The 2017 fixtures for the Manchester Premier League have been released. Tonge Bowling Club, from Middleton in North Manchester, will be going for their third consecutive league titles and open the season with a home game against South Manchester RBL.
That fixture last season saw a convincing home win with only Ged Smedley winning for the visitors. Tonge’s Jim Derby almost had the perfect season and he will be looking for revenge for his last game of the season loss against South Manchester’s Mark Sutton on the Legion’s green.
Last season’s runners-up, Sale Excelsior WMC, open up against Tottington Conservatives. Sale’s leading man last season was Father Geoff Hilton and bowls most famous and distinguished ‘man of the cloth’ will be looking for another good start to the season. One of Geoff’s three losses was against Jim Derby in a long remembered battle on Sale.
Third placed Lloyds will be looking to repeat last season’s whitewash of Liverpool’s Richmond who, if rumours are true, are looking to sign new players for next season.
Warrington’s King and Queen welcome Stockport’s Nursery to their green which was the venue for a proper battle between these two clubs last season.
With nine teams in the league it means that one team will have no game each week. The first week of the season sees the returning Garswood Hall have no game. This club and their famous green have a rich and proud history and they will be looking to make a successful return to the premier league.
The last few seasons has seen a resurgence in this famous club and they must be congratulated for all the work they have done both on and off the green. They were one of the main reasons that the finals day of the 2015 Arthur land Super Cup was so successful and they are a fantastic addition to the league. (Steve Davies – Manchester Premier League Secretary)
I’m delighted and excited at what the future holds for our club and just hope that the momentum continues over the coming months and years! (Nicky Shaw – Garswood Hall Secretary)
In order to avoid any clashes with the long established bowling festivals in the north-west so there are no scheduled games on either of the Isle of Man Festival weeks in June and September or the Fleetwood Festival in July.
Looking through the fixtures it looks like June, hopefully a flamingly hot June (well I can hope can’t I?) will provide some entertainment. The 7th sees the Lloyds and Sale derby game and Garswood Hall travelling to Tonge. The 14th sees the reigning champions head off the Lloyds and after a break for the Isle of Man Tonge welcome Sale Excelsior, last season’s runners-up, to their Middleton green.
These fixtures are of course reversed in the second half of the season starting on the 23rd August. This means that Sale will play Tonge at home on the last day of the season in September.
Fixtures for Manchester Premier Bowling League 2017
Wed 26th Apr
Garswood Hall V Bye
King and Queen V Nursery
Lloyds V Richmond
Sale Excelsior V Tottington Cons
Tonge V South Manchester RBL
Wed 3rd May
Bye V Lloyds
Nursery V Tonge
Richmond V Garswood Hall
South Manchester RBL V Sale Excelsior
Tottington Cons V King and Queen
Wed 10th May
Garswood Hall V King and Queen
Lloyds V Tottington Cons
Nursery V South Manchester RBL
Sale Excelsior V Richmond
Tonge V Bye
Wed 17th May
Bye V Nursery
King and Queen V Sale Excelsior
Richmond V Tonge
South Manchester RBL V Lloyds
Tottington Cons V Garswood Hall
Wed 24th May
Garswood Hall V Sale Excelsior
Lloyds V King and Queen
Nursery V Richmond
South Manchester RBL V Bye
Tonge V Tottington Cons
Wed 31st May
Garswood Hall V Lloyds
King and Queen V Tonge
Richmond V South Manchester RBL
Sale Excelsior V Nursery
Tottington Cons V Bye
Wed 7th Jun
Bye V Richmond
Lloyds V Sale Excelsior
Nursery V Tottington Cons
South Manchester RBL V King and Queen
Tonge V Garswood Hall
Wed 14th Jun
Garswood Hall V Nursery
King and Queen V Richmond
Lloyds V Tonge
Sale Excelsior V Bye
Tottington Cons V South Manchester RBL
Wed 28th Jun
Bye V King and Queen
Nursery V Lloyds
Richmond V Tottington Cons
South Manchester RBL V Garswood Hall
Tonge V Sale Excelsior
Wed 5th Jul
Bye V Garswood Hall
Nursery V King and Queen
Richmond V Lloyds
South Manchester RBL V Tonge
Tottington Cons V Sale Excelsior
Wed 12th Jul
Garswood Hall V Richmond
King and Queen V Tottington Cons
Lloyds V Bye
Sale Excelsior V South Manchester RBL
Tonge V Nursery
Wed 19th Jul
Bye V Tonge
King and Queen V Garswood Hall
Richmond V Sale Excelsior
South Manchester RBL V Nursery
Tottington Cons V Lloyds
Wed 2nd Aug
Garswood Hall V Tottington Cons
Lloyds V South Manchester RBL
Nursery V Bye
Sale Excelsior V King and Queen
Tonge V Richmond
Wed 9th Aug
Bye V South Manchester RBL
King and Queen V Lloyds
Richmond V Nursery
Sale Excelsior V Garswood Hall
Tottington Cons V Tonge
Wed 16th Aug
Bye V Tottington Cons
Lloyds V Garswood Hall
Nursery V Sale Excelsior
South Manchester RBL V Richmond
Tonge V King and Queen
Wed 23rd Aug
Garswood Hall V Tonge
King and Queen V South Manchester RBL
Richmond V Bye
Sale Excelsior V Lloyds
Tottington Cons V Nursery
Wed 30th Aug
Bye V Sale Excelsior
Nursery V Garswood Hall
Richmond V King and Queen
South Manchester RBL V Tottington Cons
Tonge V Lloyds
Wed 13th Sep
Garswood Hall V South Manchester RBL
King and Queen V Bye
Lloyds V Nursery
Sale Excelsior V Tonge
Tottington Cons V Richmond