Fifty-seven teams from 29 clubs across Shropshire and the Welsh border will be competing in five divisions of the Shrewsbury Senior Citizens Bowling League this season.
The popular league has around 700 registered players, 348 of whom bowl weekly. Sponsor for the 16th season is Shrewsbury-based caravan, motorhome and campervan dealership Salop Leisure, which has regional sales centres in Machynlleth and Stourport-on-Severn.
Whilst the majority of matches are played on a Thursday afternoon, seven teams play their home matches on Wednesday afternoons and this season all matches will start on either April 10 or 11.
Since last season, a shortage of players resulted in the withdrawal of Baschurch B, Wem Albion and Worthen & Brockton C and no new teams have joined the league, reducing the total number by four to 57.
Member clubs span an area stretching from Llanrhaeadr y Mochnant and Oswestry in the north to Craven Arms, Bishops Castle and Worthen and Brockton in the south.
“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.”
Three League Team 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 teams - will all be played in 2024.
The semi-finals and finals will be held at Meole Brace Bowling Club and Old Shrewsbury Bowling Club in August and September.
The league’s annual singles knockout competition will be held on July 1 and the doubles on August 5, both at Meole Brace. The annual inter-league challenge match against the Mid Shropshire Senior Citizens League for the Dixon Cup will be played on September 2 at Old Shrewsbury.
The season culminates with a President’s Day competition for the Bill Garratt President’s Cup on Wednesday, September 11 at Meole Brace.
Salop Leisure’s marketing manager and associate director Ed Glover 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. “I wish the players well for the coming season and long may this very popular league and the clubs continue to prosper.”
League officials are president and treasurer, Margaret Cooper from Castlefields GWR BC, chairman, Roger Whitfield from Battlefield BC, secretary, Chris Kershaw from Meole Brace BC and deputy chairman, Martin Blizard from Meole Brace BC.
