Swindon Softball League is a friendly, gender inclusive slowpitch softball league based in Swindon, Wiltshire.
We are the only softball league in Wiltshire and feature a variety of different abilities from complete beginners to players on national teams. Our players come from all directions – Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and of course, from within Swindon itself. We have players who play here in Swindon in addition to other leagues in the region, such as Oxford and Bristol.
If you are an experienced player, one of our Championship Division teams will be keen to have you on their roster. If you want to learn the game, then don’t worry, we have you covered and we are very excited to have you join us and grow the sport. All of us here in the Swindon Softball League started in the same position as you and are keen to help you on your softball journey, in whatever form that journey takes. As part of our Development Division, you can spend as long as you like learning the game – there is no rush!
We play on weekday evenings – outdoors: April to September and indoors: October to March, (with opportunities to play in tournaments around the country on weekends, if that takes your fancy). The outdoor summer season is when our league matches takes place, with the indoor winter period used for offseason training. The indoor version of the game is a unique experience and is popular with many of our league members; it’s a great way to stay fit during the winter.
You can read more about what softball is here and why we play it here.
Our History
The Swindon Softball League was founded in 2002, though it has its roots in two other softball leagues and its history goes back a little further….
In 1986, American telecoms giant AT&T moved to Malmesbury and in 1988 AT&T employee Mark Bryant founded the AT&T Network Systems Interdepartmental League. The softball league flourished for the better part of a decade, peaking at 10 teams.
The league was played on the fields of Malmesbury High School and was soley an interdepartmental part of AT&T, until 1999 when nearby Dyson were asked to join the league. This was due to diminishing company participation as more and more of it’s people were moved to their office in Swindon in 1998 following AT&T’s change to Lucent Technologies two years prior. At this time, the league was renamed the Lucent League.
Meanwhile, in 2000, Swindon was getting it’s first taste of Softball. Nationwide employee Ian Luckhurst had recently transferred to the Nationwide Head Office there after working for the company in London since the mid 1990s.
Having entered a Nationwide softball team in the City Bankers Softball League since 1997, the team did not continue after Lucky moved to Swindon, so he brought all the equipment with him and set up training sessions at Nationwide Head Office in the summer of 2000.
After a successful recruitment drive and productive training sessions , Lucky formed a team from staff at Swindon’s Nationwide Head Office, called the Nationwide Blaze. By the spring of 2001, the team were ready and keen for some competition. They looked around and, at that time, the closest softball League was the Lucent League in Malmesbury.
The Nationwide Blaze joined the remaining Lucent teams and Dyson and entered the Lucent League in the summer of 2001, ultimately becoming champions. Sadly in the off season of 2001, in the midst of continuing job cuts/transfers at Lucent HQ, Malmesbury High School sold their playing fields for housing development and the the Lucent League folded.
On the 20th March 2002 during a now fateful meeting at The Steam Railway pub in Swindon, members of the remaining Lucent teams (now mostly based in the company’s office in Swindon), ex Lucent teams, the Nationwide Blaze , and new teams from Swindon-based companies Halcrow and the Early Learning Centre, got together to talk about forming a league in Swindon, splitting their playing time between Nationwide’s sport pavilion and Halcrow’s office at Burderop Park. And, just like that, the Swindon Softball League was born.
Previous Swindon Softball League/Championship Division Winners
2024: Panthers
2023: Panthers
2022: Las Panteras
2021: Jaguars
2020: No Season (Covid-19)
2019: Las Panteras
2018: Aries
2017: Aries
2016: Las Panteras
2015: Panthers
2014: Panthers
2013: Panthers
2012: Panthers
2011: Cyclones
2010: Cyclones
2009: Cyclones
2008: Lucent Dodgers
2007: Lucent Dodgers
2006: Vodafone Heat
2005: Lucent Dodgers
2004: Lucent Dodgers
2003: Nationwide Blaze
2002: Nationwide Blaze
Previous Development Division Winners
2024: Hawks
2023: Dodgers
2022: Hawks
Where we are now
Although a lot has changed since 2002, some of the original Nationwide Blaze and Lucent players still play in the League today. The Swindon Softball League has hosted over 20 teams in its lifetime. The passion of its players to create and sustain a friendly and sociable community has kept the League going.
Currently sitting at a healthy 10 teams across 2 divisions, Swindon Softball League openly welcomes new players and new teams as part of our quest to share softball with as many people as possible. We’d love to here from you! If you would like to play for us please contact us here.
Our Values and Why We Play
We believe so strongly in softball we felt it was important that we dedicated a whole page to why we play, what we as a League stand for and what you can expect from us.