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.

Skipper, Ian Wilson, set the standard required from his team with a commanding display in a 21-04 victory at Heswall RBL “B” last Wednesday. The Vics players followed his lead well by posting 7 away winning cards in a fine 25 shot win. Ted Lawrence once again showed that he is fast regaining his form from a few years back, with a fine 21-10 victory. Calvert Jones delighted his Captain by bowling well in his 21-13 win and both Arthur Fagan and Ray Farrell came through tough encounters to post 21-17 winning cards. “Bluey” Davies, 21-18 and Harold Rutter 21-19 got off to welcome winning starts to the season to complete a magnificent 7 away winners for the Vics on the day. Ian Wilson will be hoping for more fine away displays like this during the season to set the Vics up for a charge up the League Table. The Vics play Lever Club at Royden Hall next Wednesday in the Shield.

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 Birkenhead and Wirral Crown Green Bowling League, Afternoon Section, Centenary Cup came back “home” to the Vics on Monday when Brian Buck’s “Buccanneers” beat Royden Hall by 187-174 in a swashbuckling performance at Cammell Laird. The Vics “C” team received 20 shots from their higher ranked opponents who were Division Four Champions last year and with 5 winners each the handicap proved to be just about right at the end of the day. The first 4 blocks were shared with our resident “Master Chef”, Peter Walker’s, excellent 21-09 grilling of his opponent proving decisive later on. “Bluey” Davies continued his piracy for the Vics this season with another crucial 21-11 victory for the team. Bluey has taken to this afternoon bowls caper like a duck to water and his competitive streak has rubbed off on his team mates with “Rocket” Ray Farrell proving just why he is top of the averages with another 21-13 win. Ray is another in the “Bluey” mould of never accepting defeat lightly and “Tiger Ted” Lawrence is the 3rd “C” team player of the same ilk. In Ted’s 1st season back in bowls after a long lay off, he has now won 17 out of his last 18 league and cup matches and yet again on Monday a vital 21-17 win for Ted came at a crucial stage of the match. Brian Buck can only be delighted that John Davies. Ray Farrell and Ted Lawrence have all started off their Vics membership in his side this season. “Mr. Reliable” Tony Ryding was the Vics fifth winner on the day with a hard earned 21-19 victory, and Tony knows that this is the least the writer expects from him every time he plays. Reg Armitage, Eddie Dodd, Calvert Jones, Ian Wilson and the evergreen Harold Rutter, another player making a successful return to bowls this season after a long lay off, all did enough in their games to ensure the “C” team won the Cup for the Vics for the 3rd time in 4 years after previous victories for the “B” team and the “A” team. Skipper Brian Buck was understandably delighted with his side and all the players who have played for the “C” team this season can consider themselves part of this success.

The Birkenhead & District afternoon section, Centenary Cup Final between Royden Hall and West Kirby Victoria’s afternoon “C” team, will now take place on Monday 15th September at Cammell Laird Bowling Club, starting at 1-30pm. Please make every effort to get along and support the team on Monday.