Please find below player profiles of our 16 qualifiers in the Shropshire Verti-Drain & Turf Services.
1. Roy Bradburn (Bowring)
Roy is a former winner of this event back in 2007, and also won the Over 60s Merit just last year. A former Donnington player but mainly on the other green, he moved to the Bowring to help them into the Premier League before joining his son Josh Bradburn at St Georges, before moving back to the Bowring this season.
2. Ellis Griffiths (Prince of Wales Hotel)
Ellis is perhaps the youngest ever qualifier for this at 14 years old, and aims to certainly become the youngest winner of this. He reached the final of the Under 18 Merit on this green earlier this season, and has won the Harold Kaye this year.
3. Rob Clarke (Horsehay)
Rob is a former winner of the Father & Son and made the move to play Premier League last season after making the move from Wrockwardine Wood after playing many many years there.
4. John Potter (Sinclair)
John is another former Donnington Wood player amongst his many many clubs, now at Sinclair after helping them win the league last season. A former Dixon and Driscoll winner and Trading Post Champion.
5. Gareth Jones (Horsehay)
Gareth is a former Highley League Merit runner up three times in the last four years. He has been a key player in the Horsehay side in the Mid Shropshire and Premier League.
6. Ayden Smith (Sinclair)
Ayden is a former runner up in this back in 2012 in one of the best finals we’ve ever seen at Sinclair. He is a former Dixon & Driscoll winner and signed for Sinclair this season from Sir John Bayley. A former player for Donnington on the other green when helping them to the league title.
7. Dan Williams (Sinclair)
Dan made the move permanently to Sinclair last season helping them win the league title. He has only this week won the St Georges 2 man team competition with his best mate Callum Wraight.
8. Pete Farmer (Sinclair)
Pete has won pretty much everything in Shropshire, including this one way back in 1990. He’s still as good as he is back then, having added multiple Shropshire Merit and Premier League Merits as well as many other local titles.
9. Harry Church (Sinclair)
Harry is our defending Champion, aiming to defend this like our previous winner did John Breeze. He is a former Dixon & Driscoll and Division One Averages winner, and led Sinclair to the Division One title last season.
10. Rob Steventon (Shifnal)
Rob has come back into bowls after rejoining Shifnal and helping them win the league in 2024. Before moving back there he played Premier League bowls with Bylet.
11. Steve Worthington (Sir John Bayley)
Steve is another former bowler at Donnington Wood, before having several years out but came back last season and hasn’t taken long to get back up to speed.
12. Paul Osborne (Trench)
Paul won the Division Two Averages in 2024 helping Trench back into Division One, a club where he has been for many many years, being one of their mainstays and key players in now establishing them as a Division One club.
13. Nick Mullinder (Bowring)
Nick is a former double Dixon & Driscoll Winner and also won the Under 15 Merit many many years ago. Grew up on the Charlton before making the move to Hadley USC and now at the Bowring.
14. Allan Smith (Newport)
Allan broke into the first team at Newport in the Premier League in 2022 and remained there when they withdrew, helping them win the Mid Shropshire League in 2023.
15. Lillo Farruggio (Sir John Bayley)
Lillo has gone back to his roots at the Bayley after joining Charlton pre-covid for a number of years. Now captains their B side in Division One and is one proud dad after his two sons reached the first ever Dennis Lewis Junior Open finals on Saturday.
16. Nathan Lacey (Shifnal)
This is Nathan’s first full season in the Mid Shropshire League after playing at Hanmer and Ifton in the Premier League and then at Wrockwardine Wood last season, before moving to Shifnal. Won the Sir John Bayley Mixed Doubles last season with his partner Emma Duncan.