END OF SEASON REVIEW

Just some reasonable sign of improvement in this second season of crown greening was the minimum requirement upon which I can motivate myself to keep playing this game with dreamy ambition.
I definitely feel as if I have become a better player as the year has gone on and even upping another notch just as the season drew to it's close.
In the local leagues, performances have improved and results have too, despite feeling I've faced a few more tougher opponents than drawn last year.
Holding a place in Steve Marginson's Monday team was a real measure of some sort of improvement. I remember making pre-season notes in which I'd almost written off my chances of getting a look-in.
By the end of August I'd played thirteen out of a possible eighteen fixtures (despite taking too many holidays I am told!) and helped the team clinch promotion as Chorley & District League Division Three champions.
As the main season drew to a close, for a week or so I felt all the good work in the leagues was undone by very poor results in the final matches. My Leyland & District season ended with a record defeat and four nights later, an overall solid show in the Chorley & District campaign was marred by a sloppy home reverse and searching for the mat in the flower beds.
Thankfully our club's Members League still hadn't finished and I had some games in hand which were useful in helping get some confidence and composure back together.
A finish of fifth place in this contest was a real success and the Members League itself has been an integral part of my development this Summer.
Chucking my hat in to the ring of tournament bowls meanwhile, was a different monster altogether.
My debut wasn't so much a baptism of fire, more a font filled with molten lava. Enough to put any sensible person off and have a rethink about entering such competitions.
Being bulldozed by one of the game's top players at the Spring Waterloo, Lee Johnstone, had the adverse effect on me though. I soaked up the experience, dusted myself off and aspired to raise my game. Lee went on to the quarter finals where he lost a close tie against eventual champion Greg Smith. 

By the end of the season I won through a few first rounds and was turning up for these occasions with less intrepidation and more (all be it extremely realistic) ambition.
There is more to come next year. My delivery is not robotic enough and I can easily forget an element of it or let bad habits creep in.
I'd say I need to slow my game down still, give myself more time to concentrate on my action and also be more aware of the tactical side of the game.

WINTER OUTLOOK
Despite fears about standing around on cold nights freezing my bits off, I've accepted a kind invitation to join Steve Marginson's doubles team at the Fox Lane Winter League.
It should help keep my eye in and hopefully contribute to hitting the ground running when the new season starts next Spring.
It's a fine set up at Fox Lane, with two very different greens upon which we alternate our matches and a bit of supper afterwards in the club (this part unfortunately runs a little too late for me on a school night)
The team were promoted last Winter and we're now up against some top quality bowlers from around Lancashire. First week was a learning curve, paired with Steven Banks against elite Westhoughton player Kevan Shaw and his fine bowler of a Dad, Ken. I led and didn't feel I played well but Banksy backed up well and we were hanging in there 12-11 up until Ken's relentless good leads on long round pegs over the middle of the crown were key to us not managing to get on the scoresheet again.
Last week, better fortune when paired with Nigel Tomlinson against two good players from Chorley St Joseph's. This time I sent bowls three and four, played a bit better to help Nige and I hold on to a good start and beat Eric Dellafera and Dave Seddon 21-15.

WINTER RUNNING
I keep talking a good track session and a regular blast on the fells... the time really is nigh. I've built up a decent fitness base this Spring and Summer and a tentative step up to more intensive stuff has got to be a gamble worth taking.
It would be good to get in decent enough shape to do a few races and get myself back in to the competitive running environment. It's about finding out what works for me these days without altogether crocking myself.

TO THOSE WE HAVE LOST
With much sadness we lost two valuable members from the Eagle & Child this year, Alan Marginson and Alan Kirkman. 

Two gentlemen who I have had the privilege to play against and although cannot say I knew either particularly well, enough to say they were really great chaps and will be missed by many. 
I was also shocked and saddened recently to hear about the passing of Chorley Harrier Paul Jackson. 

Paul got the tag "Wacko Jacko" during my short time at the club, because for many years, barely a race on the calendar would Jacko miss. From a flat 5K on the roads to a 20 mile Lakeland fell race, more often than not Jacko would be there. 

Although not a ferociously competitive racer as such, Jacko's pre-race saying of, "I'll just get round", modestly belied his awesone fitness and endurance levels. 

He just loved running and the places and people that running introduced to him. A really nice, gentle guy who will be very sorely missed. 

FERRIS WHEELS AWAY TO WIN*

11/10/22

PENWORTHAM SPORTS FLOODLIT COMPETITION
At Penwortham Sports Club
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
v DANNY FERRIS (Stoke) L 9-21

