckmondwike on July 13th
This year the rules for the event have changed slightly.
The event is open to all players but they must be a member of the club
they are playing for.
The overall event still consists of a Mixed Triples, a Mixed Pairs and an
Open Pairs so a squad has a minimum of 7 players.
Squads can have more than 7 but the squad entry fee remains at £35 (£5 per
player up to 7). Sorry thats 35 pounds the pound sign isn't printing out
properly.
All the entry fees will be paid out as prize money.
As long as the squad fields the correct mix of players in each section
there is flexibility between rounds.
i.e. the same players do not have to play in the same section each time.
Changing players during a game is not allowed except where there is
illness or injury and any such change must be approved by the organiser.
If there are 8 squads entered the format will be league and knockout
otherwise a snake format will be used (pre-determined random set of
opponents)
Clubs may enter more than squad but players may not switch between those
squads.
Each round will be a timed 1 hour with no additional ends.
There will be approximately 10 minutes between rounds each of which will
start and finish on a whistle.
There will be an approximately 30 minute break for lunch after round 3.
In each round a match will be between 2 squads e.g. the Leeds squad could
be drawn against the Heckmondwike squad and those squads will play against
each other in each of the 3 sections.
There will be one squad point for each game won and an additional squad
point for the squad winning the match.
Because there are timed games there could be draws in which case the
squads will split the point.
Any questions please email alan@yorkshirepetanque.co.uk
10th June - Funeral details
Mike Walkley's funeral will be on the 30th June at 1.00pm
It will be at Kirkleatham Crematorium TS118HH and afterwards at
Guisborough Cricket Club TS147DQ
Mike's parents have requested that no one wears black and there should be
no flowers.
Some players are intending wearing their club kit but this is only a
suggestion.
2nd June - unfortunately another Obituary
A very sad and unexpected obituary.
Mike Walkley was found dead at his home in Guisborough by his parents last
Thursday evening.
Mike was a successful regional player for the past 20 years winning 8
regional titles and representing the region on many occasions.
He died unexpectedly at the age of 56.
He played for various regional clubs and was currently a member of Leeds
PC.
Funeral details will be added when available.
29th May - Obituary updates
A service to celebrate the life of Alistair
Horne will be held at York Crematorium on Friday 13th June at 11.40am.
UPDATE - The funeral
directors made a mistake, the service is at 11.00 am NOT 11.40
Afterwards please join us as we gather to
remember and celebrate Alistair's life at the Fulford Working Men's club.
Click
here
for the Order of Service for Sam Porter
21st May -Scoreboards
Harrogate PC have 4 scoreboards they no longer need.
They are plastic with holes suitable for golf tees and are attached to a
metal stake.
If anyone would like them free of charge contact Sue Couture at
suemcouture@msn.com
15th May - Obituaries
No details available but 2 former regional players have died recently.
Alistair Horne who played at the Saddle died on the 6th May aged 78
Alistair last played for the regional squad in 2021
Sam Porter who played at Wetherby and Leeds died on the 13th May aged 84
Sam last played for the regional squad in 2019
23rd January - Ladies Fun Day
The annual Ladies Fun Day will be held at the Fox on Saturday 14th June
Click here for more details
14th January - Obituary
I've been told the sad news that Mike Anderson has passed away at the age
of 76.
No other details available other than the funeral is at York Crematorium
on February 7th at 11.00
Newer players won't know Mike since he hasn't played since 2019 but he
was a club and regional player for many years prior to that.
He was originally with the Huntington club but when that club folded he
played for Brandesburton and then the Saddle.
Mike was part of the winning team at many club tournaments over the years
and he was part of the winning team in the Regional Triples in 1999, 2005,
2009 and 2010