It’s last chance saloon time for bowlers who want to attend the League’s presentation evening for its 2024 honours winners.

And there is a distinct chance that the annual dinner on Saturday 25^th January 2025 at the West Stand @ TUFC could be the last in the traditional format of a 3 course dinner as numbers continue to fall since the pandemic.

In fact, League officers are considering setting a minimum figure for the January function to go ahead if there is not sufficient interest by the December meeting – when numbers, menu choices and full payments are due.

“We know that it is a limited menu this time around, but that has been done to keep the cost of a place at £30,” said general secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

“And that cost is not just for the meal from the caterers – there are other factors like the hire of the room from the hotel, the cost of their staff, heating and lighting and also the DJ’s fee.

“So, all in all, with the price of drinks taken into account, we still feel the presentation is decent value for money – but obviously if numbers continue to drop, the officers are going to have to take a long hard look at where we go from here.”

All bowlers have to do to book a place in January is to contact their club secretaries and they will do the rest ahead of the December meeting on the 3^r.

ANNUAL PRESENTATION DINNER MENU – ON

SATURDAY 25th JANUARY 2025 – at The West Stand @ TUFC, enter car park off Haybridge Road, Wellington, doors open 5.30pm (6.30pm meal) until 12 midnight.

STARTERS – TOMATO & BASIL SOUP

Or ROSE OF MELON

MAINS –  CHICKEN WITH A MUSHROOM SAUCE (with roast potatoes & vegetables)

Or  SPINACH & MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

SWEETS – APPLE CRUMBLE & CUSTARD

Or  LEMON CHEESECAKE &CREAM

PLUS – COFFEE & MINTS

SPECIAL DRINKS PRICES:

WINE £15 a bottle ORDERED IN ADVANCE – red, white or rose – payable on collection.

Please note a bottle of wine will cost £25 on the night!

Carling, Worthington & Aspall all £4 a pint (pitchers £15)

Numbers will be FINALISED (accompanied by full payment and menu choices, plus any pre-ordered wine requirements) at the December meeting.

Three sets of rule change proposals will go before next month’s League meeting in need of seconding for them to be presented to the AGM on 28^th January.

The trio were put before delegates at the November executive and comprised proposals from member clubs, the officers and the latest complete revamp of the Competition Rules by Rob Burroughs.

General secretary Malcolm Fletcher reported: “Rules have been the focus of my attention since the October meeting, but I want to stress that the officer proposals are not aimed at any member club or bowler specifically – they are our responses to issues that are frequently raised with us.”

Officers are anxious not to introduce rules to withhold prize money if the winners don’t attend the annual presentation dinner – but they do have concerns that interest in the next function – on Saturday 25^th January at the West Stand @ TUFC – is now declining year on year . . .

So they want to stress that it is NOT TOO LATE to attend in January – all bowlers have to do is contact their club secretaries and they will do the rest ahead of the December meeting on the 3^rd. The cost of each place is £30 per person (see menu below)

With regards to the presentation, it looks like the League needs to deliver a new Saturday Division winners trophy as the original, which was last presented in 2019, can’t be found!

Delegates agreed at the latest meeting that honoraria should rise by 2.6% in line with the CPI for September.

ANNUAL PRESENTATION DINNER MENU

STARTERS – TOMATO & BASIL SOUP

Or ROSE OF MELON

MAINS –  CHICKEN WITH A MUSHROOM SAUCE (with roast potatoes & vegetables)

Or  SPINACH & MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

SWEETS – APPLE CRUMBLE & CUSTARD

Or  LEMON CHEESECAKE &CREAM

PLUS – COFFEE & MINTS

SPECIAL DRINKS PRICES:

WINE £15 a bottle ORDERED IN ADVANCE – red, white or rose – payable on collection.

Please note a bottle of wine will cost £25 on the night!

Carling, Worthington & Aspall all £4 a pint (pitchers £15)

Numbers will be FINALISED (accompanied by full payment and menu choices, plus any pre-ordered wine requirements) at the December meeting.

Ther presentation is on SATURDAY 25th JANUARY 2025 – at The West Stand @ TUFC, enter car park off Haybridge Road, Wellington, doors open 5.30pm (6.30pm meal) until 12 midnight.

Winter league bowling arrives in Mid Shropshire land tomorrow – Monday 4^th November – with the host club wished the best of luck with the new project.

An impressive 18 teams will launch the first ever Allscott Heath Winter League campaign.

The 4-a-side action starts on the club’s artificial green at 7pm with Bylet taking on Shifnal and Wrockwardine Wood tackling Monkmoor on opening night.

The line-up includes five teams from the host club and the league will operate using the Dennis Lewis Thursday Division points scoring system.