I recognised Danny's name from various results posted around and overheard he'd travelled from The Potteries.
The fabulous Penwortham Sports green is worth the trip alone in my opinion, but my opponent surely had eyes on the prizes to come this far to central Lancashire for a Tuesday night roll.
A tough first round match beyond realistic hopes of a win was highly likely from strong qualifying pools in this competition, but unperturbed I simply wanted to make a decent account of myself.
Typically, tails always fails ever since pronouncing it didn't, but despite loss on the toss, I picked up the first end with a very good bowl and proceeded to work my way to 5-2 up and on merit, with some more very sweet deliveries.
Maintaining that level might have been enough to give this chap a game, but I'm not there yet and a sloppy lead bowl followed by a few shots just not quite getting there saw Danny's consistent closeness edge him out in to a 7-11 lead... when, most unusually, a toilet break was politely requested.
I've not experienced anyone doing this midway through a game before and was a bit surprised to be honest, but I could hardly say, "I don't think so Danny, tie a knot in it pal", could I?
Whether it was the euphoria of releasing bladder tension, a little chat with himself in the mirror of the boy's room - or both? - he came back and destroyed me over the next three ends with three two's of supreme precision and the destiny of the game was then pretty much assured at 7-17.
Danny nudges on to eighteen as I still can't find a way in, but then I came back with a very good two along the far side of the green where I'd just missed out moments earlier. With jack back in hand after some time without, I find a tricky mark that I was hoping would be actually quite uncomplicated and fluff my line. Danny learns from this and puts one close enough to take the single. He then gets another as I find the right road but just roll short. The same scenario played out on the next end too and we're done.
I dig in to a bit of homework afterwards and find my opponent a regular player for Congleton Park who were runners-up in the Stoke & District Premier Division this season, so not a bad effort here. I felt the score was a bit harsh actually, but if you don't reach you can't make a difference. I was trying to roll perfect when a bit more aggression was required at times.
Danny was a reet nice lad and I wished him well for the next round, but was then surprised to see him on the back foot as he got put to the sword by John Lester.
The following evening the three young superlads from my club, Aaron, Jack and Matt were in action with Aaron and Matt both excelling to get the two wins required and make it to finals day. In the last sixteen, only narrow defeats to Darren Bithell and Josh Mordue very respectively, proved that these two talents are closing in on the upper sanctum of this game.

MY FAVOURITE GREEN... IT'S OFFICIAL
I've had the fortune of playing a few practice games with my friend Lee on Penwortham Sports and after this most recent visit I can say for sure it's my favourite so far and will take some beating wherever my bowls may take me.
A fantastic surface, weird and wonderful marks... I don't think I could ever get bored on there. It's a cracking venue for competitions too and their club's star players Owen Jackson and Sam Patterson do an excellent job running the show. Luckily I spotted notification of a spare place this Autumn, so I need to be on the ball to book in for the next comp here in Spring.

*How could I not pair up 'Ferris' with 'wheel' somehow?

KNOCKIN' ON ROUND THREE'S DOOR

6/10/22
LONGRIDGE FLOODLIT SINGLES
At Longridge Con Club

To twist a Guns 'N Roses classic purely for the desperate need of a headline, I was knock-knock-knockin' on a third round place at Longridge, but fell just short again.
I still question my eligibility in terms of quality to enter such competitions, but the competitive drive is there I'm now just about starting to settle down and feel quite relaxed when I roll up and show my new face.
Besides, one or two fellow players at these occasions that I speak to are adamant that sticking my head on the block at singles comps will only make me a better player in the long run. And they should know.
I did alright here on Longridge Con Club's lush surface, drawn against home players twice on a green which I'd never played before and making the cut to round two for a second successive tournament.

FIRST ROUND
v DAVE PEEL W 21-13 (Off 3-3)
The importance of a good start at these gatherings is helped by winning the toss and going first. Tails rarely fails, although saying so in print like this is almost sure to curse such fortunes.
Taking the first five points against Dave certainly helped me get in the driving seat and although my opponent gave me some cause for concern with a good run that almost evened up the scores at one point, I put the better woods up overall and played with a bit of confidence on a green that can spring a few surprises despite the wet conditions.
Longridge member Dave tells me as we leave the green he's rarely played much competitive bowls the last few years, spending more time cutting the green and helping out at the club. Perhaps he wanted to tell me he's been better than tonight's show and I have no reason to believe otherwise.
Against a home player, either way it was a decent win and decent performance.


SECOND ROUND
v CRAIG SMITH L 18-21 (Off 3-3)
I watched the closing stages of Craig's first round match against talented young Hesketh Bank bowler Tom Wright, who I was looking forward to the prospect of playing. But Tom had got behind it seemed and despite a comeback that saw Craig get increasingly irrate, the home bowler got back in to win 21-18.
A heavy downpour made for slightly skiddier conditions in my second match but I seemed to adjust, keeping my nose just about in front and leading 12-9 as the match entered the business end.
Whilst Craig played some brilliantly tight woods on a couple of home marks he has mastered, his second half surge in to the lead was as much down to a few mistakes from myself and particularly my lead bowls which simply weren't up to standard. I managed to pull back again though just as my opponent senced the finishing line, but again, at 18-19 with jack in hand and a great opportunity, I botched my lead bowl and let him in cheaply.
Next end, Craig sent two tidy woods on a tricky road and I was a little unlucky not to ruffle up them up. But that was it and although even closer to sneaking in to a third round, not quite there yet.
A place in that next round would have been a tough, but very entertaining clash with Alan Hodson Snr - surely one of the loudest players in the game. 

Alan is an occasional customer where I work and you normally hear him before you see him, but I thought the volume might turn down when he's on the green... if anything, it went up! 😆
Alan was the first face I saw on arrival at the club's very tight side street car park and he shouts me on for a parking space that didn't really exist, leaving me with a very tight turnaround in a long wheel base van. 

He has a better eye for bowling than parking spaces it must be said. 

Alan went on to beat Craig and book a place in finals night.
The night's other qualifier for finals night was the biggest cheese in the Wednesday night pot, Penwortham's Owen Jackson. Jackson went on to win the tournament beating Josh Mordue in the final.