|
THE MUSSELBURGH BOWLING CLUB
History
150th Anniversay Commemorative Booklet (2005) |
| Home |
| Office Bearers - 2013 / 14 |
| Constitution |
| Honours Board |
| Fixture card |
| Club Competitions |
| Esk League Report |
| News - AGM |
| Contact us |
| Calendar |
| Test |
Congratulations toMusselburgh Bowling Clubon reaching your
150th Anniversary from BELHAVEN BEST
‘The cream of Scottish beer’
|
It is indeed a privilege and a pleasure to be the President of Musselburgh Bowling Club during our 150th year and to invite you to be part of our celebrations. I am, to the best of my knowledge, the 63rd person to hold this distinguished office although it is impossible to be positive owing to the loss of our earliest records. Our club has produced many members who have brought us honour on the green up to international level some of whom you may read about inside these pages in a short update of our history or in the Hall of Fame section. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, members and visitors alike, for helping us to celebrate this special year. I must especially thank all the members of the Council and the 2005 Sub-Committee for organising the celebrations. Gentlemen, welcome to my club! George H Fraser President |
|
|
|
2005 PROGRAMME Sunday Fixture v ELCO Bowling Club 6 Rinks Monday Musselburgh v Musselburgh Municipal,
Hole in the Wa, Levenhall Arms,
Cockenzie & Port Seton Bowling Club
Four Rinks Tuesday Musselburgh v SBA, MBA and Esk League
Three Rinks Wednesday Musselburgh v Local Association Clubs Six Rinks Thursday Musselburgh v Old Friends -
Dalkeith, Portobello, Craigentinny,
Currie, Brunstane, Merchiston Bowling Clubs Six Rinks Friday League Teams v The Rest Six Rinks Saturday Past Presidents v Past Champions Six Rinks Formal Dinner |
|
As an incomer to Musselburgh and a relatively new member of the club I would like to record my thanks to all of the members who have helped with this update especially Walter Philip and John Downie Snr. The last fifty years have seen amazing changes not only in the sport of bowling but in the world in general. Which of our predecessors in 1955 could have envisaged satellite television, cash machines, internet shopping, holidays in Mexico or footballers earning £130,000 a week? Which of them would have thought that in 2005 clubs that they knew well would be struggling to attract new members and, in some cases, struggling to survive. In the wake of our very successful centenary celebrations in 1955 it was fitting that the club champion in 1956 should be John W Love who had, of course, been our centenary president. The post-centenary momentum was, however, short-lived since it was twelve years before he managed to triumph again! JW went on to be president of the Midlothian Bowling Association and, in 1977, SBA President and is, without doubt, one of the most significant figures in the history of Musselburgh Bowling Club. He worked tirelessly for the club during his life and left a cash legacy without which this club would look quite different than it does today; more of which later. 1957 saw another stalwart of the club, Water Philip, take the championship and, like his predecessor go on to be one of the most influential members of the last fifty years. In a sort
|
|
of reverse of JW Love’s pattern Walter had to do two years as president, in 1967 and 68, before winning the championship again in 1970, thirteen years after his first win. Walter has Musselburgh Bowling Club in his blood and is very proud that his father and grandfather take the Philip connection back to the early years of the 20th century. Walter has great respect for the traditions of the club and, while he is sceptical about the perceived exclusive image of the early days:- ‘ye had tae be a director or a councillor tae get in’ he is fiercely protective of the respectability of the club and the fact that its members are expected to behave like gentlemen. He remembers the prominent position of the ‘swear box’ in the old clubhouse which was only for mild words. Anything stronger and the offender was in trouble with his fellow members never mind the council. It is also evident from conversations with Walter and other long standing members that the objectives of the club were crystal clear and well understood by all. Musselburgh Bowling Club was just that – a bowling club. No social members; no ambitions to host profit – making social events; no pretensions regarding plush surroundings; no telephone. As long as the club maintained the bowling facilities, provided refreshment and kept its head above water nobody asked for more. After a member took a heart attack in the clubhouse, and subsequently died, it was decided to consider a telephone but it was three years after the event that it was finally installed !
