Sixty-one local teams sign up to play in senior citizens bowling league
Sixty-one teams from 29 clubs will be competing in five divisions of the Shrewsbury Senior Citizens Bowling League this season.
The popular league, which has around 700 registered players, 360 of whom bowl weekly, is sponsored for the 17th season by Shrewsbury-based caravan, motorhome and campervan dealership Salop Leisure.
Whilst the majority of matches are played on a Thursday afternoon, eight teams play their home matches on Wednesday afternoons this season. Division 1 matches started on March 27 and all other divisions began last week.
Four new teams - Craven Arms C, Hanwood B, Llanymynech B and Old Shrewsbury B - have joined the league this season, increasing the total number to 61.
Member clubs span an area stretching from Llanrhaeadr y Mochnant and Oswestry in the north to Craven Arms, Bishops Castle and Worthen and Brockton in the south.
“The league provides friendly competition and a valued social activity for retired people to enjoy every week,” said league secretary Chris Kershaw. “Having an afternoon senior citizens league enables some of the older bowlers, who don’t like bowling in an evening, to carry on playing competitively.”
Three League Team Knock-Out competitions - the Dick Meyrick Cup for the top 16 teams, the Ron Smout Cup for the next 16 teams and the Sponsor’s Shield for the remaining teams - will all be played in 2025.
The semi-finals and finals will be held at Meole Brace Bowling Club and Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club in August and September.
The league’s annual singles knockout competition will be held on July 7 and the doubles on August 4, both at Meole Brace. The annual inter-league challenge match against the Mid Shropshire Senior Citizens League for the Dixon Cup will be played on September 1 at a green in the Telford area.
The season culminates with a President’s Day competition for the Bill Garratt President’s Cup on Wednesday, September 10at Meole Brace.
Salop Leisure’s marketing manager Ed Glover said the company was proud to be associated with such a successful league.
“Many of the players in this league are caravan owners and customers of Salop Leisure who stay active and make the most of their leisure time in retirement,” he said. “We are delighted that this very popular league and the member clubs continue to prosper.”
League officials are president and treasurer, Margaret Cooper from Castlefields GWR BC, chairman, Roger Whitfield from Battlefield BC, secretary, Chris Kershaw from Meole Brace BC and deputy chairman, Martin Blizard from Meole Brace BC.
