No Mid Shropshire game tonight and missing your bowls fix? Well come and have a game tomorrow – Saturday 4th June – at the League’s 90th Anniversary celebration.

Founder member club St Georges is the place to be with the MSBL @ 90 Singles featuring representatives of 32 present and past clubs starting at 10.30am on the original bottom green.

But from 1pm there will be a fun challenge match with ANYONE with a Mid Shropshire connection invited to play in it. The game will be on the top green with a Royal Exchange team captained by Alison Cotton taking on the Duke of York with Paul Beer as skipper.

Bowlers who want a game just need to report during the afternoon and they WILL get a game – against a bowler of a similar ability.

The team names remember the first and third champions of the League in 1933 and 1935 and are clubs that are no longer with us.

Food and drink will be available all day, the bar will be open and the aim is for both competitions to finish at teatime – and then there’s the chance to see the popular music duo James Brothers perform in the function room at the Sports & Social Club that evening for just £5 per head.

All that’s needed is some decent weather and a good turnout to wish the League a happy 90^th birthday!

Two days and counting to the League’s 90^th Anniversary celebration day at St Georges on Saturday and it’s time to announce the team names for the fun challenge match that will start at 1pm on the top green.

The League was established 90 years ago in 1932 but the first champions weren’t crowned until a year later, with Royal Exchange of Dawley taking the historic title. Two years later, in 1935, another club and green long consigned to the history books – Duke of York in Trench – finished top of the pile    

Both will be remembered in Saturday’s special match as a Royal Exchange Select team, captained by Alison Cotton and Sue Humphries, takes on a Duke of York Select, skippered by Paul Beer and Mike Humphries.

Everyone with any connection to the League is urged to attend – and anyone who wants to play in this challenge match WILL get a game against someone of a similar ability . . . they just have to turn up on the day!

The celebration will start at 10.30am with the MSBL @ 90 Singles knockout on the club’s original bottom green , a late change to the 32-strong line-up seeing John Pritchard coming in as the new Bridgnorth nomination.

Admission is free, hot food and drink will be available all day but, sadly, the Queen will not be attending during her Platinum Jubilee weekend!

With just three days to go, it’s time for the big reveal of the finaised line-up for the MSBL @ 90 Singles on Saturday at St Georges.

The competition is the centrepiece of the League’s 90^th Anniversary celebration and will be played on the bottom green starting at 10.30am with Phil King at the reins.

It features representatives of 32 present and past clubs and – fittingly – £90 in prize money will be divided between the last four, with two trophies that are nearly as old as the League to go to the finalists.

The clubs and their confirmed representatives (who are asked to wear club colours) are:

In addition, from 1pm, a fun challenge match will start on the top green and ANYONE who wants to be part of what we hope will be a day to remember and wants to play in it WILL get a game – against a bowler of a similar ability.

The celebration is free to enter, with hot food (bacon and sausage baps) and drink available all day – and the bar will be open too!  

Established in 1932, it’s nearly time to celebrate the League’s 90^th birthday!

In fact the 90^th Anniversary celebration is just four days away, the party being at founder member club St Georges on Saturday.

That’s when £90 in prize money will be divided between the last four in the MSBL @ 90 Singles featuring representatives of 32 present and past clubs that starts at 10.30am on the original bottom green. In addition, two trophies that are nearly as old as the League have been specially engraved and will go to the finalists.

The celebration is FREE to enter, with hot food (bacon and sausage baps) and drinks available all day – and the bar will be open too! – with those attending encouraged to buy one of 90 squares that will be on sale, with the lucky winner to receive £50.

The singles competition is the centrepiece of the day but, at 1pm, a fun challenge match will start on the top green and ANYONE with a Mid Shropshire connection who wants to be part of what we hope will be a day to remember and wants to play in it WILL get a game – against a bowler of a similar ability.

The aim is for both competitions to finish at teatime – and that is followed by the chance to see the popular music duo the James Brothers perform in the function room at the Sports & Social Club that evening from 9pm for just £5 per head.

Hope to see you there!

The countdown to the League marking its 90^th anniversary with a special event as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations has begun.

