Crown Green Bowling at Northern Club, Crosby on Merseyside

Bowls

Men's Bowls season summary. (Sep. 2005)

The final match of the men's season has now been played, concluding what was an enjoyable Summer season, not least that the weather was so good for the latter 3 months after a slow start. The Club in-house competitions were better supported this year, mainly thanks to the efforts of the section Captain, Denis Jones, who enjoyed a very successful year of office, both on and off the Green. Results of the 2 major club competitions were Captain's Main Winner Bernie Maxwell with runner-up John Bell, and President's Main Winner Brendan Roberts with runner-up Tony Dennett.

Both greens will now be closed until next season, but members are reminded that a Winter Green will again be provided adjacent to the squash courts. This provides members with the opportunity to play social bowls daily throughout the closed season, plus a regular Open Sunday Morning roll-up competition. The various league teams fixture results are given elsewhere on the web site, and a summary of the final placings are are follows.

Maghull Div.1.	5th out of 9 teams
Maghull Div.2.	Relegated to Div.3
Aughton Div.1.	5th out of 10
Formby Div.1.	6th out of 10
Formby Div.2.	8th out of 10
Formby Div.3.	7th out of 10
Bootle Div.1.	4th out of 9
Westhead Div.1.	3rd out of 11

The Bootle League afternoon team are to be congratulated on winning the League Cup in spite of a formidable points handicap. Well done to Captain Albert Lewis. All but one of the teams retained their places in their divisions, and, it is worth mentioning, that The Northern Club is represented in the 1st Division of all the leagues they compete in.

In order to maintain this position the section require some new faces from the other sections to try their hand at what is a highly skillful and competitive game, and not just something for the old codgers to occupy themselves with.

The proposed centre of excellence for coaching young bowlers has been delayed until next season due to administrative delays on the coaching side. It is hoped this will be sorted out to allow a start in early Summer 2006.

The Northern Classic Open competition was again well supported by the top bowlers in the country, however due to the poor weather, spectator numbers were down and revenue suffered. However, thanks to our various sponsors, we still showed a profit, and will continue to promote this prestigious event next year.

Cup of Congratulations for Pam. (September 2005).
Sunday September 25th was the last competition day of this season for our ladies. It was a mixed competition, the Cliff Gillies Cup, and Pam Greenhalgh beat John Clough in a superb final.

Charity Book Sales top £1000. (September 2005).
The Bowls section organise charity second hand books sales from the pavilion on the new green. The man behind it is Peter Milburn, who tells us that in 15 months they have raised £1000 for Macmillan Nurses through their efforts. Anyone is welcome to go and browse, and books don't cost more than a 'quid'.

Autumn Social Calendar 2005.
Fri 9.Dec Ladies Bowls Christmas Dinner.
Fri 14.Oct Men's Bowls AGM and Dinner.
Fri 7.Oct Ladies Bowls Social night - with singer 'Kate', tickets from behind the bar.
Fri 30.Sep Bowls Social Evening.

Jean takes President's Trophy. (August 2005).
The ladies held their President's Trophy Competition on Sunday 14th August. A great day was had by all, and the winner was Jean Price. Our president Mike Bishop kindly took a break from his cricket match to present the trophy, along with a lovely vase, to the winner Jean.

Ladies go Centrefold. (July. 2005)
Northern's lady bowlers were the subject of a two-page spread at the centre of 26th.July's edition of the Liverpool Daily Post, in an article penned by their top feature writer, the excellent David Charters. 'Bowls could be the perfect recreation for easing the tensions of busy working people' he reports.

