The pool team formerly known as Lagg is alive and well.
When Lagg Hotel public bar closed last summer the pool team had nowhere to play home matches and the future looked bleak.
But southend folk are made of stern stuff and they soon began looking at alternatives.
In the neighbouring village of Kildonan the Breadalbane Hotel was also about to close and its pool team was re-locating to the Kildonan Hotel.
Kilmory village hall seemed to be the only viable option as a venue, so Lagg pool team was reborn as PT 1934, a reference to the year the hall was built.
Team captain and league secretary Eddie Picken said: ‘We are not going to let it die. We have all chipped in and are determined to keep the team going.’
The pool table from Lagg public bar has been acquired on a long-term loan and installed in the lesser hall.
Team members supply the food at home matches and visiting teams bring their own drinks. Last Thursday PT 1934 was host to the Kildonan team, formerly Breadalbane, and ended up on the wrong end of a 10-2 scoreline.
However, both sets of players enjoyed good companionship and a nourishing feed of soup followed by pie and beans.
Kildonan captain Bob Bambury and his team agreed it was one of the best pool settings on Arran.
Established
PT 1934 is following on a long tradition because Lagg is the longest established team to have played continuously in the Arran league since its inception 27 years ago.
The team has not missed one season.
Many other teams have come and gone but the PT 1934/Lagg team qualifies for the only long service award.
Eddie’s brother John was captain in early years, followed by George Lammie and Howard Driver until Eddie took over in the early 1990s.
The team ethos has always been on enjoyment, with victory being an added bonus.
Down the years many southend characters have distinguished themselves at the Lagg pool table.
Among them are Donny MacDonald, George Tod, John MacKenzie and Ron Stewart, not forgetting the original young pups, Tom McNeish, Dennis Smith, Matthew McNeish and John Allan.
The current PT 1934 team is carrying on that proud tradition and showing that pool is indeed alive and well in the southend.
