Stewart Meikle’s Bowling Round-up

Sep 23 2010 West Lothian Courier

SOME like it hot and West Lothian Indoor Bowling Club will get it hot when their latest campaign to win the Premier League title for the first time since their last capture of the coveted crown back in season 2000/2001 gets underway a week on Saturday.

West Lothian will compete in qualifying Section B with Midlothian, East Lothian, Bainfield, Auchinleck and Aberdeen providing the opposition over a 10 match campaign that stretches from October 2 to January 22.

Section A comprises East Fife, Paisley, Coatbridge, Blantyre, Prestwick, and defending champions Lanarkshire.

It is perhaps an extra incentive for West Lothian that the playoff final for the title is destined to be played at the Inveralmond stadium on Saturday, February 5, and that is due to the goodwill of serving SIBA President Willie Duff.

Willie represents Balbardie and it is a massive season for him but the complex at Bathgate can’t provide sufficient facility to host major events so the national president has opted to confer that prestige on his friendly neighbour club.

“Willie and his team will do all the presentation and organising but we will put the stadium at his service and are very happy to support him and Balbardie in his term of office,” said a spokesperson for West Lothian Indoor Bowling Club.

West Lothian open their Premier League campaign with a testing visit to Dalkeith but as yet there is no team news on the likely line up against Midlothian.

Balbardie is a team that is normally close to Premier League standard so are expected to be a strong force in the B section of Division 1.

However, all oppositions at this stepping stone level are competitive so the opening visit to Alloa is a tough one.

Tweedbank, Portobello, Abbeyview (Dunfermline), and Stirling complete the make up of the section.

The ladies of West Lothian are not the exciting force of a team they have been in the not too distant past but they do have a strong nucleus of players that deserve support from their colleagues as they strive to bring national prestige to the club banner.

West Lothian will compete in the C section of Division 1 in the League Cup and open on Saturday, October 2, with a home game against Teviotdale.

The other teams represent, Portobello, Tweedbank, East Lothian, and Bainfield.

The Balbardie ladies have been good value for money in recent times so expectations are high that they will give a good account of themselves in the D section where they open at Bathgate against Coatbridge.

Fintry, Cumbernauld, Stirling, and Allander complete the make-up of the section.

PLAYING against a legend, and particularly one with a charismatic personality, is a major challenge to ordinary mortals so it was no great surprise that after eight ends of the Division 1 game in the Morning League at WLIBC the rink of Campbell Gray, Alex Neill, Jimmy Johnstone, and Donnie McKillop were in the toils.

They trailed 10-1 to Ronnie Martin who had Colin Russell at lead, George Clark at second, and Frank Weir -yes Magnificent, at third.

“I could sense they were in awe of me and not able to give off their best so deciding to treat them kindly I implemented a secret code I have with my colleagues that means us moving down to a lower gear.

“It is unsporting to embarrass your opposition but my silent signal of taking out my comb and giving my top a couple of strokes — stylish of course — delivered the message and we slowed down to win 12-5,” explained Magnificent.

Legend status can also inspire of course and that is what seemed to happen on the next door rink with Lawson Trotter galvanised by the energy flow from Mr Weir and peaking with a super 6 and a magnificent 7 in conjunction with Jimmy Clark Bill Leckie and Bobby McIvor (skip) to whack the unfortunate Bill Black 24-4

“Frank makes it all look so easy how does he do it at his age,” mused Lawson.

A highlight in Division One of the Ladies League saw the rink of Peggy Hewitt Muriel Brash Lily Sword and Irene Wright save their bacon with a desperate 3,1 finish against Lucy Noon, Rita Findlay, and Gene Laidlaw.

Laidlaw and Co looked to have it in the bag at 10-5 but finishing 10-9 up on the card paid the price of defeat when suffering a 25 percent deduction for being one player short.