Tuesday 29th September 2026
LONGRIDGE AUTUMN FLOODLIT SINGLES
At Longridge Cons BCThe ambition of making it to a finals night or finals day couldn't have come closer to fruition as my season officially drew to it's habitual close at Longridge. Initially there was a wave of massive disappointment, but it didn't take long to take stock of the situation and console myself in the fact that it will happen eventually, somewhere, some day and it will be that little bit sweeter after tonight's experience when it does.
FIRST ROUND QUALIFIER
v ROSS HATZER (Fylde) W 21-15
There couldn't have been many tougher opening games than this one on the night. A county player whose name I was familiar with having been plastered around in competition results, Ross wins things and is a capable player at the very top end on his day, most recently a semi-finalist at the Isle of Man Festival last year.
It was clear straight away I was going to have to be right on my game to stretch this match out in to some sort of contest, but the early signs were promising. I was pulling off some really cracking bowls to keep with Ross and not allow him any periods of dominance. Confidence grew and so did my expectation. Rolling up to the scores at 14-14 I was actually getting a little frustrated with myself at not taking opportunities for twos when I felt I should have. I was starting to feel like I had a proper chance of causing an upset here. Was it not for a couple of thunderous strikes from Mr Hatzer, I'd have nudged ahead at some point.
I then had a most timely run with the jack. My leads were good if not getting even better and this further fuelled my belief, whilst starting to put my opponent under some pressure. Now a few points ahead and having sent a long lead diagonally across the green and landed a toucher, what you might relate to the equivalent of a traffic jam occurred on the green. We were waiting for an obstruction from another end, which was also waiting for another match to get out of their way too. Ross decides to ask where I'm from and we have a quick natter. He reveals he's not been happy with his form this season. All I could think was not to let this little break mess my momentum up and succeeded, sending another one close but making a target. It was an equally hell of bowl from Ross that smashed them off the green from that distance, my goodness me it was a strike. I kept on with the good work from the front though, broke back straight away when Ross got in and maintained the standard to see the game out from there.
Genuinely, I couldn't really have played any better than this. Yes I look back and think there were some imperfections, but I'm actually nowhere near good enough to nitpick myself to that extent! Whatever else was about to happen that evening, this was a great win for me and well worth the visit alone.
SECOND ROUND QUALIFIER
v JOHN SMITH (St Anne's) W 21-19
Crown green is not always like riding a bike. It's not as if there was a huge wait until my next match or that green conditions had particularly changed on an incredibly mild Autumn evening in which shorts and t-shirt were still the attire for me at least.
But going back on for round two, this wasn't the player that had just given Ross Hatzer a hard time. I got on the wrong side of the scorecard early on and this fed John's confidence. There were actually far more opportunities in this game to take control, but I was sending some clangers and saving myself with one good wood at best just to stay in contention. I'd got wound up with frustration and knew I had to settle myself or this game could easily slip away. I refocused and tried to find the sort of buzzing energy from my last match to scrap for everything and that's what I did. Pushing my nose in front late in the game I managed to keep it there and most importantly got to twenty-one first. It doesn't always matter how you get there. John played well and didn't give the game meekly by any stretch, but whilst I felt my game dipped, I did get it back on track. If anything, it was a reminder to maintain realistic expectations of myself. I can't play as well as I did against Ross all the time - that's the goal one day - but for now and as frustrating as inconsistency can be, I need to expect it and be ready deal to deal with it at any time and without winding myself up over it.
THIRD ROUND QUALIFIER
v ALAN WARD (Blackpool) L 20-21
I've met Alan before about two years ago or more at Fleetwood Waterloo. Not on the green, but just chatting and he told me of a book he had written and published titled "Crown Green Legends", which I am sorry to say I still haven't purchased despite best intentions. Vastly experienced Alan is from the game's golden era. A Waterloo semi-finalist himself, denied a place in the final only by the greatest of all time, Brian Duncan. Alan must be of similar age to the now octogenarian GOAT and there are similarities between them in many ways, even the way they dress and their dry but polite demeanour during combat. This chap was a player back in the day and he's clearly no slouch now it must be said.
Whilst not quite managing to rekindle my form from the first round against Alan, I recovered to a level I was reasonably happy with and was doing enough to make a really tight game of it. I don't think there was more than a couple of chalks between us at any given time. I missed some opportunities, but then so did Alan. There really was nowt in it at all.
