GREENKEEPERS DOING A CRACKING JOB

After the Metters match I felt like I needed a short break from bowling. Away for a couple of nights too, I was going to miss our Chorley League match on Monday - which ended up postponed anyway - our well baked green not surprisingly struggled to drain water when rain finally came our way and in plentiful supply, after a good six weeks without a drop.

To the point then, a practice a few days in to the damper weather on the eve of my next match and our green was looking and running fantastic. I mentioned the other week it looked like it would recover well after some rain and it's honestly in as good a fettle as I've experienced it in my five years at the club.
John Waddecar has taken on the job of greenkeeper with Geoff Bibby's assistance, initially in a sort of happy to help out role I think, but quickly gaining knowledge and skills for the job to transform the surface conditions around to superb at present.
The Eagle & Child has not been the best green in the world the last few years. Moss, bare patches, bobbles to name but a few issues... but now John and Geoff's magic was on show for all to see.
Unfair comments were aired about the green at last November's AGM from one or two members... well eat your hat chaps. It's looking well and running well!
John had just finished mowing before my arrival and he remains adamant the green is still one year shy of the full three year project to restore it to glory, but it's looking mint already. John and Geoff are doing a cracking job.

A DEFINING DEFEAT

Thursday 22nd May 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1:

Eagle Blue (148) 2-11 Chorley St Joseph's 'A' (192)
v JON METTERS L 19-21

Initially there was fury, frustration and bitter disappointment with myself having not seen this game out as the winner.
Bowls unceremoniously lobbed on to the grassy area beside our pavilion. (The laurel bush has been heavily pruned so at least I didn't have to root around in any undergrowth to find them) Phil Bradshaw gives me a wry smile and feels my pain.
But as emotions settled maybe five minutes later as I introduced Jon to our extensive selection of beer cans and had a quick chat about the game, I reflected that feeling like this after playing a player of Jon's county calibre meant it wasn't such a bad night's bowling afterall.
Leading 16-9, playing well and feeling confident, one could argue the only errors I had made at this point were not making two a few more times when I had the opportunity.
But when I played a bad end on the same mark that I had messed up earlier on in the match, this time punishment was inflicted. I lost my touch as Jon put the squeeze on me on a mark up and down to the crown from the middle of our clubhouse. Mr Metters played it really well, including three twos as he paired up close bowls to quickly reel in the deficit.
From my point of view, a combination of poor shot choice and distribution only served to bolster my opponent's confidence. Left-handed Jon had me baffled as I just couldn't follow his land or even pick up part of his road and we get to 16-17, which gets the proverbial underside of my collar rather hot.
Finally I broke back and the game was all to play for again.
I retained the impetuous to go 19-18 after some tense ends and should've waited to go where I wanted to go but with only one bowl sent from the match that was obstructing, I changed my mind and decided to get on with it. I regretted that.
When I sent the jack to the tricky far corner instead, I had to wait as another game's jack intervened and was sent back. I should've asked mine to be sent back as well. I regretted that too!
As a result, perhaps, I didn't bowl the best lead and my other one wasn't owt to get excited about either, leaving too much room for Jon to play in to. 19-19.
Then Jon sent a decent second bowl on a curvy round pegger towards the clubhouse, but I was really cross with myself not to beat his less than great lead. Playing a good road in but too deep - wary of being short - a bit of pressure mounted. My second one really was short, resting behind Jon's second counter and excruciatingly giving the game up with two bad bowls when there was a good chance to steal.
Fair play to Jon. I got tensed up and couldn't quite find the groove of earlier in the match to finish him off. He deserved to win it really.
I got myself in a great position at least, so should cling on to that positive.
Life in the first division can be quite brutal and whether or not I can pick up many more wins, I don't feel entirely out of place here and can be competitive. The learning process continues and tonight was a defining defeat. My first home reverse of the season and a hurtful one.
In general I need to increase my resilience, maintain concentration levels at all times, not rush anything and work on staying calm during periods under the cosh. Not much to work on eh?! I'm sure I've listed all that lot before and probably made improvements, but there's still much room to improve further and the aforementioned would contribute to the holy grail I seek which is some consistency.
This was a strong St Joe's side as expected and they adapted brilliantly to our green. This is a team that I fancy for the league title this season.
We could only muster two winners from ten with our younger guns Aaron and Jack picking up a couple of points for us. It should have been three, but for this bear with a sore head slackening his grip on the game. 

