West Kirby Victoria Bowling Club

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.

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 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.

There have been some significant moves in the playing strength of the Vics Birkenhead & Wirral Evening League team during January. With the unfortunate demise of the highly successful Higher Tranmere side just before the player resignation deadline, the players from Higher Tranmere still wanting to play in the Birkenhead League have had to find other clubs. We at the Vics have been lucky to have quite a few of those players already registered as playing members of our club and we have now registered Dave Gilmore, Mathew Gilmore, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Robbie Fitzpatrick and Anthony Thompson with our Birkenhead Evening League team. Unfortunately, with us only having one team in this League, we have lost 3 players in Frank O’Neill, Colin Saville and Steve Scott who have all decided to move to Heswall Royal British Legion. We are sad to lose 3 players of their calibre but they all felt that with such a large squad at the Vics, it was better for them to move elsewhere to be able to play regular bowls rather than sometimes having to stand and watch. We respect their decision and wish them all the best in their new venture. Unbelieveably, given that the remaining Higher Tranmere players have decided to join Tixall Bowling Club, the Vics have drawn Tixall in the Dr. Dawson Victory Cup 1st Round. Just as remarkable is the fact that the Vics have drawn Heswall R.B.L. in the 1st Round of the Sansom Cup. Both these matches should add extra spice to the early season, if any was needed in the current climate.

The Vics will once again be taking part in the British Crown Green Team Championship being held at Irlam Steel in April. The full draw can be seen below.

22nd March

No. 1 Green.

Fishwick Ramblers, Preston   v   Castlefield B.C.,         Shrewsbury Dearne Sports, Rotherham   v   Bedworth B.C. Coventry

No. 2 Green

Lower Hopton, Mirfield   v   Greville Arms, Solihull     St. Georges, Telford   v   Esclusham, Wrexham

29th March

No.1 Green

Springbank, Oldham   v   Chadsmore Prog., Cannock   Sale Excelsior, Sale   v   Meersbrook, Sheffield

No. 2 Green

Alverthorpe, Wakefield   v   Meir Social, Stoke on Trent   Lloyds Hotel, Manchester   v   M & B Cheslyn, Willenhall

5th April

No. 1 Green

St. Josephs, Chorley   v   The George B.C., Birmingham     Old Whittington, Chesterfield   v   Houldsworth, Denton

No. 2 Green

Brighouse Sports, West Yorkshire   v   Moseley C.C., Solihull   Woodfield, Wolverhampton   v   Bar Lane, Bolton

12th April

No. 1 Green

West Kirby Victoria, Wallasey   v   Tonge B.C., Manchester    Swadlincote, Derbyshire   v   Middleport B.C., Stoke on Trent

No. 2 Green

St. Asaph B.C. Denbigh   v   Bradfield B.C., Sheffield           Copswood B.C., Coventry   v   Garswood Hall, Wigan (-8)

Finals Day is on Sunday 19th April

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.

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.