Year: 2017

Welcome to the Hesketh Arms Bowling Club Season Review 2017. The Club has enjoyed another successful season with several of our league teams achieving honours in their respective divisions and cup competitions.
The Officers and Committee would like to thank all the members for their continued support.
LV LEAGUE
In the Premier Division of the Southport LV League, the Eagles had yet another excellent season, again finishing as runners-up, this year just three points behind the champions, Scarisbrick NSC ‘A’.
The team will now be looking to go one better in 2018.
Premier Division                  Pts
1. Scarisbrick NSC ‘A’          242
2. HeskethEagles                   239
3. Mere Brow                            237
4. Fleetwood Hesk. ‘C’           206
5. Scarisbrick B.C. ‘A’               173
6. Ainsdale ‘A’                         166
7. London Tigers                       156
8. Zetland ‘B’                          143
9. Victoria Park                         137
10. Zetland ‘D’                         120
11. Sandbrook Park               84
Eagles Merit Winner :
Fergal Wright – 17 wins
Congratulations to the Falcons on winning the 1st Division title under new captain Jeff Brown. They will now be promoted to the Premier Division for the 2018 season.
The Harriers finished in 7th place, under the captaincy of Joe Parker.
1st Division                        Pts
1. Hesketh Falcons       193
2. Crowlands             183
3. London Lions              179
4. Zetland ‘A’                  168
5. Fleetwood Hesk.’B’      167
6. Scarisbrick B.C. ‘C’    159
7. Hesketh Harriers     155
8. Tarleton                    137
9. Ainsdale ‘B’                130
10 Scarisbrick NSC ‘B’ 95

Falcons Merit Winner :
Dave Bedford – 14wins
Harriers Merit Winner :
Peter Croston– 14wins

BURSCOUGH LEAGUE
The Club was pleased to enter a second team into the Burscough League for the 2017 season.
The Ospreys continued under new captain Mark Rowlinson, who once again took the team’s merit award with eight wins.
The new Vultures team, captained by Chris Harding, dominated the 3rd Division, winning all fourteen league games to claim the title and promotion to the 2nd Division.
3rd DIVISION                 Pts
1. Hesketh Vultures         123
2. Hoole Village Hall ‘B’  88
3. Burscough RBL ‘B’      79
4. Mere Brow                   79
5. Mawdesley ‘B’              75
6. Botanic Gardens ‘B’   62
7. Hesketh Ospreys         52
8 Crossens ‘B’                 23

Vultures Merit Winner :
KezAdams : 11 wins

Ospreys Merit Winner :
Mark Rowlinson : 8 wins

AUGHTON LEAGUE
The Club continued to run two teams in this men’s Wednesday afternoon league and they were once again captained by Richard Rawcliffe and George Hitchmough.

Having achieved promotion from the 2nd Division as 2016 champions, the Kestrels were competing in the strong 1st Division for the 2017 season and wins proved hard to come by. Despite some good results towards the end of the campaign, the team finished in 8th position. Next season the team will be looking to bounce back to the top division at the first attempt.

After finishing in 3rd place in Division 3 last season, it was predicted that the Hawks would make a strong challenge for promotion and this proved to be the case as they won the division by a clear 14 points from neighbours Crossens in 2nd place. Well done to captain George Hitchmough and all his team.
Congratulations to the team merit winners for our Wednesday afternoon teams, Jim Halsall for the Kestrels and Bill Bloor for the Hawks.
FINAL TABLES
1st Division              Pts
1. Zetland                116
2. Mere Brow ‘A’      108
3. Hurlston Hall         94
4. Burscough CC            88
5. Aughton Town Green 71
6. Freshfield                  70
7. Victoria Park ‘A’           67
8. Hesketh Kestrels              59
Merit Winner : Jim Halsall , 7 wins

3rd Division
1. Hesketh Hawks           133
2. Crossens                           119
3. Sandbrook Park           116
4. Kensington House           109
5. Ormskirk Park                   93
6. Cockbeck Seniors              93
7. Victoria Park ‘B’                  83
8. Tin Tab Seniors                 75
9. Lydiate Vets                         61
Merit Winner : Bill Bloor , 13wins

