The Sportsman, Allan Dale Sizemore

Allan got his first guitar from the trash. Growing up in the hollow of Trout Valley WV, they were hard to come by. His uncle brought it to him, an old Harmony, one string, hole in the back. But, to him, it was a piece of magic. He would sit and fool around on it, picking out melodies. That summer, his Uncle T taught him some banjo chords when Allan would come up to split kindling, carry in water from the old well, mow the grass, whatever needed done. He did that for all his Aunts and Uncles in the valley, and there was always plenty to do. He started working in the hayfields when he was 10, and saved up enough money to buy his own guitar. He sat and played it for hours and hours when he had the time, and wrote his first song when he was 15. He hasn’t stopped yet. Songwriting is what he does.Come on and let’s go for a ride on the backroads! Hear what Allan thinks about, well, just about everything. He ain’t shy! Hopefully you’ll hear some things that you ain’t heard before, or at least in a new way…videos behind the scenes of whatever happens to be happening! Stories about songs. Just whatever comes to mind. Glad you’re here, hope you stay a while.

The Sportsman Tavern serves great cocktails, doesn’t accept reservations, and has bar games. It’s a Sports Bar & Dive Bar with live music. The Sportsman Tavern on Edgar Avenue is no stranger to the Ronceverte community. It opened in the 1930s and remained open until the 1970s, closing only briefly as it changed hands. In early 2023, local developers Mark Trent and Dan Withrow led an eight-month community effort to purchase, gut-renovate, and reopen The Sportsman. Their goal was to create an inclusive community hub that sparks broader revival in Ronceverte. Floral tributes from local businesses and leaders marked the grand reopening as an actual town celebration.