TABLES TURNED

 Monday 19th May 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2: Croston Subs (145) 7-3 Eagle & Child 'A' (111)

v DAVE AINDOW W 21-8

For a sixth time in eleven league matches this season I was coincidentally drawn against a player I've previously encountered.
Given that I've only played at Croston Subs once before, I wasn't overjoyed at first given that two seasons ago Dave beat me up 5-21, which inflicted my second heaviest league defeat to date and that, despite the recollection of having not played too badly.
This turned out to be a different game altogether though and the contrasting conditions seemed to suit me more than him. This brilliant green with all sorts of mounds and channels was running quick and I took to it.
I was getting my bowls close enough and consistently enough to put Dave under a bit of early pressure. Combined with the fact Dave's game just wasn't matching up to our previous meeting, I sailed in to an 11-3 lead. A first away win of the season looked on the cards and about bloody time.
The home bowler dug in for a comeback but couldn't keep hold of the block for more than an end at a time. I found the right bowl when I needed it and finished the match with two belters.
Given that I didn't take to Hoghton last week and yet adapted to playing here, this highlights one of the many peculiarities of the game and how it can be very much a case of horses for courses.
Just three winners on the night for our team completed a third defeat in succession and a tough season lies ahead. But reason for cheer and the biggest cheer of the night was for our youngest player Henry Hoyles, one day shy of his fourteenth birthday and last remaining match on the green with all eyes on, Henry scored a good win against Bob Tweddle with some cracking woods on the last few ends. 

SHOOTOUT SECURES RIGHT RESULT

 Sunday 18th May 2025

Result confirmation back-dated from 1st May:

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1: New Longton 'A' (183) 5-8 Eagle Blue (183)
v IAN ARMSTRONG L 9-21 (2-6 on the day, off 7-15)

Cue a rendition of the theme tune from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly for an 11am Sunday shootout at New Longton. Two bowlers with a score to settle. 

This unprecedented situation was finally resolved with a sense of justification from our camp as I scratched up the two chalks required to keep us level on aggregate and win the match.

I was delighted and honoured to get a loyal following of six team mates who turned up to support for barely fifteen minutes of play, showing our fantastic team spirit. Thankfully I sent the away fans home satisfied!

The bowl-off proceeded from the last known agreed score at 7-15 and I required nine to win what felt very strongly like the moral ground. I started out well enough and won the second end with a good bowl. The opportunity to lead out hard was squandered though, finishing up well short for Ian to mop up and tension crept in. An end or two later, still needing just the one point, pressure intensified and Lady Luck's absence from our first meeting seemed to continue. So close to getting the second point required, my bowl somehow doesn't find jack or woods to tap on to and trickles through by a whisker. Two to Ian and 1-5 on the day with 8-20 on the card.

Up and down the longer sided middle of the green again, next end Ian shoots through but I know how well he adjusts so a big bowl coming up and my arm is clammed up with tension. Scared of being short, I shot through too and rest on Ian's first. 

My opponent corrects himself as expected and is only a couple of feet short, but leaving just about enough room to get around his if I can get the length right. 

I take some juice out, tighten my land up and despite looking like it might not make it at one point, my second bowl runs well and passes the outside of Ian's before settling down to win it. A little fist pump was had and why the hell not?!

Job done. I didn't manage any more scores for the aggregate win. I suppose that would have been a bonus for the inconvenience, but although frustrated at not adjusting my second bowl on a tricky mark to the corner and Ian winning it marginally with a short bowl, I never did get to ten in the first place so I feel the shoot-out finished suitably scored in the end. 

Circumstantial evidence strongly suggests 9-21 was the original result and in absolute genuine hand-on-heart fairness with all things considered, I don't think either side can complain at that.