The Mid Shropshire League, formed in 1932, is organising a day of its own celebrations on Saturday (JUNE 4) from 10.30am at St Georges Bowling Club.

“St Georges were one of the founding member clubs of the league so it is fitting that the 90^th anniversary party is being staged there,” said League secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

“The day starts with a singles competition on the original bottom green with representatives from the last 32 clubs to have played in the league taking part and the winner to receive a trophy that is nearly as old as the league!

“Then at 1pm there will be a fun challenge match on the top green for anyone with a Mid Shropshire connection to be involved in.

“Everyone who wants to play will get a game against a bowler of a similar ability, with the two teams to be captained by Paul Beer and Alison Cotton of the host club, who the league thanks for acting as hosts.

“We just hope that we get a big turnout for what we plan to be a special day to give the League a memorable 90^th birthday.”

Entries are now flowing in for this year’s Senior Merit, now sponsored by Shropshire Vertidrain & Turf Services Ltd to the tune of £125 – see Competition News for details.

Wednesday 25^th May is prelim round night in the Harris Cup and first round night in the Ashton Cup for Monday teams, although the tie between Wrockwardine Wood D and Charlton has to be re-arranged due to Covid.

There’s just former club Elephant & Castle (Shawbury) left to let the League know who will represent them in the MSBL @ 90 Singles at St Georges on Saturday 4^th June (10.30am start).

A trophy from the 1940s will go to the winner from the 32-strong field on the bottom green, the banners and bunting are in hand, a PA system organised and St Georges are on top of the good and drink.

Everyone with any connection to the League is urged to attend and anyone who wants to play in the fun challenge match on the top green from 1pm, with Paul Beer and Alison Cotton as captains, WILL get a game against someone of a similar ability.

Meanwhile, both Mid Shropshire teams are through to the last eight of the Shropshire senior inter-league championship  without delivering a bowl in anger!

And the draw for the quarter-finals on Saturday 25^th June (6.30pm start) sees MSBL A take on Whitchurch B at Old Shrewsbury (No.2 green) while MSBL face Premier League Blue at Donnington Wood.

The MSBL A squad is: Michael Cooper (captain), Les Mumford, Paul Beer, Lee Parton, Darren Lord, Nick Mullinder, Aidy Ashley,  Joe Killen, Alison Cotton.

MSBL B (Malcolm Fletcher non-playing captain!)  – Peter Millington, Tony Garmson, Phil Craggs, Tony Roche, Jayne Craggs, Pauline Wilson, James Blair, Paul Bradburn, Tom Killen.

The draws for the Harris Cup and Ashton team knockouts – now both 5 home-5 away – have been made, with opening ties to be played on Wednesday 25^th May – see Competition News

And the squads for the MSBL A and B teams for this year’s Shropshire senior inter-league championship have also been selected – see below.

The A team were due to play a preliminary round tie in the 8-a-side knockout on Saturday 21st May – but that is now OFF as scheduled opponents Tanners Shropshire can’t raise a side due to lack of interest.

So both will now feature in the quarter-finals on Saturday 25^th June – unless the county association’s competitions committee decide otherwise!

The League is still waiting to hear from 3 clubs as to who will represent them in the MSBL @ 90 Singles at St Georges on Saturday 4^th June (10.30am start).

And anyone who wants to play in the fun challenge match on the top green from 1pm, with Paul Beer and Alison Cotton as captains, WILL get a game against someone of a similar ability.

The MSBL squad for Shropshire veterans inter-league championship on Saturday 11th June at Wrockwardine Wood is being picked this week and bowlers selected will be notified via their clubs.

SENIOR INTER-LEAGUE SQUADS

MSBL A – Michael Cooper (captain), Les Mumford, Paul Beer, Lee Parton, Darren Lord, Nick Mullinder, Aidy Ashley,  Joe Killen, Alison Cotton.

MSBL B (Malcolm Fletcher non-playing captain!)  – Peter Millington, Tony Garmson, Phil Craggs, Tony Roche, Jayne Craggs, Pauline Wilson, James Blair, Paul Bradburn, Tom Killen