SOUTHPORT PARKS LEAGUE
The Kites continued to compete in the 1st Division of the Southport Parks League in 2017. Under new captain, John Unsworth, the team was in contention for promotion until the last game season but in the end had to settle for 3rd place. Hopefully, the foundations have been laid for a serious promotion bid in 2018.
The battle for the team merit award also went down to the wire with both Wayne Graham and Jim Doherty winning an impressive fifteen games. However, Wayne’s slightly better aggregate of +109, compared to Jim’s +102 was enough to earn him the Kites’ Merit award for 2017.
1st Division                    Pts
1. Zetland‘A’                178
2. Zetland ‘C’                161
3. Hesketh Kites               147
4. Victoria Park ‘A’            135
5. Tarleton                    131
6. Crowlands                    119
7. Holmeswood ‘B’            109
8. Ainsdale ‘B’                  102
9 Scarisbrick B.C. ‘B’              99
10. Sandbrook Park ‘A’          87
11. Botanic ‘B’            84
Kites Merit Winner :
Wayne Graham, 15 wins

SOUTHPORT AND DISTRICT MEN’S VETERANS LEAGUE
Following a successful 2016 season, which saw the Merlins gain promotion to the 2nd Division of the Southport Men’s Veterans’ League, the Club was pleased to enter a second team into this Monday afternoon league due to the number of members wishing to play.

The new team, named the Hobbies, was ably captained by Roger Van Beever and it is pleasing note, included several players new to league bowling, along with one or two more experienced campaigners. The Hobbies enjoyed a fantastic season, winning sixteen out of their 22 league games to take the 2nd Division Championship by six points from 2nd placed Sandbrook Park. In addition, the team won the Joe Bond Trophy to achieve the league and cup double.
The Merlins, captained again by George Hitchmough, also performed well in the 2nd Division, winning 13 games to finish in 4th place. This is a great effort in their first season at a higher level.

Our two Vets teams can now look forward to their ‘derby’ games in 2018!

2nd Division                                    Pts
1. Formby Park ‘A’                     180
2. Formby Holy Trinity ‘A’           180
3. Botanic ‘A’                                   165
4. Hesketh Merlins                        155
5. London Sphynx                          146
6. Hesketh Bank                                142
7. Northern                                   140
8. Crossens                                      134
9.= Scarisbrick B.C. ‘A’                      116
9.= Fleetwood Hesketh ‘B’              116
11. Our Lady’s ‘A’                              109
12. Victoria Park ‘B’                          48
Merlins Merit Winner:-Bill Bloor : 20 wins

3rd Division                                           Pts
1. Hesketh Hobbies                             170
2. Sandbrook Park                                  164
3. Hoole Village Hall ‘B’                        160
4. Ainsdale ‘B’                                          149
5. Scarisbrick NSC ‘B’                                146
6. Botanic ‘B’                                         146
7. Formby S & S                                      138
8. Formby Holy Trinity ‘B’                       132
9. Freshfield ‘B’                                         118
10. Formby Park ‘B’                                  103
11. Scarisbrick B.C. ‘B’                                103
12. Our Lady’s ‘B’                                       95
Hobbies Merit Winner :Jeff Brown : 16 wins

MAGHULL BOWLING LEAGUE
In 2016 our team in the Maghull League finished 3rd, just six points short of a promotion place and enjoyed another good season in 2017.
Captained again by Sue Davies, the team finished just five points behind of 2nd placed Meadows 1, this time finishing 4th. It is surely only a matter of time before this team gains promotion to the 3rd Division.
The team merit was closely fought with Jeff Brown and Pat McArthur winning 11 games, but the winner, with 12 wins out of 14 played, was Jim Halsall.

4th DIVISION
1. Crossens                         133
2. Meadows 1                    126
3. Brooke Hotel 2                  122
4. Hesketh Arms                       121
5. Ormskirk BC                           108
6. Legion Burscough 2               84
7. Formby Park 2                          81
8. Northern 2                              65
9. Our Lady’s 2                            51
Merit Winner :- Jim Halsall, 12 wins

CLUB COMPETITIONS
The Committee has again organised a programme of club competitions during the 2017 season. These have been well-supported and proved to be very enjoyable afternoons.

