Memories
I am grateful to Dave Parkin for this preview of the 2023 Huddersfield Champion-of-Champions event taking place at Kirkheaton Cons on Saturday (2pm start) along with some fascinating history about this competition.
Huddersfield Champion of Champions 1st played for in 1945, Saturday's event will be the 77th held & no one has won it more than 3 times.
The first to do this was Tony Young (78, 88 & 92) and then the late, great Paul Sigsworth repeated that feat in 03, 05 & 08 (lost in final in 04,06 & 09). The "Red Rum" of local bowling one may say. The first winner was WC Moorhouse & 11 others players have won it twice including current Yorkshire players Graeme Wilson, Ashley Daykin, Craig Gant,, Wayne Moseley & Jack Dyson who qualified this year but was unable to accept the invitation. Another bowler to have won it twice is Steven Hirst. Of this year's bowlers, Mark Atkinson (twice), Mark Sykes, Dave Fox & Danny Beeby have all fallen at the final hurdle and hope to go one better The record equalling wins below of Young & Sigsworth.
Paul Sigsworth proved that he is in a class of his own after winning the Huddersfield Crown Green Bowling Champion of Champions title once again. And the manner in which the Netherton Con ace stormed to victory in Sunday’s sunny showdown was emphatic.
Sigsworth last claimed the title in 2005 following the previous success in 2003 and he has been the runner-up in 2004 and 2006. En route to his first prize pay-out of £200 plus trophy in the Armitage Leisure sponsored event. Sigsworth played four games and took three of his opponents off for single figures at Marsh United (the winners of the best green award). And with his victory he could have set a unique treble having won the Huddersfield Merit, which for a long time set a curse on the Champion of Champions, the Mirfield Merit and now the Champion of Champions crown.
In the first round Sigsworth beat Colin Lloyd (Works Handicap) 21-9 before showing no mercy against Richard Mozley (Summer Handicap) winning 21-1. But he came up against some resistance when playing Vic Sugden winner Alan Crowther in the semi-final. Crowther, Secretary of the Colne Vally League led 8-6 before Sigsworth began to turn the screw. A 10-breal launched him into a 16-8 lead before it was halted when Crowther scored a pair. But Sigsworth hit back to lead 20-10, Crowther responded with four consecutive singles but couldn’t prevent the 21-14 scoreline.
In the bottom half of the draw Wike was making solid progress. After edging past former British Veterans Champion Roy Sutton (Over-70s) 21-20, Wike beat another ‘super-vet’ Trevor Barker (Veterans Rose Bowl) 21-14.
And in his semi-final against Spring Handicap winner Adam Beaumont, he could have been forgiven if he wanted to nurse his woods back to life after they took some hammer by Beaumont’s frequent striking but he still ended up losing 21-5. And, as the late sun cast long shadows across the superb Marsh United green, the atmosphere was quiet, despite a large crowd but they were treated to a masterclass as they watched one of the game’s modern legends reeling in his prey of the day and run out 21-9 Champion of the event.
Huddersfield Champion of Champions - Trivia Time What year did a lady first play in this & who was it? Clues: Ladies merit winner