Local success was limited in first Bowls Durham finals
Whitburn and now RA player Craig Northam beat the Sunderland youngster 21-17.
In the women’s county finals, Dairy Lane’s Joan Rodgerson won the singles title for the first time while Hetton Workmen’s Maureen Hall, Mary Middleton and Norma Stephenson were runners-up in the triples. Sunderland’s Sue Almond lost in the two bowl final.
At the women’s national championships, held at Leamington Spa, a national title nearly returned north. In the over-55 singles final Darlington Woodland’s Ann Anderson narrowly missed out going down 21-19 against North Walsham’s England international Jayne Roylance.
There was more Durham disappointment when hopes of lifting the women’s Walker Cup double fours title were dashed in the semi-finals when they were beaten 48-34.
After winning the Northern Counties Alsop trophy, the men’s county B team finished winless and bottom of the group. The C team also finished bottom of the table.
The first Sunderland and District league title of the season went to Houghton Dairy Lane when they held off neighbours Houghton Town by three points to land a third Storey Bowl title in four years.
The Dairy Lane club did a league double by successfully defending the Earl Cup, pipping Roker Marine by a point. Barnes Park ended a five-year wait for another Swan Cup success while Ryhope ended a 14-year wait for another Harold Howey veterans league title.
Silksworth lifted the 3-21 knock out triples after they defeated Hetton Workmen’s 230-202.
The Silver Jack’s title went to Barley Mow father and son, Bobby and Bryan Sanderson when they beat Marine’s David Woodward and John Smith 15-12.
This was the Sandersons’ first Silver Jack’s success and made up for the defeat in the final two seasons previously. It was also the Barley Mow club’s second Silver Jack’s title with the last in 1974 going to David Gibson and the late Jack Bulmer.
The Burkett Shield saw Hetton Workmen’s Tom Teasdale, Rod Maxwell and Peter Harding beat Houghton Dairy Lane’s Mel Owen, Phil Smithson and Brian Cain 21-8.
Usworth’s Brian Poulter landed the champion of champion’s title defeating Barnes Park’s Albie Hill 2114 and Barnes Park’s Tommy Jopling landed a recordingbreaking third consecutive veterans title with a 21-7 win over North Biddick’s Ronnie Miller 21-7.
The Women Circle’s Margaret Mitchinson won the women’s champion of champions. The Sunderland women’s league title was retained by Dairy Lane while the singles went to Women Circle’s Margaret Mitchinson after a 21-18 win over Houghton Town’s Helen Faith.
The pairs went to Sunderland’s Pauline Temple and Janet Sykes while the Ryhope trio of Brenda Forrest, Winnie Carter and Phylis Tizard bagged a third consecutive triples title. Sunderland’s Sue Almond successfully defended the fours.
There was a tremendous finish to the Grindon League with only 3½ points covering the top six teams and Ryhope coming out on top.
The final of the Tommy Thompson double four’s saw Barnes West End face favourites Houghton Dairy Lane. Ashock looked on the cards when West End lads led 22-16 but Dairy Lane rallied and ran out 45-28 winners.
ThepopularSeahamTown open pairs went to Whitburn duo Frank Smith and Stevie Don, ending Silksworth duo of Keith Avery and David Bolt hopes’ of retaining their title.
2008 was a tough season as the region lost three of its finest players, Darlington’s county player David Joyce (47) Hartlepool’s former England international Mal Hughes (75) and Walter Newton (83) all sadly passed away.
Over the years the Herrington Workmen club used to a be a major force in the sport, fondly remembered names likes Willie Watson, Lloyd Whitworth, the Irwin brothers, Stan Jolly, Simmie Hancock were masters of the notorious sloping playing surface that many a big name struggled to get to grips with.
Their Swan Cup team retained the league title over two decades. Their run from 1967 to 1991 included 25 consecutive successful league title defences, with Roker Park finally breaking their grip on the trophy.
Sadly those days are long gone. Relegation in both the Earl and Swan Cup coupled with a decline in the club membership saw the club finally fold at the end of the 2014 season.
Six years later the clubhouse and green are still there but it is sad to see the once great green in the state it is now. Prior to the pandemic it was used as a football pitch for an under-10’s league, which is ironic as former Sunderland and current England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was once a young member of the club.