The successful competitors were :-
Winner(s)                           Runner(s)-Up
Rose Bowl               Fergal Wright                 Brian Sutton
Rose Bowl Plate      Peter Smith               Janice Hobson
Spring Pairs                 Alex Rimmer /              Wayne Graham /
Fergal Wright                      Phil Richards
Spring Pairs Plate      Jim Halsall /                            Chris Harding /
Pat Jones                                 John McCabe
Coronation Cup               Tony Wakefield             John Unsworth
Diamond Jubilee Plate Richard Rawcliffe              Derek Wignall
Vice-Presidents Trophy Margaret James /                 John Hughes /
Ray Sutton                              Pat McArthur
Vice-Presidents Plate    Kez Adams /                                    Bill Bloor /
Steve Lomas                                   Alan Bond
President’s Cup                  Alex Rimmer                      Brian Jones
President’s Day Plate              Bill Bloor                    Sue Davies
Chairman’s Shield                    Bill Bloor /                      Brian Jones /
Jason Chapman             Pat McArthur
Chairman’s Plate                    Mike Dunlop /                   Brian Sutton /
John McCabe                     Laurie Townson
Championship Cup                     Ken Rimmer                   George Hitchmough

OTHER EVENTS
FRIENDLY V. EMMANUEL B.C.
In August, we welcomed a team from Emmanuel Bowling Club for the third annual friendly fixture. The Challenge Shield was retained by the Hesketh Arms team, the winning margin being 9-4.

BERNARD O’MALLEY
HONOUARY VICE-PRESIDENT’S TROPHY – JUNIOR OPEN SINGLES
This event was staged for the third time at the beginning of September and was won by Kyle Dawes, who defeated Matty Greenwood from Mere Brow 21-18 in a high quality final

MEMBERSHIP
It is pleasing to report that the Club continues to attract interest from new and experienced bowlers alike, with our membership currently standing at 149. This is made up of :-
Full Members – 80
Social Members – 67
Junior Members – 2
New members are still welcome to join for the 2018 season. Please refer anyone interested to an Officer of the Club.

HESKETH ARMS NEWS UPDATE – AUTUMN 2017

BURSCOUGH LEAGUE – VULTURES WIN KNOCKOUT TROPHY

Congratulations to the Vultures, who have won the Burscough League Knockout Trophy, defeating Division 1 Champions Burscough RBL ‘A’ by 15 chalks at Tarleton Bowling Club.

To win the Knockout Trophy, they also overcame the teams finishing 2^nd and 3^rd in the top division, Banks St.Stephen’s and Bretherton and it rounds off a tremendous first season for the team, captained by Chris Harding. The success completed an unprecedented treble for the Vultures, as they had previously won the 3^rd Division Championship with a 100% winning record, along with the 3^rd Division Cup.

CHAMPIONSHIP CUP

The Championship Cup, which was interrupted by torrential rain in August, was completed on the final weekend of the season. The winner was Ken Rimmer, who defeated George Hitchmough in the final. The losing semi-finalists were Sue Davies and Kevin McCormack. This is Ken’s first singles win at the Hesketh, having previously won the Spring Pairs.

WINTER BOWLING

Although the Hesketh Arms green is now closed to allow for maintenance work to take place, we have been informed that there will be winter bowling available at Botanic Gardens B.C.

Work is currently being carried out on the “winter” green but it will re-open on Monday 6^th November. Non-members will be able to play on the green on payment of a £10 fee, which will cover the period from 6^th November 2017 to 31^st March 2018. A member of Botanic Gardens B.C. will be present at the green on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 11.30am and 2.30pm (commencing Tuesday 7^th November) and the fee can be paid at these times.