|
|
At the time of the centenary club tours were relatively uncommon and Musselburgh’s inaugural tour did not take place until 1958. After much planning and preparation twenty – sixteen bowlers and four wives (honestly) boarded the bus for a week’s touring based in Llandrindod Wells, a spa town in Wales. The cost of the tour, including transport, hotel, meals and miniatures to give to opponents was £27 per head. Their Welsh hosts, dressed in blazers and whites, were surprised to greet the Musselburgh bowlers wearing lounge suits; a point that was remarked upon by all of their opponents that week. At the end of a very enjoyable week it was decided that a tour should be organised for 1960 and that blazers and whites would be mandatory dress code. This became common among touring teams in the sixties and seventies and led to the contemporary concept of club dress, the ubiquitous blazer and flannels introduced in the eighties. There were eleven one week tours in all, in Wales, Ireland and England with only the final one, in 1978, being in Scotland at Portsoy. It is worth recounting the costs involved in these pioneering days, for instance Dublin in 1962, return flight from Turnhouse £4.10s (£4.50 ) total cost under £30. Compared with these prices the Portsoy tour in 1978 cost around £90 which was deemed to be too expensive and week – long tours were to give way to the more affordable (sic ) week – end versions we know today. Another innovation of the last fifty years in Musselburgh Bowling club has been trophies for our competitions. At the time of our centenary the championship medal had been lost in a fire along with the Cochrane Cup. The latter had been salvaged and a new ( smaller ) version created for the Handicap in 1951.
|
|
Since then trophies have been donated for all of our competitions and many skilful bowlers have ‘held them aloft’. The WS Lowe trophy, for pairs, was donated by his widow in 1958. In 1970 Henry Gibson, the President, donated a trophy for two bowl open singles and in 1978 the family of W Wilson donated a rosebowl for club three bowl singles. In the same year the McVicar triples trophy was presented to the club. The ultimate prize is, of course, the Championship and this trophy was presented by the Philip family in 1969. Over the past fifty years, as before, the Championship has been keenly contested and several members have particularly distinguished themselves. Bobby Ross, the wandering minstrel, a three-time winner in 1974, 76 and 78. Billy, ‘maestro’, Rankin ( others tell the truth ) has four wins to his name and has the only hat-trick of the last fifty years 1986, 87 and 88 and only the second one in the club’s history. Perhaps the most remarkable feat, however, is that of Jimmy Neilson who has amassed five championships over an eighteen-year period between 1979 and 1997 and still going strong! The club has also had great success when ‘gon oot’ in competitions and our honours board does us proud. Since the centenary we have had success in the Elibank Trophy in 1964, 74 and 76 and the Riding of the Marches in 1974. We have been spectacularly successful in the Cruden Trophy which was presented by that firm in 1967, at the behest of our now Honorary Vice- President, Bob Arthur, to be contested among seven local clubs. Musselburgh has
|
|
triumphed eleven times through Bobby Ross, John Downie Snr., Sep McAlpine, George Langlands, Jimmy Neilson, Billy Rankin ( twice ), Kenny Ross ( thrice ) and Sandy Knight. The Hope Pairs victory of 1980 was especially memorable because of Bob Arthur’s partner Alec Grieve who was one of the great characters of Musselburgh Bowling Club (see Hall Of Fame). We have also enjoyed success in the Rosebery in1977, 1983, 1995, 1999 and 2004, the Midlothian Trophy in 1998, 99 and 2002 and the Douglas Trophy in 2000 and 2003. This year we were proud to represent Midlothian in the national Top Ten competition and we congratulate Jocky Miller and his team for their achievement. The last fifty years have also seen the birth of the Esk League ( 1967 ) and competitive bowling on Friday nights. The club now has three teams in the first, third and fifth divisions of the league and, home or away, it makes for a lively night in the clubhouse from 9.30pm onwards. The league teams have had various successes since 1967 and the first team are invariably challenging for the top division title. Off the green the greatest change has been in our premises with our locker / committee room being completed in 2001 and the clubhouse refurbished in 2002 during the Presidencies of Jim Montgomery and Ward Bannerman respectively. As mentioned previously JW Love left a generous bequest to the club which largely paid for the locker room and for which the members are eternally grateful. Many members
|
|
