CROSBIE MATTHEW

This is the most popular of the sponsored competitions and is sponsored by local Funeral Directors, Crosbie Matthew, who has offices in Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy.

This competition involves seven visiting teams of four players (at least one lady player in each team), invited from seven local clubs, usually who Markinch play during the season. The seven teams from Markinch, which also must include at least one lady player per team, play all of the visiting teams once, in various formats e.g. single hand, pairs, rinks etc. and points are scored for each win. The teams with the highest number of points then collect the prize money. The winning team receive £160, second place team receives £100, third place team receives £60 and fourth place team receives £40. This has proved to be a very popular format and has been copied by several other clubs in Fife.

Anyone interested in obtaining details on funeral costs or information on the Golden Charter Funeral Plans can contact Crosbie Matthew on 01592 751997 or 01592 640644

or visit their website at www.crosbiematthewfuneraldirectors.co.uk

 

Crosbie Matthew's Competition

Sunday 26th June, 2011

VISITING TEAMS RULE AT MARKINCH

The weather was kind to the players on Sunday, which was a welcome change, as in previous year's the competition has been played in weather more suitable to water polo rather than bowls. The invited clubs this year came from Rosyth, Duffus Park, Balgonie, Eskmills (Musselburgh), CISWO (Glenrothes), Cupar/ East Wemyss and Windygates. The first three games were the Fours, 4-bowl Pairs and 2-bowl Pairs and at this stage only two team out of the fourteen competing had managed to pick up the maximum 6 points. The pace setting leaders were visitors, Eskmills and home team No 2 (Christine Telford, Ann Cowan, Bill Cowan and Bill Bell) with Balgonie close on their heels with 5 points and another 3 teams only 2 points off the lead. The results of the next Fours games and the Single Hand games saw a complete change to the leader board with Duffus Park joining Eskmills to set the pace with 8 points, closely followed by Balgonie on 7 points and three home teams No 2, No 4 (Jeanette Mathewson, Bob Marchbanks, Dean Clark, Jamie Cameron)  and No 5 (Christine Campbell, Chic Nash, Pete Mathewson, Alistair Blair) all on 6 points. The total uncertainty of the winners continued, as in the Triples game Markinch No 2 drew with Duffus Park, who now led with 9 points, Balgonie could only draw, Eskmills lost and Markinch No 4 joined Balgonie and Eskmills on 8 points. The outcome of the final Fours game was critical, for at least five of the competing teams could end up in the money-winning positions, so when the dust had settled the results were read out and it was the visiting teams who occupied the first three positions. The 3rd place and runners up place had to be decided on shots with Markinch No 2 edged out of 3rd place on 9 points (0 shots) by Balgonie on 9 points ((+7 shots) with Irene Lowe, Willie Lowe, Jimmy Gray and Brian Forrest representing Balgonie. The runners up from CISWO of Audrey MacPherson, Charles Greig, John Boyd and Adam Prentice won their last 4 games to end with 9 points (+12 shots) and came from nowhere to pick up the runners up money. It was Duffus Park, with Belle Thomson, Isa Finlay, John McIntyre and Andy Meekison who finished winners with 11 points after winning their last game to secure first prize. The presentation of the winning money to all the places was done by Alan Morrison, who thanked everybody for supporting the competition and promised to continue supporting the event next year. The sponsors were thanked for their involvement, as without their financial support then it would be difficult to run these popular competitions. It was left to Andy Meekison to thank the sponsors, the ladies for their catering, the bar staff and Markinch Bowling Club for organising the competition.

 

 

CO-OPERATIVE FUNERALCARE

There is a Triples competition, sponsored by Co-operative Funeralcare, played during the season and invites are sent out to numerous Clubs throughout Fife to enter a triple at the cost of £6 per triple. The prize money is £225 to the winning triple, £150 for the runners up triple and £75 for each semi finalist triple. The competition is played in qualifying group stages in the morning with the knockout stages played in the afternoon.

The Cooperative Funeralcare has an office at Cos Lane, Glenrothes (Tel. no. 01592 752392), as well as other offices throughout Fife. The contact telephone number for information is a call free number on 0800 44 66 96.