From Saturday 11^th November, a weekly Round Robin will be organised (start time 11.00am). There will be an entry fee of £2.00 to play and this will include tea / coffee and biscuits.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Saturday 20^th January 2018 – Awards & Social Evening (further details will be available soon)

Saturday 2^nd June 2018 – Race Night (further details will be available in the New Year)

GREEN CLOSURE
Please note that the green will be closed from Monday 2nd October in order that the essential end-of-season maintenance work can be carried out.
MIDWEEK ROUND ROBINS
The Officers and Committee of the Club would like to thank Peter and Lynne Smith for all the work they have undertaken this season in running the Tuesday and Friday Round Robins.
Peter and Lynne have asked that a special mention must also go to those members who have provided help at the round robins with tasks such as putting out chairs, making tea and washing up. This is greatly appreciated.
As well as providing our members with regular social bowling, the round robins bring in additional revenue for the Club, with over £400 having been raised so far this season. We would also like to thank those players who have donated their winnings from the round robins which has helped to boost this total.
LEAGUE TEAMS – A SUCCESSFUL SEASON
It is pleasing to report that the Club’s league teams have enjoyed a successful season. The following league and cup successes have been achieved by our teams. Congratulations to all those involved.
Eagles – Southport LV League Premier Division Runners-Up
Falcons – Southport LV League 1st Division Champions
Vultures – Burscough League 3rd Division Champions and Divisonal Cup winners
Hawks – Aughton League 3rd Division Champions and Divisional Cup winners
Hobbies – Southport Vets League 3rd Division Champions and Joe Bond Trophy winners
Maghull – Maghull League 4th Divison Cup runners-up

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION
The Southport team competed in the Federation Knockout Cup for the first time, which was held at various greens in the Huddersfield area at the beginning of September.
The first round saw the team overcome Cheshire Parks on aggregate, with Mike Milne and Fergal Wright both winning their games. This took the team into the quarter-finals, where they faced tough opposition in the form of 1st Division Champions Barnsley. Despite some good performances, Barnsley won this game 7-1 and they went on to finish runners-up to hosts Colne Valley in the final.
CHURCHTOWN CONSERVATIVE CLUB
At the beginning of September, the Churchtown Conservative Club used the Hesketh Arms green to hold their annual competition, playing for the B.J.P.O’Malley President’s Trophy.
Congratulations to Chris Harding and John McCabe who claimed the title with a 21-10 win in the final against Terry Corfield and Alex Rimmer

Congratulations to Hesketh Hawks on winning the Aughton League 3^rd Division cup for the second year in a row.

The Hawks beat Sandbrook Park 7:3

7 good wins but the performance of the day was by Laurie Townson, winning 21:20 from being 20:11 down

The team completed the double having already won the league.

JUNIOR OPEN SINGLES 2017

Saturday 2nd September saw the third staging of the Bernard O’Malley Vice-President’s Trophy which is an open competition for bowlers aged 18 and under.

This year, a change in format meant that the early stages were run as a round robin to ensure that all the players got a full afternoon of bowling. The top four then qualified for the semi-finals and these were Kyle Dawes and Fergal Wright from the host club, Matty Greenwood (Mere Brow) and Harvey Stansfield from Singleton Bowling Club. All four semi-finalists are junior county bowlers which ensured an extremely high standard of play.

The first semi-final saw the two Hesketh Arms players playing each other, in a repeat of last year’s final but on this occasion it was Kyle who gained revenge by winning on a last end decider to go through 21-20. His opponent in the final was Matty Greenwood from Mere Brow, who had recovered from 9-2 down to win 21-15 against Harvey Stansfield, the scores having been level at 15-15. The final was another high quality encounter which could have gone either way but it Kyle Dawes who deservedly took the title with a narrow 21-18 victory.

Many thanks to the Committee of the Hesketh Arms Bowling Club for allowing us to run this event, which is held in the name of our Honorary Vice-President, Bernard O’Malley, who has provided greatly appreciated support to our Club over a number of years.

A special mention must be made of Graham Pickavance, our referee for the day, who once again gave his time freely to ensure that the competition ran smoothly. Thanks also to those who came down to watch the bowling and helped out with marking and measuring and lastly to the bowlers who took part and provided a memorable and entertaining tournament.

 

HESKETH ARMS NEWS UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2017
BURSCOUGH LEAGUE
Congratulations to the Vultures, who won the Burscough League’s 3rd Division Cup, with a 6-2 win in the final at Fleetwood Hesketh against Botanic ‘B’.