GOOD FORM WHITTLES AWAY AT HOGHTON

Thursday 15th May 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1:

Hoghton (186) 9-3 Eagle Blues (
142)
v GARETH WHITTLE L 10-21

The search for a first win on the road this season continues after a sometimes clueless experience on Hoghton's tricky little green.
It feels like a very long way from being a player good enough to find ways of making a game of it in matches like this.
I let myself get worked up over my worst mistakes, which didn't help. Not the complete dummy-spitting bowl-chucking scenario of once upon a time, but just enough to impact distraction and disillusionment about how the game was panning out, rather than simply concentrating on the next bowl.... the next bowl... the next bowl....
It's easier said than done when your opponent was as clearly in charge as Gareth was tonight. A one time quarter-finalist at the Waterloo I was later informed. He showed thorough command of his home green and rarely left much opportunity, adjusting very well when a bowl did slip from standard.
Most of the damage was done on a diagonal mark over the big hump of a crown and with the green running hard, I wasn't getting it at all. 

Gareth's hefty 2.12's thumped off with a slight bounce and trickled their way to the target whilst I tended to run up short and over-compensate - or vice versa.
I had a little spell down the left hand side of the green which picked up some points and helped gain double figures, but that was essentially as good as it got.
Drawn another repeat opponent this season having beaten Gareth at home a couple of years ago, it was an entirely different story this evening.
Not much joy for most of my team mates at Hoghton either, but the steady hands of Phil Bradshaw and Nigel Tomlinson picked up good wins with Steve Marginson grabbing a third for us. Three points perhaps not a terrible outcome in the grander scheme at a tough place to visit like Hoghton. 

PATCHY HOME WIN

 Monday 12th May 2026

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' (133) 4-7 Fox Lane 'A' (144)
v GARY DAVIES W 21-14

The driest Spring since 1956 so far and bowling greens are really flying now.
Our home green at the Eagle isn't quite as arrid as usual in these conditions. Patches of grass seem to be flourishing in certain areas and credit to our greenkeepers, even the sunburned sections have a bit of substance to them and are no longer balding threadbare remnants of dead moss. When the rains come, the green will bounce back in to great shape I reckon.
After going three down in the first two exchanges, trying to utilise the grassy zones across the middle resulted in a good run with the block and turned things around around to a 12-3 advantage. Gary was struggling to exact the pace on this mark, but eventually a sloppy second bowl was punished by the Fox Lane man who stepped up to it when the chance came and had a great spell himself to almost level the scores at 13-12. But it was a strange and sometimes scrappy game which tended to go with whoever was in charge of the jack and by probing some areas of the green we hadn't previously ventured during the match, I managed to pull away again, if not always with the prettiest of deliveries.
Four wins apiece on the night against our local rivals, but a loss on the aggregate. Given the current squad shortage, just keeping the 'A' team going this year would be a result, but staying up just in case extra recruitments come our way or one or two unavailables return would also be a bonus. 

GREAT NIGHT TO BE AN EAGLE

Thursday  8th May 2025

LEYLAND LEAGUE DIV-1: Eagle Blue (172) 8-4 Frenchwood SC (161)

v STEVE EDWARDS W 21-14

We are an unassuming bunch in this team with aims no greater than staying up to reserve the right to play against the league's best again.
So six winners and the aggregate was a great result against this Frenchwood side stacked with top Preston bowlers.
My opponent probably doesn't remember, but we played each other at Lea in the Hugh Hornby Merit qualifiers three years ago and no surprises that I got my arse tanned 5-21. That wasn't the complete waste of time and a tenner that it might have seemed at the timè. It was an insight in to how Steve likes to play and subsequently a measuring stick of my improvement since and particularly more recently.
Up against those same mustard yellow 2.11 cannonballs, our green is running quick as an incredibly dry Spring has now warmed up significantly too.
The match started with some really close ends and neither player able to sustain a run with the jack. End for end the tightness continued but I seemed to be the one applying that bit more pressure and able to assert home advantage with some sound choices of jack placement and generally sending bowls on the right land at the right pace.
Strikes from Steve had venom and there were a few successful ones, but with a really well placed two trickling down to the pavilion to go all-but, finally he misses and I managed to wrap the game up two ends later. For me, a significant scalp beating this fella.

