Sale and Urmston league:
League rules
Meetings and Accounts
Trophies
Green rota
Honours boards
Sale League:
Honours boards
Archives
Meeting and Accounts
Urmston league:
Honours boards
Archives
The Sale and Urmston Bowling Association was founded in 2022 from a merger of the Sale & District Bowling League and the Urmston & District Bowling Association.
We run two leagues playing in the evenings: on Mondays for teams of ten and on Wednesdays for teams of eight.
Historical records for the predecessor leagues can be found via the links on the left.
Rules Revision meeting
There will be a general meeting on Wednesday 19 November, starting at 7.30pm at Urmston Mens Club.
Purpose of the meeting:
- discuss possible rule changes (listed below),
- discuss league composition for 2026,
- distribution of trophies (and any uncollected prze money).
1 Amend rule 2.2.2 to read:
The captains shall each present their score cards in preferred playing order. Four jacks shall be maintained on the green at all times (i.e. the next game to start within five minutes of a jack becoming available). A player who is unavailable when called may be substituted.
Proposed by Davyhulme Social Club
This proposal and number 5 clarify how the match should be kept moving. If a player is unavailable and a substitute is ready, that substitute can play.
2 Add to the end of rule 2.5.1:
The two captains may agree an earlier start time.
Proposed by Davyhulme Social Club
This proposal and number 4 confirm what is the custom: that a mutual agreement for an early start is acceptable.
3 Amend rule 3.2 to read:
All matches except the final shall be played with half the games at one team’s venue and half at the other venue. Away players to have first lead of the jack. Matches to start simultaneously at both greens at 6.30pm with or without floodlights.
Proposed by Davyhulme Social Club
This changes the home-and-away matches in the knock-outs so that both legs start at the same time.
4 Add to the end of rule 3.2:
The two captains may agree an earlier start time.
Proposed by Davyhulme Social Club
5 New rule 3.4 (and following rules renumbered):
The captains at each venue shall each present their score cards in preferred playing order. N jacks shall be maintained on the green at all times (i.e. the next game to start within five minutes of a jack becoming available). N is four in the final, three in the Monday league and two in the Wednesday league. A player who is unavailable when called may be substituted.
Proposed by Davyhulme Social Club
6 Amend rule 3.6 (3.7 if renumbered) to read:
Players must have played in at least three league games on the same or a lower team prior to the start of the knock-out competition. Where a club has two teams in a league, a player may not play for both teams in the knock-out competition. Eligibility for the second team as per league rule 2.8.4.
Proposed by Legh Arms
If a club has two teams, currently players can qualify for the knock-outs by playing on either team. With this proposal, first-team players would not be eligible to play on the second team in the cup.
7 Add to the end of rule 3.1:
Entry to these competitions is optional; teams will be entered unless they inform the secretary of their withdrawal at least two week before the first round.
Proposed by the secretary
Some teams had difficulty raising teams for the knock-outs this year, and played short. This would allow them to withdraw before the draw is made. It means the draw would not be known at the start of the season.
8 Rule 2.8.4 to read:
Within a league, a player may not play for a second team if they have played three or more games for the first team.
Proposed by Golden Hill Park
a first-team player with a minus average can play for the second team. This would ban all first teamers from the second team after three games.
Pairs competition
The Pairs competition will be run this year as a one-day event, on Sunday, 3 August, starting at 1.30pm at Mersey Valley. This is open to players from both leagues. If both players are active in the Wednesday second division they will receive +5 (+3 if only one of them is a second division player).
Entries are limited to the first 16 pairs received. If entries exceed 16, later entrants will be informed of their position in the queue and if withdrawals give them a prospect of being accepted.
Both entrants of a pair must have played four league games (across the two leagues) before 3 August. They need not be from the same club.
There are now 17 entries. The first 16 are:
Les Hylton and Alan Mooney (Chorlton)
Geoff Leck and Shaun Leck (Davyhulme Social)
Graham Harrison and Steve Sharp (Flixton Cons)
Paul Keeling and Matt Partridge (Flixton Cons)
Dominic Porter and Philip Porter (Flixton Cons)
Alistair Edge and Mike Nelson (Mersey Valley)
Don Comerford and Ambrose Doherty (Partington)
Paul Gallagher and Steve White (Partington)
Helen Murray and Ian Rowark (Partington)
Jennie Evans and Todd Evans (Quarry Bank)
Alex Pearson and Andrew Pearson (Quarry Bank)
Stacey Burton and Dan Crowder (Roebuck)
Chris Cawdrey and Steve Crowder (Roebuck)
Jack Brittain and Martin Nugent (Sale Excel)
Colin Rothwell and Nicci Rothwell (Sale Excel)
Callum Rothwell (Sale Excel) and Andy Philips (Roebuck)
Merit competition
The Merit (for both Monday and Wednesday leagues) was scheduled for bank holiday Monday, 26 May. However only eight entries have been received to date, from three clubs. If more clubs had been represented, the competition might just be viable with this entry. As it is, the entry represents only a small proportion of the league membership.
The Merit will not therefore be run this year.
At the AGM we should review the decision to plan it for a bank holiday.
Floodlights
Three greens report problems with their floodlights. Matches at these venues should start at 6.30pm in April (especially Monday matches; we can be a bit more relaxed towards the end of April on Wednesdays).
- Beech House
- Flixton Conservative
The lights at the Roebuck are now operational again.
Annual general meeting 2025
The annual general meeting will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15 January 2024 at Urmston Men's Club.
Agenda:
1. Chairman’s Address
2. Obituaries
3. Roll call and pologies for absence
4. Minutes of the annual general meeting held on 10 January 2024
5. Matters Arising
6. Secretary’s Report
7. Treasurer’s Report
8. Auditor’s Report
9. Honoraria
10. Election of Officers
11. Chairman’s closing remarks
2024 Season
With the conclusion of the 2024 season, it's all change on Mondays. Flixton Cricket resume their historical dominance, winning both league and cup (team photo on the knock-out page).
On Wednesdays there was again a clean sweep in Division 1 for Roebuck. Division 2 was won by last year's relegated team Legh Arms, who bounce back up. The second division knock-out was marred by three teams scratching. Goldenhill Park won four matches to win the trophy (which they last won in 2019). They also had the averages winner in Dave Appleton:
Annual general meeting 2024
The minutes of the 2024 annual general meeting are now available.
Trophies
Both the Sale and Urmston leagues had amassed a collection of trophies, more than they needed individually and certainly too many for the new association. There is a web page listing what we have. Some of them may have historical or sentimental interest, but to whom? Some may have significant value as bullion.
Suggestions for the future use of these trophies are welcome.
If anybody knows the whereabouts of yet more trophies, please contact the secretary.
Direct entry user names
Clubs that play on both Mondays and Wednesdays were issued with two user names, and corresponding passwords. You can now use either user name (with its corresponding password) for matches on either night.