Issue Four: The Secret Seven And Sue Go Shopping!
With a week of sunny weather behind us, the powers that be, God, and Frank McClory-Mitchell Cert Ed. decided that the green should not open until Thursday until 4.00pm. Soooo…. a few bowlers, well myself and Brendan Rice turned up only to be met with a downpour and a Hon Sec, President and Treasurer who decided that discretion was the better part of valour and they returned to the safety of the indoor short mat with the bowlists of the Junior Section. We had to make do with a succession of adult beverages to drown our sorrows. And yes Brendan, I did tell your wife that you had four pints instead of the one you lied to her about!!
The weather was marginally better on Friday so the good Mr Rice, Mickey “Blue Eyes” Corrigan and Pat Lillis led the charge to throw the first bowl. Their little entourage looked more like a posse of prisoners taking exercise in the yard of Alcatraz than bowlists but they seemed to enjoy themselves. Not to be outdone, the aforesaid Mr Rice’s bride led a bevy of beauties on to the rink ( or is it lane? ) beside them and taunted them with their sassy swaggers up and down the sward. And unlike the men who seemed to have difficulty getting it up, the ladies had no problem!
Mrs and Mr Linda Brown preferred to watch from the warmth of the club with a refreshing recreational tincture saying they had only come down to leave in their bowls!! Dan Cregan said he could not go out to play as he had raffles to sell and Murph swore he was told by an absent Maxi that it would not open until Monday. And BTW congrats to the aforesaid Mrs Brown and her several dolly friends who at one fell swoop got their bus passes and reduced fees for the Club.
Bowling started in earnest on the Saturday and after the friendly game, I stepped out and proved that six months of winter training in the Stadium proved hee haw good as I played as if I had never thrown a bowl before.
Overheard in conversation “ X is thinking of dropping down to the Midweek Team!” Listen laddie, you do notdrop down to the Midweek Team, you move across and as it is the only team that has even sniffed winning silverware recently, one might say it should be a move up!
Congratulations to the Bowlists Committee for organising a panel night for the Midweek teams. It is something which I have thought about often - squad nights. Too often bowlers go out for a casual roll up/throw up without any thought as to how it might improve their game. We need to be playing long jacks, short jacks, misplaced jacks, mats at varying lengths, playing with wet gear on when it’s raining and when it’s not, reversing normal playing positions etc. It all helps when these situations occur in competition. I would ask the Midweek squad (1 and 2) – as Captain, to take say a Monday night for an hour and do this. It also makes for team bonding – just a thought!
In the same vein nice to see the Ladies Section organising a coaching evening – way forward girls!
Congratulations also to the bowlist who, when asked who was the Captain of the Midweek Team and was told it was me, managed not to laugh in my face. He simply uttered with some disbelief “You??..... You??” and walked away scratching his head, whilst throwing over his shoulder “ Oh I am sure you will make a very good one!”. Be still my beating heart!
A “Concerned Bowler” – he/she does not wish to be named - informs me that there is a secret society within the Club. Spotted in Sainsburys and obviously up to no good, within a thirty minute time frame were the following….. Gerry Lee, Brian Smith, John Kerr –who happens to be my informant’s son in law in law, Niall Walsh, Pat Lillis, Joe Ferguson, Harry Sargeant and Sue Murphy. To check on this I went in the following day and lo and behold Big Jackie was seen wandering around the shelves. Too late Jackie Boy – they were all gone!! And do not worry, the contents of your shopping basket are safe with me!!
Until the next smooth delivery.......
With a week of sunny weather behind us, the powers that be, God, and Frank McClory-Mitchell Cert Ed. decided that the green should not open until Thursday until 4.00pm. Soooo…. a few bowlers, well myself and Brendan Rice turned up only to be met with a downpour and a Hon Sec, President and Treasurer who decided that discretion was the better part of valour and they returned to the safety of the indoor short mat with the bowlists of the Junior Section. We had to make do with a succession of adult beverages to drown our sorrows. And yes Brendan, I did tell your wife that you had four pints instead of the one you lied to her about!!
The weather was marginally better on Friday so the good Mr Rice, Mickey “Blue Eyes” Corrigan and Pat Lillis led the charge to throw the first bowl. Their little entourage looked more like a posse of prisoners taking exercise in the yard of Alcatraz than bowlists but they seemed to enjoy themselves. Not to be outdone, the aforesaid Mr Rice’s bride led a bevy of beauties on to the rink ( or is it lane? ) beside them and taunted them with their sassy swaggers up and down the sward. And unlike the men who seemed to have difficulty getting it up, the ladies had no problem!
Mrs and Mr Linda Brown preferred to watch from the warmth of the club with a refreshing recreational tincture saying they had only come down to leave in their bowls!! Dan Cregan said he could not go out to play as he had raffles to sell and Murph swore he was told by an absent Maxi that it would not open until Monday. And BTW congrats to the aforesaid Mrs Brown and her several dolly friends who at one fell swoop got their bus passes and reduced fees for the Club.
Bowling started in earnest on the Saturday and after the friendly game, I stepped out and proved that six months of winter training in the Stadium proved hee haw good as I played as if I had never thrown a bowl before.
Overheard in conversation “ X is thinking of dropping down to the Midweek Team!” Listen laddie, you do notdrop down to the Midweek Team, you move across and as it is the only team that has even sniffed winning silverware recently, one might say it should be a move up!
Congratulations to the Bowlists Committee for organising a panel night for the Midweek teams. It is something which I have thought about often - squad nights. Too often bowlers go out for a casual roll up/throw up without any thought as to how it might improve their game. We need to be playing long jacks, short jacks, misplaced jacks, mats at varying lengths, playing with wet gear on when it’s raining and when it’s not, reversing normal playing positions etc. It all helps when these situations occur in competition. I would ask the Midweek squad (1 and 2) – as Captain, to take say a Monday night for an hour and do this. It also makes for team bonding – just a thought!
In the same vein nice to see the Ladies Section organising a coaching evening – way forward girls!
Congratulations also to the bowlist who, when asked who was the Captain of the Midweek Team and was told it was me, managed not to laugh in my face. He simply uttered with some disbelief “You??..... You??” and walked away scratching his head, whilst throwing over his shoulder “ Oh I am sure you will make a very good one!”. Be still my beating heart!
A “Concerned Bowler” – he/she does not wish to be named - informs me that there is a secret society within the Club. Spotted in Sainsburys and obviously up to no good, within a thirty minute time frame were the following….. Gerry Lee, Brian Smith, John Kerr –who happens to be my informant’s son in law in law, Niall Walsh, Pat Lillis, Joe Ferguson, Harry Sargeant and Sue Murphy. To check on this I went in the following day and lo and behold Big Jackie was seen wandering around the shelves. Too late Jackie Boy – they were all gone!! And do not worry, the contents of your shopping basket are safe with me!!
Until the next smooth delivery.......