Smoke from briar pipes curled over the trimmed hedges and men in dark suits with braces, through which you could loop your thumbs, gazed across the green, which had been shaved as close as a drill-sergeant's chin. And the only sound was the crack and creak of arthritic bones, as they hunched down, in attitudes of the utmost concentration, before rolling their woods towards the white jack. Yes. bowling has a special place in our social history. To old-timers it is the symbol of that unique British quality, which some call phlegm - that spirit of calm and smiling defiance, which found its greatest expression during the blitzes of World War II. They speak of Sir Francis Drake playing bowls down at Plymouth Hoe on July 18. 1588. On being advised that the Spanish Armada was approaching, the wily old pirate, retorted: "We still have time to finish the game and thrash the Spaniards, too." Apparently. Drake lost the game, but did rather better in the battle. Of course, there are certain spoilsports in the towers of academe, who question the veracity of the quotation. But every sport needs romance, if it is to thrive. Bowling has not always been associated with romance because more than most sports, it is rooted in the sepia images of days gone by. However, as the evening sun dipped slowly behind the trees, casting shadows over the Northern Bowling Club in Crosby. Merseyside, a visitor might have thought that he had followed the road to paradise.

More surprising still to strange eyes was the sight of young women on the sacred green, stepped for so long by the flat-soled shoes of ladies, who have ceased to decorate their birthday cakes with candles. There is a new desire to promote bowling as a game which can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages, as well as children. To this end. the club's ladies' section invited members of Sefton Ladies' Activities (SLA) to one of their two crown greens for an introductory series of games, followed by a supper in the club house. SLA is a group founded 12 years ago by women eager to participate in new sports. The appeal of bowls to younger women of a certain type is obvious. Men of the same age can go in for rugby, cricket, football, squash, tennis, boxing, wrestling, badminton and many other muscle-swelling activities. Women can play all these, too, if they so choose. But after a tough, tense day at work, they might find that bowls combines relaxation, exercise and skill. It is a way of keeping fit without working up a sweat. Also, there is no need !o waste time changing and showering. Most teams have their own colours, but all you need is a pair of flat shoes, slacks and a shirt. You might also want a hat or cap to shield your eyes from the sun. At this point, it is worth explaining that there are two main divisions of bowls in England - Lawn or Flat and Crown Green. The important difference is that Crown Green is played on a square lawn, which is slightly higher in the middle than the edges. This is the "crown". In both codes the idea is for the first player to roll a smaller white or yellow ball (called the jack) to a point on the green which best suits his/her game. The idea then is to roll your bowls (usually called woods) at the jack. The person who finishes nearest wins. Among those greeting the SLA were Doreen McKernan, captain of the club's ladies' section, and Ann Laycock, its chairman. Both are in their 60s, though they feel there is no need to discuss the question of age any further. There are 75 men and 60 women bowlers at the Northern Club, which also has three cricket pitches, five squash courts, an all-weather hockey pitch and two snooker tables, as well as all the usual facilities for non-playing members. Bowling has traditionally attracted newly retired or widowed women. The obvious need is for new blood. "But the Sefton Ladies' Activities group approached us to see if they could have a taster at bowls," says Ann. "This is what we are hoping to do. to show younger people that it is not just for older people. It can be very enjoyable and it is quite a skilful game as well." "We are also putting together a programme to try to encourage children (aged 12 to 18) into the sport which we hope to have running next year." adds Doreen. "There are lots of children who don't want to play the particularly active sports." There are competitive leagues for male and female bowlers. Although you will not hear the cacophony of grunts, gasps and curses associated with the once-genteel sport of tennis, they take their matches seriously. Some last for 2 and a 1/2 hours, with advantage swinging this way and that. Northern ladies' teams are represented in the Westhead League, named after the Lancashire village, and the Liverpool Civil Service League. The men have eight teams. "The technical bit of playing comes in because both the jack and the woods are weighted," says Doreen. "You have a camber on the green from the centre to the gully. For example, if you want to bowl curlies, you have the camber and the weight going the same way. When you bowl at the jack you have to say which bias you are using, finger or thumb." The "woods" these days are made of resin, the ones being used by the women varied in weight from two pounds two ounces to two pounds eight ounces. "If we can't get more young people playing, what is going to happen when the old people are gone?" asks Ann. "It is such a lovely game; such a lovely, gentle sport. But in the ladies' section we have a very good social side and we would love to see more young people coming in, perhaps to take over positions on the committee, bringing in young ideas. We have supper evenings. Immediately you start playing, you have a social circle." Just behind the green where the ladies are playing is the timber pavilion built early last century. Inscribed on the boards on the wall are the names of former captains. The women make their teas and coffee here, but meals and alcoholic drinks are served in the main club-house. As dusk settles over the green, you can still hear the chunk of balls colliding and the contented murmuring of women who have a sport where rivalry is still expressed with a handshake and a crisp "well done". To the huge relief of all, one sound you are spared is the trilling of mobile phones. They have been banned by the Crown Green Bowling Association.