Unfortunately the game was marred by a bit of bad feeling. It started on an end fairly early on in the game when I thought I was maybe lying two on approach and shouted across to Steve "I think it's two...", but hadn't finished having a look or what I was saying either.
Before I had chance to express a change my mind, his second bowl is on it's way but then didn't make the trip.
I made a mistake, I was thinking aloud but I do think he didn't give me time to get closer and have a proper look.
My opponent walks up and gets arsey. I try to explain, but he's saying he would have played a different bowl.
This might sound rude, but with enough room for a length bowl on the right road to win the end, I'm not sure what the other shot choice could have been.
Steve's heckles were up and his already stern game face gurned in to that of a bulldog licking piss off a thistle. A few ends later, a rare bad end on a strange mark when I'm in but a yard off and this time I get ribbed for taking my overshot back bowl out just before his short second one had stopped. Strictly speaking not to the letter of the law, but it was never going to change the outcome.
It got a bit shirty between us then because I had already banked that he was sending his lead bowls before the jack had stopped and decided to sock that one back to him.
After another grumble about denying him momentum with the jack after waiting for another match obstructing my line, I couldn't possibly have done owt about that and he would have waited himself I'm sure.
I felt I was playing well enough, punching the weight and didn't need to employ gamesmanship. I'm not even that cunning, I was just concentrating on my bowling and managed to carry on with that despite the slightly contentious atmosphere.
It was a game to put down to experience and will definitely take Steve's gripes on board to avoid future flashpoints. It's the first time an opponent has implied I wasn't being honest so I certainly need to be absolutely certain and give full clarity before opening my mouth to give information.

Apologising for my part in the misunderstanding as we left the green, Steve still couldn't quite accept my version of events. He did accept a handshake and offer of a beer though, so hopefully no grudges beared.
Life in Division One can get a bit tense. 

LOSING BUT NOT BRUISING

Monday 5th May 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Mawdesley 'A' (167) 9-1 Eagle & Child 'A' (115)
v ALEX PETERS L 18-21

Defeats are outweighing victories just now, but it's not at all demoralising. I'm playing quite well, I like the feel of how bowls are leaving my hand and that a consistent technique is developing. I believe I can only get better and better this season. 
Although still seeking a first away win in either league, I can take only positives from my first visit to Mawdesley's idyllic bowling green. 

Up against a spritely 78 year old Darlingtonian with a Scottish accent who has been playing this West Lancashire green since 1987, for most parts of the game I felt like I had the slight edge over my opponent. That was certainly the case until leading 13-11 when I got trapped on a mark that proved to be too expensive in the end.
Going one way, Alex was sending tight woods on a good distance over which saving a point was a good outcome, whilst the other way playing a ridge on to a small mound in the corner, saw Alex's lighter bowls hold their place and yet look perfectly beatable, but mine just trickled off and pegged away if I got one up there.
Trailing 13-18 I finally broke free and managed to squeeze my way back in to contention. At 18-20 unfortunately my leading toucher was rightly long-taped. It was the second time Alex measured me out but this time I was a whole 1.8 metres shy of regulation length, so fair enough.
Still lying two half decent ones to potentially go all-but across, instinctively I knew I'd left a little too much room and the home bowler mopped up the gaps to finally see me off.

I enjoyed playing the green here and it will be good to have this experience under my belt for the next visit.
Unfortunately a bad night at the office for our team  after last week's good win. A couple of games going to the last end but only Matt Hoyles salvaging a point for us after an impressive turnaround from 5-12 down. 

IAN'S ARM JUST TOO STRONG

 Thursday 1st May 2025

LEYLAND & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-1:

New Longton 'A' v Eagle Blue (Result yet to be confirmed)
v IAN ARMSTRONG L 8-21? or L 9-21? or 7-15... to be continued?