“Having moved to our new facilities that include the all-weather green, we want to take advantage of the surface and offer the opportunity for bowlers to play throughout the winter in Mid Shropshire,” said Allscott Heath bowls club chairman Chris Hayward.

Other first week fixtures are:

Tuesday 5^th: Edgmond vs Atcham & The Gutter Gang (AKA Broseley) vs Allscott Executioners

Wednesday 6^th: Allscott Avengers vs Donnington Wood & Bowring vs Unison

Thursday 7^th: Allscott Dynamos vs Allscott Buccaneers & Telepost vs Trench

Friday 8^th: Allscott Crusaders vs Horsehay

There are NO fireworks planned for the November executive meeting – because it has been brought forward 24 hours to Monday the 4^th to avoid clashing with Bonfire Night!

The full agenda is below and clubs will be circulated with all the rule change proposals received before the 31^st October deadline ahead of the meeting.

And prior to the executive meeting is the time bowlers need to contact their club secretaries if they want to attend the League’s annual presentation dinner on Saturday 25^th January at the West Stand @ TUFC.

The cost of each place is £30 per person – and League officers are eager to stress this cost is NOT just for the 3 course meal on the night.

Other factors – on top of the caterers – that must be taken into account are the hire of the room from the hotel, the cost of their staff, heating and lighting, and also the DJ’s fee.

Notice for the November 2024 Executive Committee Meeting

To be held on Monday 4^th November at Sir John Bayley Club at 7.30pm – all to sign in

AGENDA

1  Chairman’s remarks to open the meeting

2 (a) Apologies

  (b) In Memoria

3  Minutes of the October Executive Committee Meeting

4  Matters arising

5  General Secretary’s report

6  Correspondence

7  Treasurer’s report – honoraria proposal, using September CPI for guidance

8  Competition Secretary’s report  – see documents sent with agenda

9  Fixture Secretary’s report

10 Rule change proposals for 2025 – will be circulated in full after 31st October deadline

11 County matters – report of county executive meeting on 21st October

12 Presentation Dinner – Saturday 25^th January 2025 at the West Stand & TUC (5.30pm)

     Confirmation of guests to be invited

13 Any Other Business

14 President / chairman to close the meeting

PLEASE NOTE

Any Club failing to send a representative to an Executive Meeting shall be fined £5.

The deadline for submission of rule change proposals is 31^st October. They need to come from club secretaries and be in the precise wording that can be put to the November meeting to try and find a seconder and then onto the 2025 AGM. A proposal has already been received from Sinclair.

As indicated at the last League meeting, the date of the November executive meeting has been brought forward 24 hours to Monday the 4th to avoid clashing with Bonfire Night. It will be held at the Sir John Bayley Club, starting at 7.30pm.

This November meeting is vital to progressing plans for the annual presentation dinner on Saturday 25^th January 2025 at the West Stand @ TUFC – and people eager to attend need to see a previous post as to how to go about booking a place at it !

The League’s officers meet recently and discussed a wide range of subjects, including possible new rules, and ideas and new competitions for 2025.

All will be revealed on Monday 4th November . . .

It’s time to book YOUR place at the League’s annual presentation dinner on Saturday 25^th January 2025 at the West Stand @ TUFC.

All you need to do is contact your club secretary before the November executive meeting – on new date of Monday the 4^th at SJBC –  and they will relay the booking to function organisers Malcolm & Margaret Fletcher.

The cost of each place is £30 per person – and League officers are eager to stress this cost is NOT just for the 3 course meal on the night.

Other factors – on top of the caterers – that must be taken into account are the hire of the room from the hotel, the cost of their staff, heating and lighting, and also the DJ’s fee.

And as everyone gets the same portions, the cost has been standardised. A traditional 3 course meal was voted for by delegates at the October meeting so that is what the League will deliver!

Here’s what you need to know:

SATURDAY 25th JANUARY 2025 – at The West Stand @ TUFC, enter car park off Haybridge Road, Wellington, doors open 5.30pm (6.30pm meal) until 12 midnight.

MENU

STARTERS – TOMATO & BASIL SOUP

Or ROSE OF MELON

MAINS –  CHICKEN WITH A MUSHROOM SAUCE (with roast potatoes & vegetables)

Or  SPINACH & MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

SWEETS – APPLE CRUMBLE & CUSTARD

Or  LEMON CHEESECAKE &CREAM

PLUS – COFFEE & MINTS

SPECIAL DRINKS PRICES:

WINE £15 a bottle ORDERED IN ADVANCE – red, white or rose – payable on collection. A bottle of wine will cost £25 on the night!

Carling, Worthington & Aspall all £4 a pint (pitchers £15)

Numbers will be FINALISED (accompanied by full payment and menu choices, plus any pre-ordered wine requirements) at the December meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL car registrations MUST be entered on the ipad at the top of the stairs on the night of the function. Failure to do this WILL result in a parking FINE.