Co-operative Funeralcare Triples

Sunday 17th July,2011

AN ALL-MARKINCH FINAL IN CO-OP TRIPLES

At 9.30 am it looked like the competition would be cancelled, as heavy rain had flooded the green and conditions were actually dangerous underfoot. This would have been a pity as there were 24 entries for the competition, which included 11 entries from Markinch B.C. and entries from bowling clubs from  Kinglassie (2), Duffus Park (Cupar), Leven, Methilhill, Scoonie (Leven), Fair Isle (Kirkcaldy), Coaltown of Balgonie, Lochore, East Wemyss, Lumphinnans, Buckhaven and Eskmills (Musselburgh). The 24 entries had been drawn into six groups of four, so everybody played three group games in a "round robin" format, with the winners of each group plus the best two runners-up progressing to the quarter final knockout stages. A10.30am, when the first session was due to start the rain had vanished, the sun had come out and the players walked on to the green in a jubilant mood. It was exciting to see such a wide variety of players who had come along to play in the competition from juniors, club players, Fife players and current Scottish internationalists, Wayne Hogg and Celia Smith. The standard of the bowls was exceptionally high and the competitive edge in all the games was obvious for all to see. At the end of the group games, Group A results had Markinch (Sharon Clark), Leven  and Duffus Park all level on 6 points each, with Markinch winning the group with the highest shot difference. In Group B Markinch (Wayne Hogg) won their three games to win their group while in Group C, it was a similar story with Markinch (S.McFarlane) winning their three games to also qualify. In Group D it was another home success as Markinch (B.Cowan) won their group with two wins and a draw, while Group E saw East Wemyss qualify with a higher shot difference over Markinch (A.Young). The final group, Group F saw visitors Eskmills clinch their place in the quarter final draw when they won all thier group games to top the group with a maximum 9 points. The two best runners up were Leven (Group A) and Kinglassie (Group B). The quarter final draw was made and every game played was in doubt until the last bowl was played. The results of the games saw Markinch (B.Cowan) win 6-5 over Markinch (S.Clark), Markinch (W.Hogg) win 4-1 over East Wemyss (A.Comrie), Eskmills (J.Thomson) win 4-3 over Kinglassie (C.Pirie) and Markinch (S.McFarlane) win 7-5 over Leven (D.Graham). The first semi final saw Markinch (Dean Clark/Jim Clark/Stewart McFarlane) take a 4 shot lead in the first end against Markinch (Peter McTavish/Bill Bell/Bill Cowan). This was reduced to a 2 shot deficit the next end, when Bill Cowan drove the jack into the ditch, but on the next end with Dean Clark lying next to the jack. Bill Bell and Bill Cowan continually tried to move the jack and failed, with their opponents picking up 6 shots to virtually book their place in the final. The semi final was finished on the next end with another two shot sand a 12-2 win for Stewart McFarlane's triple. In the other semi final, Eskmills (Mark Vandepeerr/Dod Blair/Jimmy Thomson) were involved in a much tighter game against Markinch (Jamie Cameron/Havannah Clark/Wayne Hogg) and although both teams had chances to progress into the final it was Markinch who progressed with a narrow 5-3 win. It must have been difficult for Sharon Clark, who had been eliminated in the quarter finals, to decide on who to support in the final as husband, Jim and son, Dean were in one triple while 11 year old daughter, Havannah was in the opposite triple. The first two ends saw S.McFarlane's triple pick up winning shots to lead 2-0, but W.Hogg's triple squared the game 2-2 on the 3rd end. The 4th end saw S.Mcfarlane pick up 2 shots and went on to win the game with another shot on the last end for a 6-2 win. It was an excellent final and with Havannah playing some excellent bowls from such a young person it was no doubt who the spectators were supporting. The presentation of the prize money to the winners was carried out by Yvonne Cruden who represented Co-op Funeralcare. The Co-op were thanked for their support by John Lafferty, President and Lady President, Laura Marshall, presented Yvonne with a bouquet of flowers. The financial support from Co-op is essential in these competitions, as it helps to add a little extra to the standard of players who come along to participate. 

 

J.P.GILMOUR TRIPLES

This competition is sponsored by Markinch members, Laura and John Marshall, who donated a silver cup, along with £200 in sponsorship money, for a competition involving junior players in bowls. The triple has a gentleman playing lead, a lady playing second and a junior playing as skip and invitations are sent out to numerous clubs in Fife, who want to promote junior activity in the game of bowls. The response is always excellent, but to ensure a good competition, it is usually restricted to 20 entries.

John has passed over the reins of his successful joinery business, which he ran with Laura, to his son Graham, who trade under J.P.Gilmour, Joiners at 16, Argyle Street, St.Andrews (Tel 01334 472975).

J.P.Gilmour Trophy

Sunday 28th August, 2011

Report will follow