With the bizarre distinction of there being no conclusion to this match on the night due to the uncertainty about the final score of my game (more about that further down the page) the one thing that was certain is that Ian Armstrong is a very good player indeed.
This was my sixth visit to Windsor Avenue and after a particularly good show here last year, I was confident of putting in a good performance, which is imperative to have any chance away from home in this division.
The performance box was ticked, but up against the almost faultless quality of the home bowler, what felt like a close game end to end was not the story that correlated on the scorecard.
A sloppy first end let Ian in and although limiting him to mainly singles, it was probably seven ends in before I managed to score and yet I was getting up there and happy with the way I was playing. When I did get in, my leads just weren't quite tight enough against this chap and the slightest lapse was punished.
Two nice bowls looked to have pushed me in to double figures, but again I was thwarted by a simply world class wood when many a player would have chosen to strike instead. The next end, which proved to be the penultimate one, epitomised the additional lack of good fortune that had denied me all evening. Ian would have beaten me anyway, but it was one of those games when I didn't get a single knock going my way and when I sent a lovely pacey bowl right on course to hit either of Ian's two tightly nestled bowls or the jack sandwiched in the middle, somehow room was found to glance the jack a bit thin and a whisker off two to me remained two to Ian. I couldn't believe it and instinctively sank to my knees - Lady Luck had been that harsh and I had been at her mercy all evening.
Sadly I messed the next end up when I should have at least saved one and that was game. *(Or was it?)
Although I hadn't heard of Ian Armstrong before I was thoroughly impressed by his game on there. I was intensely squeezed out of this match, despite keeping up a decent standard myself. It would turn out Ian is one of a few bowlers from Blackburn way that have signed up for New Longton's first team and I wasn't surprised to hear that he's of County player pedigree.

*CONFLICTING SCORECARDS SET UP POSSIBLE PARTIAL REMATCH
The whole match went to the wire and the scorecards from my match unfortunately didn't match up.
Normally this sort of issue would be easily resolved, but with aggregate scores between the teams so close, the conflicting cards were the difference between the aggregate points for New Longton or drawing level to share them.
The home side's card had my match one end fewer and at 8-21, whilst ours read 9-21. When hiccups occur with scoring, it would be most unusual to mistakenly add an extra end. The problem normally stems from a missed one.
Team captain Aaron had my card and I trust him 100%. I know he would have the integrity to back down had he thought he could have missed an end, or in this case created an extra one. In Aaron's defence, the New Longton scorer had already previously missed a couple of ends during the match and that starts to paint it's own picture of the likelihood of what happened.
But there's no proof and as expected perhaps, their captain stands by his man and particularly when crucial points are at stake.
As such, to resolve the match we have a possibly unprecedented situation where Ian and I meet again at New Longton. We would start from the score of 7-15 when one of the cards went Frenkie de Jong.
Effectively a shoot-out then, in which I need to score two before Ian gets to six to confirm the result I believe is owed to us, or an additional opportunity to actually win the aggregate outright if I can get three.
Ian is such a bloody good player it's a hell of a tough task, but with shades of Kevin Keegan's wonderful and emotional outburst as Newcastle United manager in 1996, "I only need three points and I'm tellin' ya now, I'd LOVE IT if we beat THEM!"

SPEEDY START MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

 Monday 28th April 2025

CHORLEY & DISTRICT LEAGUE DIV-2:

Eagle & Child 'A' (162)  9-1 Bellingham BC (140)
v SHEILA SPEED W 21-17

A good start proved essential to starting the Chorley League season with a win.
Playing with confidence on the back of a good week of home bowling, I forged ahead despite my opponent's bowls never being so far away.
At 13-6, progress had slowed a little but I seemed to be on my way to seeing the match out. However Sheila showed her County pedigree and began to stretch me out with some formidable long bowling that I was doing well to put savers up to. Despite my game hardly dropping much, apart from a couple of poor ends where I ran short as the green started to slow up, I found myself heading towards a tight finish.
We drew level at 16-16 but I nudged back ahead with a very important length bowl under pressure to land between two good ones from Shelia.
Although losing the next end, my contingency plan of placing the jack to limit Sheila's potential chucking power paid dividends. Choosing a short but tricky mark towards our Town End seatery,  Sheila finally left room for me to go 19-17 and then see out the game on the next end.
A good game against a good player. I was  guilty of thinking, if only fleetingly, about victory too early which is a lesson to learn and there was a sense of relief to finally get make it.
Our 'A' team is under threat this season with one or two more players unavailable and captain Margy had to beg to make a team up tonight. Despite that, seven winners from eight against Bellingham who were relegated from the top division last season was a great result and hopefully more wins can somehow contribute to keeping a side together.  

JACK OF DIAMONDS

Sunday 27th April 2025

EAGLE & CHILD SPRING DOUBLES

There was something of a fairytale ending in this year's Eagle & Child Spring Doubles. I was absolutely chuffed to bloody bits for my partner Jack Wareing to get his name on club silverware after an incredible afternoon of bowling saw us go all the way and win it.
88 year old Jack, who only started playing the game at 86(!) was the star of the day and proved to be a very popular winner.  Showing resolve, stamina and mixing the occasional moments of unpredictability with some brilliant bowling, Jack had a knack of being prevalent at key moments during our unstoppable run in the competition.
Having only played his first proper match in the leagues last week - scoring an encouraging sixteen in an away trip to Longton VM - Jack seemed pleased enough he had got in one of the teams.
Warm and sunny weather obliged as usual for a club competition day with the green beautifully cut and running really nicely.
Sixteen pairs, 15-up straight knockout was this year's doubles format. Up against Harry Derbyshire and Christine Boxhall in the first round, I pushed Jack to reluctantly lead thinking I could pick up the pieces from the back, but wily Harry was getting the better of me and it was only after winning an end back when one point from defeat I asked Jack if he fancied a swap. At 10-14 then, frustratingly my lead was a bit narrow, my second bowl short and plenty of room for Harry to bowl what looked a matchwinner... then Jack steps up with his final bowl. "Same line Jack, but make sure you get here!", were the instructions and boy, did he!
Knocking Harry's bowl out at perfect pace to save the game. It's little moments in competitions like this that make you think it might be your day.
Next end I was determined to put two decent leads up, both Harry and Christine struggled for length, whilst Jack backed my two winners up for a four to take the match. What a turnaround!
Bernie Lancaster and Peter Bylinski were our next opponents. Bernie starting the game well and a weighty spoiler from Peter gave them an early lead, but at 1-3 Jack and I didn't concede another point. Playing marks well across the middle of the green I took quite a few twos and Jack stuck one in there on a couple occasions to ease us in to the semi-finals.
It was a tight start to the game against Geoff Bibby and Dave Houlihan. I was a bit sloppy over the first few ends but reverted to form with Jack more prominent in this game too and after a good run of scoring, a three in front of the clubhouse gets what sounded like a suprisingly early call of "Game!" from our scorer, Sylvia. 15-6.
Excited we managed to get to the final I asked Jack if he had another good game in him and he said he was feeling OK. I felt like if I could carry on doing well from the front we had every chance, but in addition to that, Jack saved some of his best woods until the final.
The first few ends were close and went either way, but at 1-2 it was two incredible bowls from my partner that paved the way for a storming win against Steve Wilson and Barry Wright. Barry puts up two perfect woods, Jack comes along and taps one out to save with his first. "Same again if you can Jack, nowt to lose 'ere at all...", I called and sure enough his second bowl knocks out Barry's remaining winner and it's two to us. Brilliant!
From there we put the squeeze on our opponents who you might have said were pre-match favourites. I got in to a groove again and the points really started to generate quickly for us when round pegging in front of the clubhouse. It's a mark I enjoy playing and it as it turned out, Jack does too.
A few ends in on this stretch of the green and two good ones from myself to keep up the pressure was followed by two better ones from Jack, receiving the loudest cheer of the day. A four on that end concluded a convincing victory and the Spring Doubles Shield was duly presented.