But on this night, one of the visitors is Jena Davies, 46, a mother-of-three from Formby, married to estate agent, Robin. She is a lecturer in psychology at Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill College, Ormskirk. "Our group has done all sorts of things from quizzes to mountaineering, sailing, croquet, badminton, activity weekends and pub crawls, evenings out," she says. "Now it is the turn of bowling. "I am open to new experiences. It is a passive type of sport and yet at the same time good for you. I have never played before." All the newcomers were teamed with an experienced player in doubles matches. "We are doing well, so far," says Jena, a BA from Manchester University. "I am probably still not doing it right, but I am having a go, it's all a question of confidence. Isn't it a blissful night, absolutely lovely," she says. "This is the sort of sport that lends itself to a summer evening." Tina Slater, 43, is the group's secretary. She is an insurance broker from Formby, married to Bob, a risk manager. They have two children. "We are all busy people, but this has been wonderful. It is a beautiful evening. It's a beautiful green here and the ladies have been very, very kind." But would they take up bowls? "We have friends in our group who have joined a croquet club as the result of a taster session, so perhaps yes," Tina says. "It is such a wonderful evening." The annual subscription for the Northern Club's bowling section is £150 per adult. There is a £10 charge for each additional sport you may wish to play at the extensive site.

A world of difference.
To some, bowls is little more than marbles for grown-ups. But the game has an ancient history. Artefacts found on Egyptian tombs of about 5000 BC suggest that something close to skittles was played with balls. The game took off in various forms and can be traced to Bocce in Itafy, Bo He in Denmark, Boules in France and Ufa Miaka in Polynesia. There is evidence that a green in Southampton has been used since 1299. During the reign of Henry VIII, himself a keen bowler, the game was banned to all but the rich because he feared it was drawing participants away from archery, an activity on which the defence of the realm could depend. James I was more conciliatory, writing favourably of bowls in his Book ol Sports- But it was not until 1345 that the ban was completely lifted. As the British Empire spread, bowls was taken up in our colonies, including the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The English Bowling League was founded in 1903. Crown Green Bowling's inter-county matches had begun in 1893 when Yorkshire took on a combined Lancashire/Cheshire team. To ensure that the sport can be played all the year round, there is Indoor Bowls. Short Mat Bowls and Carpet Bowls are variations. Curling, which is played on ice is another variation, which has proved popular in Scotland and Canada. In common with all sports, bowls has its own vocabulary. A bobby is a bowl played deliberately short of the jack to block your opponent's view, the ditch is the gutter which marks the end of the green, knob is the high-point on the green and a toucher is a wood rolled to actually contact the jack.

Lee takes Classic title. (June 2005).

Lee Heaton became the winner of the Northern Classic tournament of 2005, overcoming Alan Horton in the final.

Lee, who hails from Chorley, is pictured being presented with his Carlsberg Northern Classic trophy and a cheque for £1000 by Peter Robson from Carlsberg Brewers, main sponsors of the Northern Classic.

Runner-up Alan Horton, from North Ashton, receives his cheque for £500 from Mike Bishop, President of the Northern Club. Below, the officials move into action at the start of the day's proceedings.

Northern Classic nears climax. (June 2005).

The 2005 Northern Classic tournament reaches its conclusion on Sunday 19th.June, when those who have made it through the qualifying rounds meet for finals day. The playing standard is as high as ever, so much so that former champion Brian Duncan has this year been eliminated in the earlier rounds. Brian, from Preston, is pictured warming up for his heat.

