Goblin Game

Goblin Game

Goblin is a game first played by miners in Bristol and the surrounding South West regions of England and South Wales. In its most basic form, it consists of a game of three “legs” of four “ends” each. Each “end” consists of the throwing of “pegs” at two target receptacles (the Scuttle and the Souse) over a distance of approximately 5 metres (the “Shaft”). Contestants score points based on both the target hit; the number of the peg thrown and a doubling hand. The person with the most points at the end of each “leg” is awarded that “Leg”, a match usually being the best of five “legs”

Though various versions have existed in the past, the name 'Goblin' usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific “Shaft” length and set of rules. The rules for Goblin have not changed in many years. The last major change to the rulebook was undertaken in 1865 (commonly called “The South American Addition”) when Welsh miners settled in the Chubut Province of Patagonia.

Previously a game created to fill the time between working shifts in a mine, Goblin has had mixed popularity over the years and is currently on the rise in the Bristol region, gaining popularity as a pub game. Goblin is a traditional English game, not officially recognised outside of the UK, but has also been played anywhere that mine workers from the region have ended up. This includes (but is not limited to) Australia, The United States of America and Argentina.