Delph Tavern,
Tontine,
Orrell,
Wigan
WN5 8UJ
Contact - madelineevans35@gmail.com
This is a new team, taking over from the original Delph team who have sadly had to retire from the league.
This extremely popular hostelry boasts a large comfortable Lounge, Dining Room and traditional Tap Room, the latter catering for the usual pub pursuits of Darts, Dominoes and Pool.
The bar serves Thwaites' cask Bitter together with three guests ales, Boddingtons, Poacher and Trophy keg Bitters, a choice of four Lagers, draught Guiness, draught Cider and an extensive array of bottled drinks. There is also a regular pub quiz every Wednesday evening, starting at 9.30pm.
Food times:
Mon. - Fri. 12.00 - 2.00pm
Saturday 2.00 - 8.00pm
Sunday 12.00 - 8.00pm
The original team entered Division Two in its formative year of 1987 as the Queens Arms Cavaliers. The pub was at that time and had for many, many years previously been known as the Queens Arms. There were, at this time, two teams based at the Queens, the other team being the original 1986 League Champions, a spot they filled again in 1987 before disbanding prior to 1991.
The Cavaliers team stayed in Division Two for three seasons before being relegated to Division Three at the end of 1989, for the 1992 season they changed their name to that of the re-christened Sandbrook Arms; eventually winning the Division Three title in 1994 after a play-off against the Eckersley Arms. The following season they gained promotion once again by winning Division Two and stayed in the top flight until being relegated at the close of the 1997 season, the following year they were spared the indignity of a second successive relegation by league reorganisation that saw the abolition of Division Three; the team since then has consolidated, become solid and performs consistently. The 2002 season brought the team further success when they finished as Runners-Up in the final of the Knockout Plate, narrowly beaten on this occasion by the Charnley Arms.
Over the years there have been many changes in the teams lineup until the current, settled team was arrived at, the present squad is made up of League Chairman Jim Lemin, a member of that Queens Arms team that won the first ever championship; Tom Evans, Gladys Lemin, Sylvia Fairbairn, Jane Hare, and Harry and Lynda Hilton. The close of the 2003 season saw the team repeat the previous seasons feat of finishing as runners-up in the League Knockout Plate competition. Whilst there were no team honours in 2004 for the team, Ged Shaw kept up the Sandbrook's profile by winning the League Knockout Pairs partnered by Jim Prendergast of the Owl Inn, Upholland. 2006 proved to be a traumatic period for this team as the Sandbrook unceremoniously closed on short notice part way through the season, fortunately the licensees of the Britannia Inn, Upholland came to the rescue allowing the team to play the remainder of their home matches there.
For 2007 the team returned to the re-opened Sandbrook and found themselves rewarded for their perseverance and sporting good humour when they were awarded the Ted Owen Memorial Rose Bowl as the leagues most sporting team. One week before the start of the 2008 season the team were forced by circumstances similar to those experienced in 2006 to seek an alternative base, this resulted in the move to their current home. The following year 2009 the Delph enjoyed their first success in six years when they finished as Runners-Up in Division Two. 2010 brought further success in competition when they emulated their 2003 achievement of finishing Runners-Up in the League Knockout Plate, this was added to with the awarding of the Ted Owen Memorial Rose Bowl when they were recognised as the most sporting team in the League for that season. A fine season of awards was completed by the winning of the Knockout Pairs Competition by team member Linda Hilton who partnered Mason Arms Ray Wesley to victory at the event held at Park Lane.
Long term captain and League Chairman Jim Lemin passed away at the end of 2016 and will be sorely missed.