Sixty teams from 28 clubs will be competing in five divisions of the Shrewsbury and District Senior Citizens Bowling League this season, which start on Thursday, April 12.
A shortage of players has resulted in the withdrawal of Bowring, Oxon A, Pontesbury E and Severnside B & D teams, but the league has gained four new teams from Hanwood, Shelton, Old Shrewsbury and Worthen and Brockton.
Member clubs span an area stretching from Llanrhaeadr y Mochnant, Oswestry and Wem in the north to Craven Arms and Worthen and Brockton in the south. Whilst most of matches are played on a Thursday afternoon, eight teams play their home matches on Wednesday afternoons.
Salop Leisure’s marketing manager Ed Glover (left) presents a cheque to Shrewsbury and District Senior Citizens Bowling League treasurer Margaret Cooper watched by secretary Chris Kershaw and chairman Roger Whitfield at Meole Brace Bowling Club.
“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.”
The league has around 670 registered players, 360 of whom bowl weekly. Sponsor for the 11th season is Shrewsbury-based caravan, motorhome and campervan dealership Salop Leisure, which has regional sales centres in Machynlleth and Stourport-on-Severn.
In addition to the weekly league matches, there will be three League 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 28 teams. The preliminary round begins in May with the finals of all three competitions are played simultaneously on September 10 at three different venues yet to be decided.
The league’s annual singles knockout competition will be held on July 2 at Greenfields Bowling Club and the doubles on August 6 at Meole Brace Bowling Club. The annual challenge match against the Mid Shropshire Senior Citizens League for the Dixon Cup will be played on September 3, with the home venue being Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club.
The season culminates with a President’s Day competition for the Bill Garratt President’s Cup on September 13 at Meole Brace Bowling Club
Salop Leisure’s chairman Tony Bywater 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.
“The league is very popular with senior citizens across Shropshire and the Welsh border. Long may it continue to prosper.”
New chairman this year in Roger Whitfield of Battlefield Bowling Club, who succeeds Dave Kibbler, who has been made an honorary life member for his services to the league. The league’s other officers are: president, Ed Jackson, league secretary, competition and results secretary, Chris Kershaw and treasurer Margaret Cooper.