AUGHTON LEAGUE
Congratulations to the Hesketh Hawks, captained by George Hitchmough, on winning the 3rd Division of the Aughton Men’s Senior Citizens League, finishing a clear 14 points ahead of 2nd placed Crossens.

MAGHULL LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP
Commiserations to our mixed Monday night team on losing in the Maghull League’s 4th Division Cup final. Despite wins by Jeff Brown (21-10) and Bill Nowell (21-18), the team were defeated by neighbours Crossens at the Northern Club. Well done to Sue Davies and all the team on reaching the final and having enjoyed a successful league season, finishing in at least 3rd place in their division.

FRIENDLY V. EMMANUEL BOWLING CLUB
The third annual friendly match with our friends from Emmanuel Bowling Club took place in August and resulted in a 9-4 win for the Hesketh Arms team, thus retaining the Challenge Shield we won last year.
Thanks are due to Alan and Jill Lloyd for allowing us to use the Churchtown Conservative Club for the post-match hospitality and for their help in providing the pie and peas.
We look forward to the re-match next year for what has become an enjoyable addition to the Club’s busy calendar of bowling.

CHURCHTOWN CONSERVATIVE CLUB – PRESIDENT’S TROPHY
On Sunday 3rd September, we will again be hosting the Churchtown Conservative Club’s B.J.P.O’Malley President’s Trophy. Any of our bowlers who are also members of the Conservative Club are eligible to take part in this random pairs competition which will start at 1.00pm.

CLUB COMPETITIONS 2017
Many thanks to all those members who have supported the club’s internal competitions during the 2017 season. We have again enjoyed increased participation, with the number of entrants for the seven events totalling 227, an increase of 14 on the 2016 figure.
If any member has any comments regarding the Club’s programme of competitions or any ideas for additional events, feedback is always welcome and can be emailed to hesketharms21@yahoo.co.uk or secretary@hesketharmsbowlingclub.co.uk

GREEN BOOKINGS
Please note that the green will be unavailable to members on the following dates :-
Saturday 2nd September – all day – Junior Open competition
Sunday 3rd September – PM – Conservative Club competition
Thursday 7th September – 5.30pm onwards – Parks League KO Cup match
Thursday 21st September – all day – private booking
The Committee apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Congratulations to our Hobbies team who have won the 3rd Division Cup in the Southport Vets League.

CHAIRMAN’S SHIELD 2017

The Chairman’s Shield took place on Sunday and attracted sixteen pairs. The top half of the draw saw Brian Jones and Pat McArthur reach the final with wins against Deanne Moss and Ray Sutton (21-17), Jim Halsall and Mavis Thompson (21-15) and Janice Hobson and Ken Rimmer (21-14).

Their opponents in the final were Bill Bloor and Jason Chapman, who had enjoyed wins against Barry McArthur and Richard Rawcliffe (21-7), Chris Harding and Eileen Rawcliffe (21-20) and in the semi-final, Mike Milne and Noel Morgans (21-14).

The final was a closely fought battle, with Bill and Jason the pair to gain the advantage with a 15-11 lead after ten ends. Brian and Pat are both former winners of pairs titles at the Hesketh Arms, however, and re-gained the lead with a single and a four to lead 16-15. A three for Bill and Jason though proved decisive as they took an 18-16 lead and scored a further three chalks in the next two ends to win the final 21-16. Congratulations to Bill Bloor on winning his first Hesketh club event and to Jason on a second success, having won the Vice-Presidents Pairs with Fergal Wright in 2015.

The Plate competition was won by Mike Dunlop and John McCabe, with a win against Brian Sutton and Laurie Townson in the final.

Mike

HESKETH ARMS NEWS UPDATE – AUGUST 2017

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Sunday 6^th August – Championship Cup (Singles Handicap, 12 noon start)

Saturday 12^th August – Friendly v Emmanuel Bowling Club (see below for details)

Saturday 19^th August – Chairman’s Shield (Pairs to be drawn on the day, 12 noon start)

FRIENDLY V. EMMANUEL B.C.

A friendly match against Emmanuel Bowling Club will take place on Saturday 12^th August at the Hesketh Arms green, with refreshments at the Churchtown Conservative Club at the end of the game. The match will start at 1.00pm and anyone interested in taking part should contact Mike Milne (07752352065 / michaelmilne66@outlook.com) or add their name to the list which is available at the bowling club.

