Days gone by My Friend at www.Portglasgow4u.co.uk sent me this old picture of Gourock Bowling Club |
7th April 2002 Treble Winner! Jimmy Bradley (IBM) and Tommy Forbes (skip) defeated Harry Haddock and Eddie Docherty by a single shot to win the Inverclyde Senior Pairs on Friday (5th April) This win completed an unique treble for IBM Bowling Club Member, Jimmy Bradley, who had already claimed the Senior Singles Championship in March as well as being part of the successful Senior Fours Rink. Unless anyone can tell me otherwise ? I think I am right in saying that this is the first time that any one player has collected "the Treble" in all Senior Competitions at the Inverclyde Indoor Club and as such is a remarkable achievement. Fine sunny weather made for a successful opening day for a number of Inverclyde Clubs on Saturday. Lady Alice, Rankin Park and Victoria all had good turn outs for their Opening Day Ceremonies. If any Clubs wish to have an opening day Photograph included on the Site? please get in touch with me and I will do the rest. 1st April 2002 I can exclusively reveal plans for a major new rule which will totally change the face of Lawn Bowling as we know it today. From April 1st 2003, substitutions will be allowed during all "fours" games between either Clubs or any other "team" match. The controversial new rule is already been on trial in South Africa, where a spokesman for the South African association,Allan Fopior said , " I thought it would be a foolish thing to do and that it would never work, but I have to admit it has added a whole new dimension to the game down here" He then went on to explain to me how this new rule works and I have written a quick summary of this new rule below! The Skip of each opposing "rink" will cast his eye over the performances of his team and if during the course of a game, he can replace any one of them with a pre-named sub from the bench! If during the course of a game, the Skip is considering making a change, he will signal to the reserve to "warm-up" on a vacant rink to enable him to get used to the pace of the green. To make the substitution, the Skip will firstly inform the unfortunate player who is in his opinion playing below his best, that he is to be replaced at the start of the next end and signal to the reserve to come on. Only one change of player can take place during any one game and that decision lies totally at the discretion of the "skip" I have to admit I like the general idea of this new rule, it has the potential to change the course of a game, no longer will a Skip have to suffer the "Lead" who is always a yard short! or the "third" who wants to drive at anything that moves. It will make "team players" be aware that they have to aim to be at their best or they will be heading for an early exit. I think this a brave decision by those in charge and I hope its a successful one What do you think? Is this a foolish rule change? Will it work? Write in to me at the usual address with your views Inverclyde Indoor Bowling Club As most of you will no doubt be aware, my reporting of a recent issue within the Club, upset certain members and I was called in for a meeting to discuss the matter. That meeting took place today where I had a lengthy discussion with Peter Johnstone and Tom Ferdinand. I was informed of the reasons as to why some of the members would rather I did not report this "news" on the Site and asked for my views on the matter. I have already stated my reasons on a previous page of this Site and I stick by them. I was asked if I would remove the article from the Site and I made it quite clear that I would not do that. I also pointed out that by requesting that I be called in to explain my actions had added to the attention that this "news" was attracting! When I first heard that I was to be spoken too, the page in question had been looked at around 27 times, that figure quickly rose to well over 100 within days and this has continued to rise ever since! The outcome of this meeting was that they acknowledged my refusal to remove the article and it would be reported back to those it concerned and hopefully this will be the end of the matter. The important thing for me at this meeting was to get over the point that I did nothing wrong! I did not cause the "news". I only reported on it. With the benefit of hindsight, i would not have reported this "news", not because I thought I was wrong in doing so, but rather to prevent the pressure it has put on myself and my family, who have been highly concerned about the whole saga. I wish the person or persons, who brought this to the attention of the Committee, had the foresight to take the direct approach and contact me, it would have saved a whole lot of time and as i have said in a previous entry, i would have removed the article and it would not have gained the attention that it has gathered. This Site is now in its third year and I have always tried to promote the positive aspects of the game, it gives many people entertainment and lets them keep in touch with what is happening in the game around the Inverclyde area. I spend countless hours seeking out results and snippets of news that I feel that people may want to know about! I can not promise that all news will be "Good News" but what I can promise is that any news i do print will be checked to make sure that it is authentic. On a more positive note I have been asked to point out that the Ladies at Inverclyde have resolved their differences and are now doing getting on with enjoying the sport of bowling! More on the most controversial rule to be introduced mentioned at the top of this page can be found by clicking here! |
News Page Sponsored by L & A Motors 5 Haig Street Greenock MOT Testing, Servicing & Repairs 01475 781515 |
March's News |