The tributes have flowed in the week since the new Life Members for 2024 were inducted at the League’s October executive committee meeting.

And that’s not surprising given the standing of the 3 men in the spotlight that night – former MSBL competition secretary Phil King, Sinclair’s hugely popular stalwart Peter Spragg and the legend of Shropshire bowls that is Brian Shore.

They are pictured after receiving their deserved awards at the Sir John Bayley Club – and the full citations will be available to see under the Honours Board section of this site.

All square at 3-3 – that’s the score in the annual challenge match for the Dave Ellis Shield after the Ladies pulled off a narrow triumph at Edgmond in the 2024 contest.

They retained the trophy after beating the Gents by seven shots in the 17-a-side clash played on Wednesday 2^nd October – and are pictured celebrating with it

The Ladies made a superb start with Sharon Duncan winning 21-5, but a pair of 21-6 cards frm Anthony Aldridge and John Lea put the Gents in front.

But the tide began to turn decisively with a 21-7 win from Karen Herriman at No. 9, which her Bowring clubmates Ann Rawlins and Abi Helliwell added to with 21-7 successes.

It meant a good win by former League fixture secretary Stuart Duncan of 21-9 in possibly his last ever game of bowls before moving to live in Spain went to waste.

The Gents ended with 9 winners to 8 by the Ladies, but the totals went against them 287-280, meaning that the Ladies repeated their triumph of last year at Trench to draw level in the overall score.

An under pressure League officer said: “This result has taken some coming to terms with as the unofficial captain of the Gents team – and I am now considering practice sessions all next season so I don’t have go through this nightmare again!”

Congratulations to Shifnal A, Trench A and Newport C for finishing top of the pile in divisions 1-2-3 respectively on Fridays.

First time champions Shifnal (pictured after their 9-4 home win over Hadley USC on the final night – but with the new Harris Shield!) will now play double champions Woore on Wednesday 2^nd October for the right to take on Horsehay in the Premier league play-off final 2 nights later.

Sadly, the pre play-off game means 2 Shifnal bowlers have had to withdraw from the League’s annual ladies versus gents challenge match for the Dave Ellis Shield at Edgmond on Wednesday (6.30pm start).

But before then, club delegates have some key decisions to make at the League’s October executive meeting on Tuesday the 1^st on  prize money to be paid to this season’s honours winners and the plan for the presentation dinner in January.

In addition, the representative from Allscott Heath is set to give an update on the club’s launch of a winter league on its new all-weather green on Monday, November 4, with eight clubs having already registered an interest in the four-a-side competition.

And the evening will end with the formal honouring of 3 new Mid Shropshire Life Members – Brian Shore, Phil King and Peter Spragg.

October 2024 Executive Committee Meeting

To be held on Tuesday 1^st October at Sir John Bayley Club at 7.30pm

AGENDA

1  Chairman’s remarks to open the meeting

2 (a) Apologies

  (b) In Memoria –including John Lovett and Roy Crofts

3  Minutes of the July Executive Committee Meeting

4  Matters arising

5  General Secretary’s report

6  Correspondence

7  Treasurer’s report –prize money proposals for divisions & comps

8  Competition Secretary’s report

9  Fixture Secretary’s report

10 Early ideas for 2025 – possible rules changes & new comps

11 Presentation Dinner – Saturday 25^th January 2025 at the West Stand & TUC (5.30pm)

     * Decision needed on menu choice to determine cost per head

12 County matters – including inter-league update (exec meets 14^th Oct)

13 Any Other Business

14 President / chairman to close the meeting

The heavy rain may have done its best to wreck the scheduled last night of the Dennis Lewis Thursday Division, but all seems set fair for a thrilling end to the Friday divisions compaign tonight.

Shifnal A go into into their home match against former title hopefuls Hadley USC knowing they need just seven points to guarantee being first division champions for the first time. Long time leaders Sinclair A, eight points behind, await any slips as they go to Donnington Wood A.

In division two, Trench A are home and dry in top spot but they entertain a Horsehay A team tonight that are in second place, two points ahead of Bridgnorth A – who entertain lowly Shifnal B – in the race for promotion to the top fight.

Newport C have dominated the third division but there’s been a brilliant battle for runners-up spot with Bowring (178 points) away to lowly Hadley USC B tonight while Albrighton A (177) entertain mid-table Bridgnorth B.

Looks like being a cracking last night . . .

DUE TO THE NUMBER OF POSTPONEMENTS THIS WEEK DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN, THE LEAGUE’S OFFICERS ARE DISCUSSING A POSSIBLE EXTENSION TO THE SEASON TO GET ALL GAMES PLAYED