Club Competitions
The following competitions are listed upon the club notice board yearly for all members to enter. The winner receives a trophy to keep and the competition trpohy to hold for one year.
Club Championship (A.J Alsop Trophy)
This is the clubs main competition. This is a Four Wood Singles playing first to 21 shots. The winner of this competition is entered into the District League and EBA Champion of Champions. The competition was named after our most famous ever player the late Alwyn Alsop who has been EBA President and has a Durham County Trophy named after him which the County ‘B’ Team play for. He spent a lot of time with Woodland BC in Darlington and is well known in the history of many clubs in Durham & Northumberland.
George Shaw Cup
This is another competition names after a former bowler who achieved great things in competition while at South Park Bowls Club. This competition is also a Four Wood Singles playing first to 21 shots. However this competition is open open to entry for members who haven’t won any competitions in the last five years. This is a good competition for new learners and bowlers with less ability to help boost their confidence.
J.R. Hopperton Club
This former bowler played in the same era as many of our famous bowlers and had his name put on this trophy. This is a 3 wood singles playing 21 ends for an unusual approach to singles competition but tests the ability of bowlers used to playing four wood singles.
Jimmy Henderson Shield
Also a former member of the club, this shield is about 25 years old and used to be played as an open one day tournament but has since changed and become one of the main frame club competitions. This is a Two Wood Singles playing 21 ends. This Two Wood singles competition is ran very much like the two wood singles game in the Top Club Competition where ends run out very quickly and if a large score is lost it is hard to catch up in time.
George Hill Trophy
Obviously named after another former member which was well respected many years ago.
This competition is the only team competition the club now runs due to the difficulty of getting entries in larger numbered competitions. This is ran as a pairs 21 end competition using four woods each which has been very popular over the years. 21 ens pairs is always a good game however when the dark nights draw in at the end of the season it becomes tricky fitting the ends in before darkness!
The next few competitions are now to be ran as one open competitions which anyone can play in regardless of gender and will be made open to the public this year in an attempt to attract more members to the club.
Stan Johnson Plate
Stan is still a very well remembered member of the club whose wife presented the plate to the winner in the opening years of competition. This is a very nice silver plate which is played for on a yearly basis normally by club members only, however this year it is being made available to everyone for better rlations with people around the South Park area. The format of this competition is normally decided on the day depending on entries and time to fit in the games.
Mick Coleman Shield
Michael is the most recent bowler to have a trophy named in his honour. Sadly 3 years ago Mick passed away and Fred Freeman kindly donated this shield on his behalf. Michael was a great bowler for over 30 years for South Park and was well liked by all members of the club for being the gentleman that he was. This is now ran as an open one day competition which is ran normally as a two wood singles.
Centenary Plaque
This very attractive plaque made out of wood with sart engraving was donated by Norman Soulsby for the clubs 1996 100 year anniversary. This is played for on a yearly basis originally as a drawn pairs but as happens to everything, a decline in membership has meant singles has been more appropriate.
The Mick Coleman Shield & Centenary Plaque is hopefully to be played on the same weekend this year in an advertising campaign to promote the game. This has been pushed by the EBA this year in an attempt to increase the popularity of the game. If we are successful in our marketing of this we will run raffles, snacks and a good competition for both trophies.
The Presidents Cup
This Cup is ran purely by the selected president of its year. The date is selected by the president and can be singles, pairs triples, crown green it doesn’t matter – it is a fun day in honour of the president who would normally provide the prizes for this competition.
Fred Hopkins Memorial Trophy
This trophy has been kindly donated by Barry Hopkins in memory of his father. The trophy will be used as the new Works League Club Championship of which the winner will enter into the Works League Champion of Champions.