SOUTHPORT FEDERATION

The Southport Federation team completed their 2017 National League fixtures with the July match being against neighbouring Preston.

The home leg took place at Ainsdale Bowling Club and resulted in a 7-5 win. Among the winners for the home side were Mark Wilde and Fergal Wright, who won 21-10 and 21-19 respectively.

The away leg was held on the tricky Lostock Hall Conservative Club green and the Southport team were beaten 9-3. Alistair and Kez Adams, Chris Harding, Mike Milne and Jon Roberts from the Hesketh Arms were all selected to represent Southport at Lostock Hall.

The Southport team has enjoyed a much-improved season, winning all four home games and two overall aggregates. They now await the results of the last round of fixtures in August which will determine the final league placings.

LV INDIVIDUALS

Congratulations to Fergal Wright on winning the LV League’s Individual event, held at Fleetwood Hesketh on the 11^th July. On a great night for Hesketh Eagles players, Fergal narrowly defeated Ray Atkinson in the final. Ray had previously overcome John Hughes at the semi-final stage. Nearly 100 players took part in this prestigious event and to have three of our members in the semi-finals was an impressive achievement.

LV PAIRS

The Hesketh Arms was again strongly represented at the finals night of the LV Pairs competition. Mark Wilde, partnering John Greenwood from Mere Brow, overcame Chris Harding and Mike Milne 21-14 in the final to claim the title. Well done to all the Hesketh Arms players who qualified for the last sixteen of this event.

BURSCOUGH LEAGUE

Congratulations to our new Burscough League team, the Hesketh Vultures, on winning the 3^rdDivision championship. Captained by Chris Harding, they have enjoyed an outstanding season, winning all 14 of their league games. This team has attracted several new members to the club and it has been good to see them taking part in the Club’s weekend competitions.

GREEN BOOKING

Please note that the green will unavailable for members on the following date due to a private booking :-

Sunday 13^th August – 11.00am – 5.00pm (approx.)

HESKETH ARMS BOWLING CLUB
President’s Day 2017
Sunday saw the Club hold it’s 5th annual President’s Day when 29 members competed for the President’s Cup. Sadly, John Stennett, our 2017 President recently passed away but this year’s President’s Day was held as a tribute to John, who had done so much for the Club, much of it behind the scenes. It was pleasing that Sheila Stennett was able to attend to draw the raffle and mark cards. We feel sure that John would be pleased to see the Club continue to be go from strength to strength as he had been instrumental in helping the Club to progress over the last ten years.
The competition itself saw some excellent bowling with Alex Rimmer continuing the form that saw him win the Spring Pairs earlier in the season. He overcame John Catherall (21-6), Peter Smith (21-17) and Richard Rawcliffe (21-16) to reach the semi-final, where his opponent was one of the tournament favourites, Mark Wilde. Mark had beaten fellow Eagle, Mark Rowlinson in the last eight but wasn’t able to overcome Alex, who progressed to the final with a 21-12 win.
In the final, Alex faced two time Coronation Cup winner, Brian Jones. Brian had won three close games to reach the final, his opponents being Jason Chapman (21-17), Chris Harding (21-16) and Dave Bedford (21-16). It was Alex who started off strongly in the final, however, counting four 2s in the first seven ends to establish a 12-5 lead. This lead proved decisive as Brian was unable to significantly close the gap as Alex ran out a 21-11 winner. Congratulations to Alex Rimmer on winning his first Hesketh Arms singles title, having previously been runner-up in this event in 2013.

The plate competition for first round losers was won by Bill Bloor, who defeated Sue Davies 15-9 in the final.

Many thanks to George Hitchmough and his helpers for organising the refreshments and a raffle and to all those who donated cakes and raffle prizes. The sale of refreshments and the raffle resulted in net proceeds of £212.68, which included a donation left to us by John Stennett. Finally, a big thank you to Sheila Stennett for supporting the day in memory of John, who was such a loyal supporter of crown green bowls in Churchtown and is sadly missed by all his bowling friends.