HARGROVE TROPHY

On Wednesday the 10th September the final of the Nottinghamshire Bowling Association’s version of the F.A. Cup was played out in glorious sunshine at the Wilford Bowls Club. The entries for this prestigious competition seem to go down every year but the thrill of actually getting your hands on the 4-foot trophy has to be experienced if you are a keen & competitive bowler. This year 10 pairs of bowlers, coming from the same Lodge, Chapter or Order, set out way back in the spring to prise this trophy away from the likes of Terry Manifold & Keith Buckley or the northern pairing of Chris Bromley & Danny Devine who between them have won the trophy 5 times over the past 7 years.

Keith & Terry fell at the semi-final stages to a new pairing of Winston Snowdon & David Newman. Both theses two Masons represent Newark Lodge 8332 and were persuaded to enter when they heard that a new sponsor was looking to invest in the competition. Tonka Toys did eventually pull out of the negotiations, but the form was in and true to Masonic bowlers David & Winston honoured the commitment.

The other pairing in the final was John Broadley & Glyne Tabreham (Notts Installed Master Lodge) who knocked the other triple winners out so early in the competition that poor old Danny Devine had not really woken up from the winter. Anyway, in spite of “Global Warming” and the fact that our “boys” were fighting a war in the Middle East, four select specially invited spectators, where in attendance and watched this annual battle at Wilford. The Nottinghamshire Masonic Bowls President, Keith Buckley, was included in these four just men.

The team of Winston & David started the game as though they had to leave early. Winning the first three ends. Glyne reminded John that the trial ends had finished and on the forth end, they got their name on the score sheet.

“Give me a long one” was heard from the other end of the green. The response was devastating. The jack thundered down the green straight into the ditch. “Do what you like with it” was the next cry from the skip. Sensible advice when you are dealing with mature bowlers. Nobody likes to be bossed around. Bowling is one way of escaping the wife’s verbal attacks, you don’t come out to be spoken to like that.

By the eleventh end the game was once again in the balance. 8 shots to 7 for the Newark pair. After another three ends the Newark pair had moved the score to 11shots to 7.

Glynne began to panic. “Are you still taking the tablets?” he enquired of John, unfortunately this was overheard by David who registered an instant appeal for a drugs test. This was rejected by the President, Keith Buckley, who suggested that sanatogen was not technically an enhancement drug and was therefore acceptable.

The appeal must have distracted the Newark pair for after the next end the match was once again in the balance at 11 shots to 10. John & Glyne had pulled off a three shot win out of nowhere.

The green at Wilford did look a picture and the sight of white shimmering trousers on a pleasant afternoon just summed why most mature people play bowls, to wear a uniform. “Get um up!” was often heard and the word “bias” seemed to echo around the ground. Robert Sharp, himself a renowned bowler, would not have any of it and insisted that he had not had a wager on anyone. Slowly as if the painkillers were becoming less effective, the Newark pair pushed ahead and by the 21st end had taken the trophy by a score of 21 shots to 11. After a friendly handshake and quick photograph Glynne was out of his trousers and into the bar. “What did I say?” asked the President still posing for more pictures. The buffet in the bar was excellent and some of the members at the victory party found it difficult to eat everything that had been prepared. If the President’s wife saw what had been on his plate we may have had to bring forward the A.G.M. So the final score was 21 shots to 11 and the winners of the Hargrove Trophy this year was, Winston Snowdon & David Newman from Newark Lodge 8332. The 4 foot trophy will be presented to the winning pair at the Nottinghamshire Masonic Bowls Annual Dinner on Friday May 8th at Mansfield Masonic Hall.

Terry Manifold. Fixture Secretary.