Bowling News
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
The year was 2000 when a Lancastrian took the prestigious Yorkshire Merit title home to Oldham. Twenty-eight-year-old Graham Wilson qualified to play in the competition through playing for Lower Hopton in the Mirfield League and for Elland WMC in the Yorkshire Cup. He claimed a 21-14 final victory and a £500 cheque by beating County team-mate Paul Sigsworth of Kirkheaton C&BC in the final at Cleckheaton Sports.
The photograph above shows the four semi-finalists who provided the warm-up to the main event. Left to right are Graham Wilson (Winner), Peter Wilcox, Tony Emerson (Competition Secretary), Tony Lonsdale (YCCGBA President), Paul Sigsworth (runner-up) and Frank Greenwood.
The semi-final results being Paul Sigsworth (Kirkheaton C&BC) 21-8 Frank Greenwood (Golcar Lib) and Graham Wilson ( Elland WMC) 21-17 Peter Wilcox (Crossgates). Graham Wilson was in the middle of a hot run of results having taken the sport's richest prize of £3,000 when he won the Isle of Man Tournament the previous June.
Thanks Martin I stand corrected but report exactly as reported by The Examiner at the time. Hope you corrected them at that time as well.
A bit of a misleading article. Graeme was born and raised in Elland and possibly lived there until he got married and moving over the hill. He has played at Elland and Lower Hopton for numerous years. He has represented Yorkshire 100+ times. A true Yorkie if ever I saw one.
BTW a genuine Lancastrian did win the Yorks merit in 2009. Lee Lawton was playing for Lower Hopton at the time.