gave of their time and effort during these projects but I trust no one will be offended if Ward Bannerman and our ex – Match Secretary Jim Hogg get a special mention. The clubhouse refurbishment required a bank loan which the members approved in the hope that the new clubhouse would generate significantly higher income than previously. Sadly, although we have had several successful social events, this has not been the case. The last two years have not been the most financially stable in the club’s history and we are grateful to members such as Brian Martin and Jim Little for their generosity. At the time of writing, thankfully, the financial situation has improved and we can enjoy our celebrations confident of a bright future. One characteristic of the club that has not changed is that it has only male members or, as some would have it, it is a bastion of male chauvinism. Our ladies day used to be very popular and, when run by the members’ wives, made a handsome profit for the club but we have as yet had no applications for membership by a lady. Perhaps who ever updates the club history in fifty years time will be writing about innovations by the lady members. Perhaps not. Gentlemen, enjoy the week and here’s to the next fifty! David McMillan
|
|
PRESIDENTS
|
|
PRESIDENTS
|
|
|
|
|
CHAMPIONS
|
|
PRESIDENTS |
|
CHAMPIONS
|
|
CHAMPIONS
|
|
|
|
|
|
HONOURS BOARD
S.B.A. PRESIDENTS 1904 J.B. 1977 J.W.LOVE
M.B.A. PRESIDENTS 1974 -76 S. HILTON 2000 - 01 G.W. LANGLANDS
SCOTTISH FOURS CHAMPIONS 1919 H. GIBSON D. LOWE J. LOVE W.S. LOWE (Skip) 1894 1903 1908 1921 1938 1998 1999 2002 2004 1906 1926 1930 1987 1993 1996 1998 ELIBANK TROPHY 19131914 1964 1974 1976
|
|
HONOURS BOARD
ROSEBERY TROPHY
1895 J. McBEAN 1905 J. SINCLAIR 1908 T.C. ROBERTSON 1910 T.C. ROBERTSON 1919 WS. LOWE 1932 R. SMITH 1977 G.L.MAXWELL 1983 G.W.LANGLANDS 1995 W.K. RANKIN 1999 W.K. RANKIN 2004 N. CRUDEN TROPHY 1975 R. ROSS 1979 J. DOWNIE 1980 S.R. McALPINE 1982 G.W. LANGLANDS 1984 J. NEILSON 1988 W.K. RANKIN 1991 W.K. RANKIN 2000 K. ROSS 2001 K. ROSS 2002 K. ROSS 2004 A.J. KNIGHT
|
|
HONOURS BOARD McINTOSH TROPHY 1996 S. ROBERTSON
1936 1941 HOPE PAIRS
1933 J. 1943 J. SCOTT J. LOVE 1980 A. GRIEVE R. ARTHUR RIDING OF THE 1919 A. GRIEVE R. ARTHUR J.A. YOUNG G.W. LANGLANDS (Skip)
|
|
ESK LEAGUE
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HALL OF FAME JW LOVE Club President during the centenary celebrations and a man whose heart was definitely in Musselburgh Bowling Club. Club Champion in 1956 and 1968 John went on to be President of the Midlothian Bowling Association and SBA President in 1977. Given that he also left a legacy to the club it remains a mystery why nothing in the club is named after him. SYDNEY HILTON Syd was President of the Midlothian Bowling Association from 1974 to 1976 serving a third by popular request . He is a gentleman in every sense and has brought nothing but credit to Musselburgh Bowling Club over the years. He is still active in the club and is currently a valued member of the 2005 sub – committee. WALTER PHILIP Proud of his family’s long association with the club it means a great deal to Walter that this week is a success. Club Champion in 1957 and 1970 and President in 1967 and 68 his family presented the trophy which is now awarded to the Club Champion. Sadly, Walter had to relinquish his post as Honorary President as his eyesight has deteriorated to the point where he is completely blind. A stalwart. GEORGE LANGLANDS President in 1977 and 78 George went on to be President of Midlothian Bowling Association where, as a past President, he is still active today. He was
|
|
HALL OF FAME JIM DICKSON and MARTIN SCOTT Remembered by the club for different reasons. Martin a model member who served on the Council and would do anything asked of him for the club. Big Jim the wild man from the Hole in the Wa’ who continued to party up till his untimely death. Both have trophies named after them contested annually between the club and the Hole in the Wa’ and the Levenhall Arms. WK RANKIN Billy is undoubtedly one of the most talented bowlers in the club’s recent history. Champion four times with a hat – trick to his name he has won most of the trophies within the club. He has represented the club at County level for many years and was recently part of the winning Scottish team in the British Isles tournament in Belfast. No doubt there is still more to come from Billy. 2004 TOP TEN The team did incredibly well to win the Midlothian event to qualify for the National Tournament. Congratulations to Jocky Miller, Kenny Ross, Andrew & Jimmy Neilson, Stuart & Bob Fleming, Micky Robertson, Neil Murray & Billy Rankin for a great effort.
|
THE FAMOUS GROUSE Scotch Whisky Official Sponsors of Scottish Happy to sponsor
150th Anniversary
|
|
OLD FRIENDS Dalkeith BC The club’s oldest friendly. The minute books indicate that the fixture started in the 1870’s and it is obviously a game enjoyed by all having stood the test of time. The Tuesday evening format has caused problems of late and a return to a week-end fixture may have to be considered. Portobello BC Another friendly which dates back to the 19th century and a very popular one with the members of both clubs. Skips find it relatively easy to get four rinks for this one and we look forward to a good game on Thursday 28th Craigentinny BC Reputedly arranged by two Musselburgh businessmen, who were members of the respective clubs, this fixture has been going since 1902 or 1903. Again no problems getting players for this one. ELCO BC Not as old as those above but the association goes back a long way. A six rink game for which the sheet is full on the day it goes up. Always a great game and social occasion we look forward to seeing them on Sunday 24th to kick off our week with a party.
|
 |
|
Closing of green - Inveresk Road, 1911 |
