Peter Muff reports from 50 years ago

Memories

Looking back at an old edition of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner dated Friday 4 April 1975 previewing the start of the 1975 Summer bowling season with Peter Muff holding the pen as usual. This report covers some of the expected highlights from the coming season both locally and nationally. The report goes on to cover the opening of a new bowling pavilion at Lindley Liberal Club and states that over 1,000 bowlers will be on the greens in Huddersfield on the first day of the Saturday League season.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner Friday 4 April 1975

THE 1975 Huddersfield crown green bowling season opens tomorrow — and once again it will be sardine-tin tight with Huddersfield cup competitions handicaps ahd merits the fixture list so saturated with that Huddersfield Bowling Association officials are still looking for dates in their calendar for the district rounds of the Crown “King” Championship of Britain event which has £850 prize money first prize of £300 Though no firm decision yet been made about them there is a strong possibility that they will bowled on Friday nights to avoid any Saturday clash with Huddersfield team games or county cup matches The district rounds have to be bowled by June 21 and the qualifiers from the ten county districts of England Wales will play the final stages on the Waterloo Hotel green at Blackpool on July 5

Over 1000 bowlers in action in the eight divisions Huddersfield league tomorrow — and the “money men” a flying start to the season at Meltham on Sunday. Ninety-Six take part in a sponsored open handicap on the two greens there and even with an 1115am start the morning it obviously be a floodlight finish on the big green the cold wind sweeps from the hillside as it can do the competitors well need the protection electrically-heated “Y” fronts and Eskimo suiting — but the incentive of £206 prize money should keep them warm The event is certainly a “wallet-warmer” for the winner who will collect a prize of £85

April 13 Lindley Liberal Club stage “Celebrity Sixteen” with prizes ' ’ This is to mark the opening of their new £7000 bowling pavilion — stone-built one which is fully with kitchen facilities The Lindley club’s green has been selected to stage the final of the Bass North Handicap (the handicap for A reminder of the first final of this event on the same green two years ago when Jack Horsfield beat Gene Bardon comes in the draw for the “sixteen” as pair meet each other in the first round The card is the sort that any merit organiser dreams about for his final day.

The players line up like this: (members of Huddersfield bowling clubs) on Sunday 1 June Jim Booth (Brighouse) v Jack Cuerden (Lindley BC) John Bissell (Barnsley) v Fred Whitehead (HC AC) David Jenkinson (Crosland Mobr) v Hilton Bamforth (Lindley Lib) Sam Swift (Lindley Lib) v John Daykin (Meltham) Bryan Armitage (Newsome) v Percy Ellis (Slaithwaite) Gene Bardon (Newsome) v Horsfield (Keighley) Gordon Cowgill (Kirkheaton) v Ken Johnson (Skipton) Derek Marshall (Halifax) v Alan Thompson (Mirfleld) It's field which for starters includes six winners of the £160 cheque which comes with victory the Webster’s Brewery Northern Counties Open Handicap at Fartown