Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
Here is the 2015 Preview of the Shropshire Bowls Premier League Season as told by the clubs.
Archibald Worthington
Captain: Nigel Ashley
Players Signed:Matthew Benbow (Wrenbury), James Evans (Ash)
Players left: Paul Gleave (Prees), Lee Peate (Hanmer)
Targets for your team: Pushing towards mid-table
Bowring
Captain: Rich Lawson
Players Signed: Jack France (Newport), George Williams (Wem USC)
Players left: Keith Anderson (St Georges), Pete Griffiths
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Meole Brace
Dark Horses: SJB/Bowring
Favourites for wooden spoon: Bylet
Targets for your team: Top half finish and a good cup run
Who will be pushing for the playoffs: Hanwood and Hanmer – again!
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Final and Hopefully Win
How could we improve the league: No comment!!!
Burway
Captain: Duncan Pressley
Players Signed: None – We will be playing several of our younger bowlers more often (Adam Dovey, Lewis Rogers and Josh Partridge). Plus the return of Len Lewis!
Players Left: Jesse James (Craven Arms), Simon Parsonage (Injury)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: SJB 3rd: Castlefields
Dark Horses: Burway
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Close relegation battle between several teams including: AWC, Wem USC and Bylet
Targets for your team? If we can emulate last year we will be happy!
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Same teams as always Hanwood, Hanmer, possibly Battlefield?
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Win the group – then who knows!
How could we improve the league? No comment
Bylet
Not received
Castlefields
Captain: Keith Walton
Players Signed: Callum Wraight, Andy Judson, Luke Jones (Wem USC), Clay Flattley (St Georges) & Dave Hoffman
Players left: None
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Sir John Bayley
Dark Horses: Meole Brace
Favourites for wooden spoon: AWC
Targets for your team: To improve from last years efforts
Who will be pushing for the playoffs: Hanwood
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Beat Warwick and Worcester and Shropshire win it
How could we improve the league: Start of season comp. Play Alan Mayhew Trophy on two greens on one day down to a winner (8 a side).
Chester Road
Captain: Martin Lloyd
Players Signed: Gary Beff, Mark Burden
Players left: Paul Smith, Paul Humphreys (Shawbury)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Meole Brace
Dark Horses: Sir John Bayley
Favourites for wooden spoon: AWC
Targets for your team: To finish in the top 6 and avoid another 7 point deduction
Who will be pushing for the playoffs: Hanwood and Hanmer will be looking to have another crack at the playoffs for sure
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Semi Final place should be a near certainity, then anything is possible.
How could we improve the league: Quite happy with current set up
Hadley USC
Captain: Phil King
Players Signed: Ian Pessall (St Georges), Neil Martin (Sir John Bayley) & Lee Bowden (Bridgnorth)
Players Left: Simon Homer, Paul Bradburne (Wrock Wood), Ray Gregory (St Georges), Jamie King (Newport)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Sir John Bayley 3rd: Castlefields
Dark Horses: Ifton
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Bylet or AWC
Targets for your team? Same as last year will do nicely
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Hanmer and Hanwood
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Should get through to semis depending on what happens with the Isle of Man then a big game with Warwick and Worcester in the semis. But just get through the group first.
How could we improve the league? Make it a county wide league for all teams who are interested. Then have divisions with promotion/relegation.
Ifton
Captain: Dickie Jones
Players Signed: Craig Griffiths (Hanmer), Lewis Scott (Prestatyn), Anthony Harper, Graham Rogers, Ian Metcalfe (Ellesmere), Kev Nicholas (Gresford Colliery)
Players Left: Dave Edwards (The George) & Jeff Cooper (Year out)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Meole Brace
Dark Horses: Sir John Bayley
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Bylet or AWC
Targets for your team? To finish in the top 6
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Hanwood
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Semi Finals
How could we improve the league? Make it 10 a side
Meole Brace
Captain: Mark Thomas
Players Signed: Doug Edwards (Prince of Wales), John Nash (SJB)
Players Left: Nick Davies (Hanwood)
Targets for your team? Win the league.
Newport
Captain: Dale Rudrum
Players Signed: Jamie King (Hadley USC)
Players Left: None
Premier Top 3: From Us, Castlefields, Meole Brace, SJB and St Georges
Dark Horses: Burway
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Bylet
Targets for your team? Would be silly not to say go for 5 in a row.
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? The usual suspects
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? We have the players to go all the way.
How could we improve the league? No comment
St Georges
Captain: Tony Rhodes
Players Signed: Andy James & Simon Madeley (Bylet)
Players Left: Clay Flattley (Castlefields) Carl Hazlehurst (Not Playing)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: AN Other 3rd: AN Other
Dark Horses: No one will come close to Newport
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Bylet
Targets for your team? Improve on last year and have some good cup runs
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Same old, same old. Hanwood, Hanmer. Let ‘em in
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Depends whether they get back from the IOM
How could we improve the league? Already gone some way by bringing in new blood. Follow the rules and don’t be too obliging when faced with difficult decisions.
Sir John Bayley
Captain: Tom Roden
Players Signed: Chris Ward, Gordon Hawkins, Scott Simpson (All unattached), Bob Plant (St Georges), Paul Yapp (Horsehay).
Players Left: Ayden Smith (Donn Wood), Brian Shore (Year out due to bad car accident), John Nash (Meole Brace)
Premier Top 3: 1st Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Meole Brace
Dark Horses: Castlefields
Favorites for wooden spoon: Archie or Bylet depending on who they’ve managed to keep hold of.
Targets for your team: Maintain our recent “Champions League” status and finish top 4 and as always to try to win a bit of silverware.
Who will be pushing for the playoffs: Hanwood and Hanmer should be there and possibly someone like MCC through the Highley League?
How will Shropshire do in the Crossfield Cup: On paper we should win our group, after that its most likely W&W. I believe the winner of that match will win the Crossfield Cup.
How could we improve the league: I’d like to see the league open up to more clubs and add more divisions. It would be good for the county to have more people experiencing SPBL bowls.
Wem USC
Captain: Mike Dulson
Players Signed: Curtis Metcalfe (Ellesmere), Gavin Tommy (Wem BC),
Players Left: Callum Wraight, Andrew Judson & Luke Jones (Castlefields)
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Castlefields 3rd: Meole Brace
Dark Horses: SJB
Favourites for the wooden spoon: AWC
Targets for your team?. Sustain top six finish and to help develop some new young blood into the side for the future.
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Hanwood, Hanmer and Adderley
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Semi final
How could we improve the league? Consider “game of the week” feature and play it on a Sunday evening (apart from county days). Teams play in front of bigger crowds which will help players deal with pressure, which will help develop county bowls. Consider a re-vamp of the Alan Mayhew Trophy, one day team event at the start of the season.
Wrockwardine Wood
Captain: Stuart Clee
Players Signed: N/A
Players Left: N/A
Premier Top 3: 1st: Newport 2nd: Meole Brace 3rd: St George’s
Dark Horses: S J Bayley
Favourites for the wooden spoon: Bylet
Targets for your team? Top 6
Who will be pushing for the playoffs? Hanwood
How will Shropshire do in the Crosfield Cup this year? Reach the final
How could we improve the league? Attempt getting big games televised i.e. through Mel Evans