West Kirby Victoria Bowling Club

The Average Prize Winners for each team in 2009 are: League Matches only count for Averages.

Birkenhead Evening League;  Mathew Gilmore  Played 17,  Won 15,  Lost 2,  For 346,  Against 206,  Plus 140,  Ave 1.68

Wallasey League;                      Mathew Gilmore  Played 16,  Won 16,  Lost 0,  For 336,  Against 157,   Plus 179,  Ave 2.14

Afternoon “A” Team;                Mally Andrews    Played  22,  Won 20, Lost 2,  For 452,  Against 285,   Plus 167,  Ave 1.59

Afternoon “B” Team;                Keith Stewart       Played  22,  Won 17,  Lost 5,  For 423,  Against 304,   Plus 119,  Ave 1.39

Afternoon “C” Team;                Ted Lawrence       Played  21,  Won 20, Lost  1,  For 432,  Against 243,   Plus 189,  Ave 1.78

Ted still has one game to go this coming Friday but he has also managed to play 10 League games for the “B” team and 1 League game for the “A” team winning 7 out of the extra 11 games. This is a magnificent effort by Ted and his immediate answer of “yes” when asked to double up etc. reflects great credit on his attitude to playing for the Vics.

In the Wallasey League both Robbie Fitzpatrick and Anthony Thompson each played 17 games and won 17 games.

2009 will go into the record books as the Vics most successful season ever with an impressive haul of Cups and League Titles coming our way. This afternoon the Afternoon “B” team completed a comfortable home victory over Albany to win the Birkenhead & Wirral Crown Green Bowling League, Afternoon Division Two Title. The Afternoon “C” team have already won the Division Four Title with still the last match (Poulton at home on Friday) to play. The Afternoon “A” team won the Centenary Cup a fortnight ago with a comprehensive 10 winners to nil defeat of Heswall RBL “B” in the final at Albany.

The Birkenhead Evening League team had an unforgettable season, winning the Division One Title, the Sansom Cup and the Cec Hannay Rose Bowl. They also retained their Merseyside Club Championship with another comprehensive clean sweep of winners in their Final against BRNESC at Liverpool Cricket Club. They will now go forward to the British Crown Green Club Championship in Todmorden on October 4th as the Merseyside representatives.

The Wallasey League side won the Division One Title for a remarkable ninth year on the trot and also added the Presidents Cup with a fine victory against Queens Royal in the Final at Manor Road.

All the Team Captains, John Lloyd, Malcolm Johnson, Billy Atkinson, Keith Etches and Ian Wilson deserve credit for their efforts in keeping their teams fully focused during the season and of course everyone who played for the club during the season have helped to make us the club that everyone will be wanting to beat next season.

The Vics are currently having their most successful season ever with every Team in the Club in with a great chance of winning a Trophy or two.

To date (Tuesday August 18th) our Birkenhead Evening League team have won the Sansom Cup and play in the Cec Hannay Rose Bowl Final this coming Saturday. They are also just one game away from winning the First Division Title, with the match away at Tixall next Monday (August 24th) looking to be the Title decider if the Vics win or, if they lose, then a play off will be needed to decide the Champions.

Our Wallasey League team completed an unprecedented 9th consecutive Division One Championship last Thursday and also won the Presidents Cup last Saturday. The Five A Side competition commences next week and the Vics will be fielding three teams this year.

The Afternoon “A” team have qualified for the Centenary Cup Semi Final and take on Pensby “B” at Royden Hall on Thursday August 27th having to concede 60 shots courtesy of the handicappers. We are currently in 5th place in Division One.

The Afternoon “B” team are currently 11 points clear at the top of Division Two with 6 games to play and look likely to be joining the “A” team in Division One next year as Champions of Division Two.

The Afternoon “C” team are currently 17 points clear at the top of Division Four with 6 games to play and barring a catastrophic collapse in form should be promoted to Division Three next year as Champions of Division Four.

We are also the current holders of the Merseyside Team Championship and will defend the Trophy on Saturday September 5th. We are joint holders of the British Parks Club Championship and will be hoping to win the Cup outright on Sunday September 13th in North Staffordshire.

Congratulations to all our Members and thanks to the Team Captains, John Lloyd, Malcolm Johnson, Billy Atkinson, Keith Etches and Ian Wilson for all the work they have put in to make 2009 our best ever season.

The Vics Birkenhead Evening League team lie joint 2nd in the Birkenhead & Wirral League Division One having won both their opening 2 matches. After having a blank fortnight with no fixtures the Vics are next in action at home to Oxton Conservative Club on Friday May 22nd.

The Wallasey League  team are 3rd in Division One having won all their 4 opening matches and play major rivals, Queens Royal at home this coming Tuesday May 19th.

The Afternoon “A” team have won just one of their four opening League matches but are 7th in Division One with 21 points. Their next fixture is away to Capenhurst this Wednesday, May 20th. The “B” team are top of Division Two with 3 victories from 4 matches and 33 points and play Capenhurst “B” at home on Wednesday. The “C” team are 11 points clear at the top of Division 4 with 4 victories from 4 matches and next play on Friday May 22nd at home to Pensby “B”.

There have been quite a few Cup Matches over the past few weeks, with mixed fortunes for the various Vics teams. The Birkenhead Evening team lost out to one of their main rivals, Tixall, in the Dr.Dawson Victory Cup 1st Round by 19 shots. They did however beat both Great Meols and Quarry Vikings in the early rounds of the Cec Hannay Rose Bowl to qualify for the last 16 on June 29th. The Vics will also play Heswall RBL in the Quarter Finals of the Sansom Cup on Wednesday 20th May at Upton Victory Hall.