Having just won an end to level things at eighteen across, a real chance now to make a break for the finish. I was in the top left corner with a chance to round peg along the top, just where I like it and where I had taken quite a few points all night. Two decent bowls took me to all-but and round pegging back along that top side, knowing a good lead might be enough to make finals night and the last eight. I landed a perfect bowl, a toucher partially covering the jack. Alan overcooked his first, whilst I send my second one a foot and a half behind and in a good place. I wait as Alan weighs up his options. It's going to take something special to deny me now, but sure enough he plays through and takes the jack out to perfection, which then hangs on to the green edge by less than a couple of feet and the wily Mr Ward makes two for himself. Unbelievable.
He then sends a good lead to the middle of the green, I get close with both bowls but don't quite make it. Falling to my knees and then lying on my back in utterly gutted dismay probably looked a little overdramatic given what were very modest circumstances amongst this sort of company. But bloody hell! How frigging close can you get? I did everything right on that penultimate end - but that bowl from Alan - Wow!
It would have been brilliant to join clubmate Aaron who won three the following night to go though, which would have made it two Eagles on show for finals night. In a repeat of a recent final, he came close against eventual and multiple Longridge winner Josh Mordue in the quarter-finals, who beat another previous winner Alan Hudson Jnr in a tight final.
Crown green is not always like riding a bike. It's not as if there was a huge wait until my next match or that green conditions had particularly changed on an incredibly mild Autumn evening in which shorts and t-shirt were still the attire for me at least.
But going back on for round two, this wasn't the player that had just given Ross Hatzer a hard time. I got on the wrong side of the scorecard early on and this fed John's confidence. There were actually far more opportunities in this game to take control, but I was sending some clangers and saving myself with one good wood at best just to stay in contention. I'd got wound up with frustration and knew I had to settle myself or this game could easily slip away. I refocused and tried to find the sort of buzzing energy from my last match to scrap for everything and that's what I did. Pushing my nose in front late in the game I managed to keep it there and most importantly got to twenty-one first. It doesn't always matter how you get there. John played well and didn't give the game meekly by any stretch, but whilst I felt my game dipped, I did get it back on track. If anything, it was a reminder to maintain realistic expectations of myself. I can't play as well as I did against Ross all the time - that's the goal one day - but for now and as frustrating as inconsistency can be, I need to expect it and be ready deal to deal with it at any time and without winding myself up over it.
THIRD ROUND QUALIFIER
v ALAN WARD (Blackpool) L 20-21
I've met Alan before about two years ago or more at Fleetwood Waterloo. Not on the green, but just chatting and he told me of a book he had written and published titled "Crown Green Legends", which I am sorry to say I still haven't purchased despite best intentions. Vastly experienced Alan is from the game's golden era. A Waterloo semi-finalist himself, denied a place in the final only by the greatest of all time, Brian Duncan. Alan must be of similar age to the now octogenarian GOAT and there are similarities between them in many ways, even the way they dress and their dry but polite demeanour during combat. This chap was a player back in the day and he's clearly no slouch now it must be said.
Whilst not quite managing to rekindle my form from the first round against Alan, I recovered to a level I was reasonably happy with and was doing enough to make a really tight game of it. I don't think there was more than a couple of chalks between us at any given time. I missed some opportunities, but then so did Alan. There really was nowt in it at all.
Having just won an end to level things at eighteen across, a real chance now to make a break for the finish. I was in the top left corner with a chance to round peg along the top, just where I like it and where I had taken quite a few points all night. Two decent bowls took me to all-but and round pegging back along that top side, knowing a good lead might be enough to make finals night and the last eight. I landed a perfect bowl, a toucher partially covering the jack. Alan overcooked his first, whilst I send my second one a foot and a half behind and in a good place. I wait as Alan weighs up his options. It's going to take something special to deny me now, but sure enough he plays through and takes the jack out to perfection, which then hangs on to the green edge by less than a couple of feet and the wily Mr Ward makes two for himself. Unbelievable.
He then sends a good lead to the middle of the green, I get close with both bowls but don't quite make it. Falling to my knees and then lying on my back in utterly gutted dismay probably looked a little overdramatic given what were very modest circumstances amongst this sort of company. But bloody hell! How frigging close can you get? I did everything right on that penultimate end - but that bowl from Alan - Wow!
It would have been brilliant to join clubmate Aaron who won three the following night to go though, which would have made it two Eagles on show for finals night. In a repeat of a recent final, he came close against eventual and multiple Longridge winner Josh Mordue in the quarter-finals, who beat another previous winner Alan Hudson Jnr in a tight final.
It's always a pleasure to play at Longridge. The green is surely one of the best kept around these parts, it's an absolutely fabulous playing surface. I cannot speak highly enough of host and organiser John Hanson. Gentleman John has time for everyone and his spring and autumn competitions here are to be savoured.
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