A Guide to Other Competitions.
In addition to the Club Competitions, because the Club is affiliated to Bowls Lancashire, there are many other opportunities to participate in different types of competitions throughout the season. These fall into four main categories:
1) Club Representative Matches.
2) County Competitions.
3) National Competitions.
4) County Representative Teams.
1) Club Representative Matches.
Club Representative matches fall into three main categories; Friendlies, Inter-Club Competitions, and National Competitions. The Club also try and enter a couple of teams each year in the Wigton Top Nine. Depending on the type of match, the club teams are selected by either the Club Captain, the Ladies’ Captain or the Men’s Captain. Nomination sheets are placed on the notice boards in the changing rooms. If you wish to be considered put your name down.
Friendly Matches
The Harding Trophy
The Harding Trophy is an annual inter Club mixed match between Bolton and Heaton Hall played on a home one year, away the next basis.
Club Touring Teams.
We have recently attracted visits from Touring teams from different Counties. There have been visits from Bainsford BC. (Scotland), and Westerhope BC (Northumberland) recently, so check the noticeboards boards for future events.
Ladies Inter Club County Competitions.
In recent years the Ladies Inter Club County competitions have suffered because of lack of participants from other Clubs. If there are insufficient numbers to run any of the Ladies Inter Club County events such as the County Cup or Challenge Shield, the County tries to organise something else for those who do wish to play competitive bowls. This is therefore a flexible situation.
Patrons Day.
This is a great ‘get together’ day for all lady members of the County. Pay your Patrons fee (£1.50p) on the County Comp Entry Form. Dress is greys/ club colours optional. You are asked to enter your name on the nominations sheet purely for assessing catering requirements as light refreshments are usually provided.
Men’s Inter Club County Competitions.
The Club enters men’s teams in the following Inter Club County Competitions which take place at weekends. They are hosted in turn by Bolton FGBC, Heaton Hall BC, or Southport BC, and are played on a round robin basis. Squads are needed for his event with players being rotated within the teams by the Captain. Details are shown in advance on the notice boards.
The Presidents Trophy.
The President’s Trophy is played as a ‘Double Fours’ event.
Double Triples.
Double Triples, as the name suggests comprises two teams of three a side.
The Super Nines.
Super Nines is played as a Pair, a Triple, and a Four.
Wigton Top Nine.
Wigton is a village in Cumbria, to the west of Carlisle. Each year they host a Bowls Festival. The Club try and enter a couple of teams in the Wigton Top Nine (providing the dates do not clash with our own in county events). The event has a number of qualifying dates on weekend days in the first half of the season, culminating in a final mid-season. The Top Nine is played on the same format as the Bowls Lancashire Super Nines.
Mixed Inter Club County Competition.
Team Five.
Team Five is played as a round robin of pairs and triples. This is a mixed event, teams can be all ladies, all men or mixed.
2) County Championships (Ladies and Gentlemen).
Members can also enter Bowls Lancashire Championships in which the County Finalists qualify for National Finals at Leamington Spa.
Disciplines are: 2 wood Singles; 4 wood Singles; Pairs; Triples; Fours; Men's under 25 Singles and Pairs, Senior Fours (Only the County winners progress to the National Finals for those events marked in red). Players enter as an individual in the singles, and as named teams in the other competitions.
Entry forms are distributed at the end of the season. They can be obtained from the County Competition Secretary or downloaded direct from the Bowls Lancashire website.
These entries have to be submitted to the County Comps Secretary with your payment by 30th November each year.
The majority are played on fixed weekend dates at specified venues. Further rounds played if necessary under normal Bowls England rules. The draw for these events is done in January and the draw published in the County Information Book which is available from April (order via your County Competition Entry Form).
Dress for all rounds up to Finals is greys/club colours optional. Dress for Finals Day is Whites/club colours
Nationally the Club boasts several previous National Winners and Finalists as can be seen from the photographs in the Clubhouse.
3) National Competitions.
Ladies’ Team Competitions.
The Bowls England Ladies’ National Top Club
The Club has an entry every year in the National Top Club (sometimes called Top Ten). The format is a 4 wood Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours. The Club has a great record in this event - in five out of the last seven years we have progressed to the last 16 in the Country. Dress code is greys/club or white shirts.
Men’s Team Competitions.
The Bowls England Men’s Top Club.
The Top Club is played as a 2 Wood single, a 4 Wood single, a Pair, a Triple, and a Four.
The Bowls England Two Fours Competitions.
The Two Fours, as the name suggests, is two rinks of four players each. There are usually two entries in this competition.
Mixed Team Competition.
National Mixed Double Rink - The Tony Alcock Trophy.
This is a double rink competition with a team consisting of 4 men and 4 women. The club won this trophy in 2012, and again in 2017. so far, Bolton are the only club to have won this competition on more than one occasion. Many games are outside of the County area. This team is managed by the Lady Captain.
4) Bowls Lancashire County Teams.
Ladies’ County Teams.
The County may be small but we make up for our lack of numbers with loads of enthusiasm! All ladies are encouraged to nominate for selection. The County Manager select teams for the Bowls Lancashire County team.
The Stella Logan Trophy.
The Stella Logan Trophy is a Northern Counties event. It is played home and away on 6 rinks on Friday afternoon. Participating counties are Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland on fixed Fridays. Travel in greys. Dress for play is County shirts/jackets, whites/white shoes and county jackets/county fleeces. The County won the Stella Logan event in 2008 and 2017, have been runners up three times in the last 8 years. To qualify for a County Certificate (Badge) you must attain ten points with one point awarded for every ‘Stella Logan’ game you play in with ½ point if you travel as a reserve.
The Johns Trophy.
The John’s Trophy is the National Inter County competition. Due to travelling expense and the time involved the County made a decision not to enter this event in 2009. (Reviewed annually).
The Walker Cup.
The Walker Cup is played on a fixed weekend date. format is a Double Rink.
Men’s County Teams.
All club members are invited make themselves available for County Selection . Nominations formally close early May but if you join the Club after this date and miss the deadline approach the Men’s County Captain and let them know you wish to be considered. County Managers select teams for the Bowls Lancashire County teams.
Middleton Cup.
The Middleton Cup is the National Inter-County championship played over six rinks)
The County won the competition, in 1998 and made it to the quarter finals in 2013.
The Alsop Trophy.
The Alsop is the Northern Counties Second Team Rink Competition, with the same participating counties.
The Balcomb Trophy.
The County won the highly prized double Rink Balcomb Trophy in 2012 and lost in the semi final in 2014.
Finally:
All information, nomination sheets and team selections relating to Club and County matches are placed on the notice boards in the changing rooms. Please Check them regularly so you don’t miss out on anything! Dates are in the on-line Club Calendar and in the Club Hasndbook. Unfortunately it is not possible to contact players individually.
Graham Tomlinson is also the Competition Secretary for Bowls Lancashire so if there is anything more you need to know about any of these competitions please contact Graham. The County calendar is provisionally published at the Bowls Lancashire AGM and is formally ratified December/January.