7th April 2002 Treble Winner! Jimmy Bradley (IBM) and Tommy Forbes (skip) defeated Harry Haddock and Eddie Docherty by a single shot to win the Inverclyde Senior Pairs on Friday (5th April) This win completed an unique treble for IBM Bowling Club Member, Jimmy Bradley, who had already claimed the Senior Singles Championship in March as well as being part of the successful Senior Fours Rink. Unless anyone can tell me otherwise ? I think I am right in saying that this is the first time that any one player has collected "the Treble" in all Senior Competitions at the Inverclyde Indoor Club and as such is a remarkable achievement. Fine sunny weather made for a successful opening day for a number of Inverclyde Clubs on Saturday. Lady Alice, Rankin Park and Victoria all had good turn outs for their Opening Day Ceremonies. If any Clubs wish to have an opening day Photograph included on the Site? please get in touch with me and I will do the rest. 1st April 2002 I can exclusively reveal plans for a major new rule which will totally change the face of Lawn Bowling as we know it today. From April 1st 2003, substitutions will be allowed during all "fours" games between either Clubs or any other "team" match. The controversial new rule is already been on trial in South Africa, where a spokesman for the South African association,Allan Fopior said , " I thought it would be a foolish thing to do and that it would never work, but I have to admit it has added a whole new dimension to the game down here" He then went on to explain to me how this new rule works and I have written a quick summary of this new rule below! The Skip of each opposing "rink" will cast his eye over the performances of his team and if during the course of a game, he can replace any one of them with a pre-named sub from the bench! If during the course of a game, the Skip is considering making a change, he will signal to the reserve to "warm-up" on a vacant rink to enable him to get used to the pace of the green. To make the substitution, the Skip will firstly inform the unfortunate player who is in his opinion playing below his best, that he is to be replaced at the start of the next end and signal to the reserve to come on. Only one change of player can take place during any one game and that decision lies totally at the discretion of the "skip" I have to admit I like the general idea of this new rule, it has the potential to change the course of a game, no longer will a Skip have to suffer the "Lead" who is always a yard short! or the "third" who wants to drive at anything that moves. It will make "team players" be aware that they have to aim to be at their best or they will be heading for an early exit. I think this a brave decision by those in charge and I hope its a successful one What do you think? Is this a foolish rule change? Will it work? Write in to me at the usual address with your views Inverclyde Indoor Bowling Club As most of you will no doubt be aware, my reporting of a recent issue within the Club, upset certain members and I was called in for a meeting to discuss the matter. That meeting took place today where I had a lengthy discussion with Peter Johnstone and Tom Ferdinand. I was informed of the reasons as to why some of the members would rather I did not report this "news" on the Site and asked for my views on the matter. I have already stated my reasons on a previous page of this Site and I stick by them. I was asked if I would remove the article from the Site and I made it quite clear that I would not do that. I also pointed out that by requesting that I be called in to explain my actions had added to the attention that this "news" was attracting! When I first heard that I was to be spoken too, the page in question had been looked at around 27 times, that figure quickly rose to well over 100 within days and this has continued to rise ever since! The outcome of this meeting was that they acknowledged my refusal to remove the article and it would be reported back to those it concerned and hopefully this will be the end of the matter. The important thing for me at this meeting was to get over the point that I did nothing wrong! I did not cause the "news". I only reported on it. With the benefit of hindsight, i would not have reported this "news", not because I thought I was wrong in doing so, but rather to prevent the pressure it has put on myself and my family, who have been highly concerned about the whole saga. I wish the person or persons, who brought this to the attention of the Committee, had the foresight to take the direct approach and contact me, it would have saved a whole lot of time and as i have said in a previous entry, i would have removed the article and it would not have gained the attention that it has gathered. This Site is now in its third year and I have always tried to promote the positive aspects of the game, it gives many people entertainment and lets them keep in touch with what is happening in the game around the Inverclyde area. I spend countless hours seeking out results and snippets of news that I feel that people may want to know about! I can not promise that all news will be "Good News" but what I can promise is that any news i do print will be checked to make sure that it is authentic. On a more positive note I have been asked to point out that the Ladies at Inverclyde have resolved their differences and are now doing getting on with enjoying the sport of bowling! More on the most controversial rule to be introduced mentioned at the top of this page can be found by clicking here! |
A game
of bowls on a summer's day, still a common site on Barrhill Road. Gourock
Bowling Club was founded in 1866, and during World War II one of the greens was
used as a temporary camp for American servicemen, prior to that potatoes had
been grown on it as part of the war effort. The tenements in the background are
Castle Mansions and Castle Gardens, so-named because they were built on the
site of Gourock 'Cast le' is St John's Church, built to accommodate those
Gourockians, including the parish minister and laird, who had broken away from
the established Church at the Great Disruption in 1843. It was opened in 1857.
The site of its once grand manse is now the St John's Manor flats on Barnhill
Road.
Days gone by My Friend at www.Portglasgow4u.co.uk sent me this old picture of Gourock Bowling Club |
