Taylor Support Shropshire Premier Bowls League
We have had two County Presidents before Mick Jones, Mike Hinton in 2001 and Alan Mayhew in 2010. Mike Hinton took the County Merit to Craven Arms in 2001, with the article below, by Malcolm Kelly of the Shropshire Star, about the Merit that day.
Few words, just the broadest of smiles – that was only way of telling Charlie Weaver had just been crowned the new Merit bowls champion of Shropshire.
“It’s a really good feeling,” was all the new young king on the block could muster within seconds of lifting the magnificent Charles Beddard Trophy following his soaraway, sunshine success at Craven Arms.
And make no mistake, Weaver – like fellow north Shropshire-based farmers Andrew Moss in 1999 and Peter Farmer (1993) who have also won the Shropshire Star-backed competition – is here to stay.
Despite the heat of a glorious day, the 22-year-old was coolness personified as he romped to five victories and the most coveted singles title in Shropshire.
It took him just 30 minutes to beat final rival Richard Lawson (Donnington Wood) 21-8 and pocket the £300 first prize.
But it was a quickfire victory that fanfares his arrival on the Shropshire stage after early hints of his talent in winning the Whitchurch League Merit in 1999, having been the league’s under-21 champion twice.
And it was even better when you take into account that Weaver, having joined Chester Road in the Premier League just last year, had only seen the Craven Arms green once before.
He started playing at Audlem with his mother and father, Anthony and Carol, and soon graduated to playing for Whitchurch club District in the Whitchurch and Market Drayton leagues.
His big break in the Premier could have come a couple of years earlier when Steve Matthews recruited Andy Smith, Dale and Ian Booth from Audlem for new entrants Childs Ercall.
Sadly for Matthews, he did not feel Weaver “had it” – but the Ercall man was one of a big admiring crowd in south Shropshire to see Weaver’s moment of glory.
He’s clearly a top class sporting allrounder – playing hockey for county giants Shrewsbury and Shropshire, as well as being hot stuff on a snooker table – but it looks sure to be in bowls that he makes the most impact.
He lost the first end of Sunday’s final against Lawson, but never trailed again, using a 30 metre mark around the crown of the green to race 16-6 up.
It was then that Lawson managed to hold on to the jack for the first time to score a couple of singles, but there was no denying Charlie boy – a 16-1 outsider before play started.
Having lost first round in last year’s finals at Bicton, Weaver had the simplest of game plans.
“My ambition was to win my first game and then try and get to the semi-finals to get a place in the All England finals,” he said.
Well, Weaver more than exceeded his ambitions and let’s hope he can take the likes of Yorkshire star Graeme Wilson – who won it last year- and Potteries ace Kerry Morris by surprise come next month.
But while Weaver was starting his quiet celebrations, there was plenty of sympathy for Lawson.
For it was almost 16 years ago to the day that he lost in the 1985 Merit final to a certain Alan Dodd at British Sugar – aged 16! As for first-time host club Craven Arms it was for them, like Weaver, a day to cherish.
And county president Mike Hinton was quick to pay tribute, saying: “It’s been one of the best Merits I have ever attended.”
Greenkeepers Ray Hollick and Tony Cowdale had produced a surface fit for a king – and Weaver had graced it.
