After laying desolate for 9 years building work has finally started on the former Albion BC green at Brighouse. A bitter internal dispute ended up in the Law Courts in 2013 leading to the closure of the clubhouse and green owned by Blakeboroughs. Eventually sold and now with planning permission for three large houses to be constructed and work started this week in clearing the site.
The shocking change at the Brighouse-based club had arisen following a bitter row that raged for years between members of Blakeborough Social and Sports Club, ‘Blakes’, Bradford Road, and the separate Albion Bowling Club in Halifax Road, which Blakes owned. Blakes’ committee wanted to sell the bowling club so they could pay off massive debts totalling more than £150,000 which eventually happened after a bitter legal wrangle.
Leading members of Blakes succeeded in a legal bid to shut the bowling club down and prevent Albion members from entering the premises – hence the neglect of the green as members have not been allowed in to maintain it.
The Blakeborough Sports & Social Club on Bradford Road was subsequently converted into the Brighouse Emporium before going under the hammer for £250,000 in 2019.
The photographs below show the bowling green and clubhouse in their heyday and the heavy machinery moving in to start their work. Another green bites the dust.
Click on any image to enlarge
Shades of Newsome and greedy owners, but for the grace of God go any bowling club. You could have used that for a Foreign Green.