Bowls Charity Day proves an outstanding success. (24.May 2005).
The Northern Club, Ladies Bowls Section, held a Charity Bowls Day, on Tuesday, May 24th in aid of the PSS Sefton Young Carers, The day turned out to be a huge success. There were 76 entries from all over Liverpool, the standard of bowls was very high. The entry charge, refreshments, tombolla, homemade stall and raffle, brought in £836 on the day for the Charity. This was well above expectations. The Northern Ladies would like to thank Domino's Crosby, Tesco's and Sainsbury's for their generous and kind donations. Also all the players who came to support and take part. The winner was Vi Higgins from the Nags Head, runner up was Claire Delooze from Victoria Ladies. The Northern Club, Bowls Section will welcome any newcomers who feel they would like to play bowls. There is a good social side to it. Come along and ask about us at the Club.

Men's Calendar of Events 2005 Season

Sun 29-May	Eversley Cup. 60 yrs & Over - 1pm
Sat 4-Jun	Captain's Main Final - 1pm Dinner 7.30 for 8.00pm.
Sun 5-Jun	Classic qualifier - 11am & 4pm
Sun 19-Jun	Classic Final - 1pm
Sat 25-Jun	Captain's Day Out.
Sat 2-Jul	Brooke Hotel (away).
Sun 10-Jul	Gents Invitation mixed Pairs. (Easton Plate).
Sun 24-Jul	President's Main Final - 1pm
Sun 7-Aug	Spooner Shield. Scratch Merit.
Sun 21-Aug	Cliff Gillies Memorial Trophy ( Mixed )
Fri 14-Oct	AGM & Dinner.

Ladies Calendar of Events 2005 Season

Sat 19-Mar	Opening of Greens - 1pm
Sun 08-May	Coaching Day 10:30am to 3:30pm
Sun 22-May	Ladies Invitation - 1pm
Tue 24-May	Charity Day 11am (all day)
Sun 03-Jul	Ladies Captain's Day - 1pm
Sun 17-Jul	Ladies Doubles Final - 1pm
Sun 14-Aug	President's Trophy - 1pm
Sun 11-Sep	Ladies Singles Final - 1pm

Bowls Charity Day. (24.May 2005).
Our ladies are organising a Bowls Charity Day on Tuesday 24th May, starting at 11:00am, in aid of the local charity PSS Sefton Young Carers. Around 70 bowlers are expected to take part, and the day will feature teams from Liverpool Ladies and other local Ladies clubs, in addition to Northern's own teams. The event will also include a tombola stall, a homemade stall, and raffle. Refreshments will be available, and everyone is welcome. We are opening to the public, so it is an opportunity for any ladies or men, interested in bowls, to have a look around. Fingers crossed, hoping for good weather and a good day.

Bowls Section Race Night. (18.February 2005).
Men's Bowls section are organising a race night on Friday 18th February 2005. Tickets cost £3.00 including refreshments. First race is 8pm. Tickets available from A.Lewis 924 5408 or Peter Mercer 931 2440.

Northern School of Excellence. (January 2005).
The Bowls section has given the go-ahead to a new initiative to introduce youngsters to the game of crown green bowling, with the formation of the Northern School of Excellence. Plans are at an early stage, but we hope to be up and running in May 2005.
This follows a meeting with Brian Livingstone, the Merseyside Crown Green Bowling Association development officer. We are laying the foundation to create the Northern School of Excellence in conjunction with the MCGBA.
The object of the School is to coach young persons (male or female) from 10 to 18 years of age, into playing crown green bowls up to team standard. They will be invited to attend coaching school on Saturday mornings from 10.30am till 1.00pm. The young people will receive coaching tuition from qualified crown green bowling coaches. Any child can register and attend the School. There will be a modest charge, which is still to be decided.

Season's Greetings to all our bowlers. (December 2004).