The Wallasey League side play in the Preliminary Round of the Presidents Cup on Tuesday June 9th against Great Float at Royden Hall and after having beaten Sacred Heart in the Harold Jones Cup Quarter Finals, have quailified to play Sandridge at Marine Park in the Semi Final at Marine Park on Tuesday June 16th.

The Birkenhead Afternoon “A” team, having beaten Gladstone Tigers in the Afternoon Shield Preliminary Round were then defeated by Royden Hall in the First Round last Wednesday. The “B” team defeated Thingwall in their Preliminary Round match and after a close game at Lever Club last Wednesday, defeated Pensby to qualify for the last 16 on June 17th. Unfortunately the “C” team lost out to Lever Cl;ub in their Preliminary Round match.

The Vics afternoon “A” and “B” teams came through their preliminary round matches in the Afternoon Shield unscathed on Wednesday but the “C” team were unfortunately eliminated. The “A” team travelled to Bromborough Pool to play Gladstone Tigers and despite having to give away 10 shots won quite comfortably in the end with only 3 losing cards. The “B” team played on a very quick Birkenhead Park green and in a tremendous match against the previously unbeaten Thingwall, which finally finished at 4-35pm, came through by 3 shots. The Vics had seven winning cards with 21-17 wins for Ian Cameron and Ian Hamilton being the best in as tight a match as you could wish for. Unfortunately the “C” team could not hold on to the 35 shot handicap against Second Division, Lever Club despite a fine performance.

The Vics afternoon “B” went down by 6 shots at an uneven Harrison Park green last Wednesday despite Skipper, Keith Etches’s brilliant 21-06 victory. After a comfortable home victory last week, the Vics had high hopes of not just the aggregate point but also an away victory. The Vics did have 5 away winners on the day but just could not pull back from 2 early single figure losses. “Branding Iron” Brandon made it 2 wins out of 2 with an excellent 21-11 win and both Derek Thomas and Bill Purcell also completed early season doubles with 21-14 wins. Ian Hamilton proved that last seasons away victories were no flukes with another fine 21-17 victory on foreign soil. Keith Etches showed no mercy in a clinical display of bowling and was understandably disappointed to lose out by such a narrow margin at the end of the day. The “B” team take on Thingwall at Birkenhead Park on Wednesday in the Shield.

The Vics afternoon “B” team started off the new season in style after last season’s promotion to Division Two, with an emphatic 10-2 victory over Harrison Park “B” at a truly excellent Ashton Park green today. Ernie Peers outshone everyone else on view with a majestic 21-02 winning performance that can only bode well for new Skipper, Keith Etches, and his team. Ernie completely outplayed his opponent in double quick time to set the Vics on the way to having 8 winning blocks out of 10. Ian Cameron showed he has lost none of his appetite for Ashton Park, with an equally impressive 21-07 winning display, to keep up his fine home form from last season. Mally Johnson, perhaps with a point to prove after dropping down to the “B” team this season, and Keith Etches both had comfortable and classy 21-10 victories with Peter Walker not far behind with a fine 21-11 win. There were more difficult games for Derek Thomas and John Brandon but both persevered to post 21-18 winning cards. Bill Purcell very nearly had to go the full distance but managed a really tough 21-19 win in the end. With the new points scoring system now in operation, the Vics collected 10 points in a more than impressive display and Keith Etches will be confident of more individual winners at Harrison Park next week and with a 56 shot lead will be looking for the aggregate point as well.

The 2009 Season gets under way on Wednesday April 8th with the Afternoon “A” and “B” teams in action against Harrison Park “A” and “B” teams respectively. We have 3 new Team Captains at the Vics this year, with John Lloyd taking the over reigns of the Birkenhead Evening League team from Ian Sherbrooke and Keith Etches stepping in for Derek Thomas with the Afternoon “B” Team and Ian Wilson running the Afternoon “C” Team instead of Brian Buck. We thank Ian, Derek and Brian for all their hard work during the last few seasons and wish John, Keith and Ian all the best in their new posts. Bill Atkinson and Malcolm Johnson remian in charge of the Afternoon “A” and Wallasey League teams respectively. The two required Starred player lists for the Afternoon “A” and “B” teams produced a few surprises and can be seen below.

“A” Team: Mally Andrews, Bill Atkinson, Eddie Clayburn, Peter Dodd, Robby Franklin, Dick Peake, Tony Ryding, Andrew Stratton   + ( Bernie Owen & Elwyn Williams starred for Cup Matches)

“B” Team: John Brandon, Ian Cameron, Keith Etches, Ian Hamilton, Malcolm Johnson, Ernie Peers, Keith Stewart, Derek Thomas  + ( Bill Purcell & Peter Walker starred for Cup Matches)

With over 50 players registered in the Afternoon League for the Vics, “C” Team Skipper, Ian Wilson, will have a tough job picking his starting line up !!! 

The Vics afternoon “B” team, ably captained by Derek Thomas, won the Birkenhead Afternoon League, Division 3 Title for 2008 after their defeat of Thingwall, home and away in their final league fixtures. This is a tremendous acheivement by Derek and his team as 1st team call ups, and sickness meant that Derek had to call on 19 players during the successful campaign. The vital 5 away victories, more than any other team in the Division, were to prove crucial in the Vics collecting 42 points, 2 more than nearest rivals Bromborough Pool. Derek has decided to call it a day as Captain after the Title triumph and Keith Etches has been proposed as the new captain for next year. Ken Bidwell, with an average of 1.30 just pipped Keith Etches (1.29) and Ernie Peers (1.28) to the averages prize. Congratulations to every player who turned out for the “B” team during the season and hopefully next season will see the team challenging at the top of Division Two.