Stoke Mandeville hosts Woolmore’s clean-sweep
Despite ongoing discussions regarding the future of the bowls facility at the BWBA’s HQ, the 2011 National Wheelchair Bowls Championships went ahead as planned at Stoke Mandeville. The semi-finals of the
Singles were populated by three Welshmen - defending champion Kevin Woolmore, Chris Gibson and Adrian Foley - and an Englishman now resident in the valleys, Bristol’s Paul Brown. In the all-Welsh match-up,
Woolmore dispatched Gibson 21-1. In the other, Foley went down 21-8 to Brown. In the final, Woolmore was the more consistent and held off Brown’s challenge to retain his title 21-13. Meanwhile, Foley took
third place with a narrow two-shot victory over Gibson. In the Pairs, the last-four pairings saw a semi-final match that divided the Woolmore household. Kevin teamed-up with Dave Powell to take on wife Barbara and George Ridgeon. It was the man of the house who emerged victorious as Kevin and Powell won 22-13 to earn a place in the final against scratch pair Mike Diston and Ian Blackmore, who defeated the Bristol duo of Paul Brown and Tony Down by 23-14.
The final was to prove a very one-sided affair. The determining factor was the continuation of Kevin Woolmore’s sparkling form, as he and Powell took the title for
Dates for your diary…
2011 Dec 3-4
....................BWBA Training Weekend, Stoke Mandeville IBC
2012
Feb 11-12
................BWBA Training Weekend (inc Kay Pipe Pairs), venue TBC
April 4
......................BWBA v Worthing Pavilion BC, Worthing Pavilion BC, Worthing
April 21-22
..............BWBA MatchPlay Singles Championship, venue TBC
May 5-6....................Home Countries Wheelchair Bowls, City & County of Bristol IBC, Bristol
May 19
....................BWBA v Somerset County BA President’s Team, St Andrews BC, Weston-super- Mare
June 2-3
..................BWBA Training Weekend (inc Handicap Singles), venue TBC
July 2-3
....................BWBA MatchPlay Pairs Championship, Tamworth & District IBC
Aug 11-12
................BWBA Outdoor Pairs (formerly the John Morse Solicitors Pairs), Isle of Wedmore BC, Somerset
Sept
TBA..................BWBA National Wheelchair Bowls Championships, venue and dates TBC
Dec TBA
..................BWBA Christmas Training Weekend, venue and dates TBC
54 Issue 24
Woolmore lifted both the Singles and Pairs, with Dave Powell, right
the first time with a decisive 21-3 win. But it was the second time that Woolmore had done the ‘double’ to cap what was for him, and the Welsh players, a very strong showing.
Fitzgerald thanks contributors
For the third consecutive year, BWBA president Terry Fitzgerald held his President’s Day at his former home club West Wickham BC in Kent. Twelve teams took part: three rinks representing the BWBA and three from West Wickham were the ‘home’ teams. They were matched against the ‘away’ teams from Surrey CBA, Bletchingly BC, London Scottish BA, London Irish BA, London Welsh BA and the Banks BA.
The top rink prize went to the London Welsh rink skipped by LWBA president Andy Anderson, who had a good win against Terry Fitzgerald. After the match, all players enjoyed Terry’s hospitality (and West Wickham’s volunteers’ hard work) in the form of a three-course meal with wine followed by cheese and biscuits
Master of ceremonies, Roger Lanham, then introduced Terry and BWBA chairman Ian Blackmore. Terry offered his heartfelt thanks to all those who had helped arrange the day and to all the bowlers who had participated. He was followed by the BWBA chairman who gave the key-note speech,
providing a summary of the association’s work and its commitment to wheelchair bowlers and updated those present on the problems posed by the threatened closure of the BWBA HQ at Stoke Mandeville. With no
government or official funding, the BWBA is reliant on days such as this and the generosity of others to generate funds. A plate collection was held after the speech to close proceedings, this raised the magnificent sum of £1,118. Bob Govan, West Wickham’s captain, gave the concluding speech, thanking everybody for contributing and taking part in a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile charity day.
Terry Fitzgerald
your stories and pics to
Send
wheelchair @nationwide bowler.
co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84