Wallington Bowling Club

HISTORY

 

Further contributions are always welcome.

 

We recently found an old history of the club, written in the 1960s, as below:

 

THE HISTORY OF WALLINGTON BOWLING CLUB, 1920 - 1964.

 

In the days preceding the first world war and just after, bowls enthusiasts in Wallington congregated on a private green in the precincts of  Mr Cowlishaw's residence at Ringstead Road in Sutton and others played on a grass green in Bute Gardens Wallington. Then, in 1920, these citizens of Wallington got their heads together and decided they wanted a green of their very own. The purchase of land in Grosvenor Road Wallington was successfully negotiated by eight gentlemen:

Messers A. J. Morris, L. H. Greaves, J. H. Claxton, A, Smallman, A. C. Macdonald, F. Tull, H. Cowlishaw (whose private green had been previously been used) and P. Barber.

 

A spacious pavilion was erected and six rinks were laid. The green was generally voted to be the best in Surrey.  Thus was born the well-known Wallington Bowling Club. The accuracy of the Green was praised by the Club’s many visitors. Its existence became so well known that in a very short while Wallington Bowling Club boasted over 100 members.

 

Very soon members’ names were on the Honours Board, for in 1921 Mr A. C. Macdonald and Mr A. J. Morris were the winners of the EBA Surrey District Pairs Competition.

 

In 1924, Mr H. H. Cowlishaw, one of the pioneers of the Club, won the Singles Championship at Brighton and in 1925 W. T. Ridley, J. Vance, F. G. Tull, and H. H. Cowlishaw were successful in the Surrey County B.A. Rink Competition. Not content with winning the Brighton Singles in 1924, H. H. Cowlishaw went to Eastbourne and came away with the Singles Championship.

 

Referring back to the founding of the Club. The first chairman was Mr H. J. Chinn.  Mr  A. J. Morris was the first captain and the secretary was Mr  F. Barber.

 

In 1924, the Club reached the final of the London and Southern Counties Shield competition but was defeated by Dulwich in a very close fight.

 

In 1925, the Club was honoured by a visit from the New Zealand touring team who presented the Club with a cup, which is competed for every Whit-Monday. Their 'all day' match with the touring side terminated with another presentation of a 'New Zealand Bannerette'.

 

In 1928 the Sutton club was formed and in consequence, Wallington lost a number of members who were resident in Sutton but advertisements in The Times quickly brought new members, some of them were soon to become well known in the bowling world. These included, Ted Davis, A. White, W. Hatfield, J. Wiltshire (then Chairman of the Wallington Borough Council), H. Cotterill and J. Proctor.

 

In 1928, one of the new members who joined because of the social activities, particularly for the billiards and snooker was our well-known friend Harry Adcock.  Captain of the Croydon Indoor Bowling Club, Harry  very soon took an interest in the bowling side of the Club and quickly became a formidable player, later receiving his County Badge.

 

1927 brought another honour to the Club with H. H. Cowlishaw winning the Eastbourne Open Singles Championship. In 1928 he paired with F. G. Tull to take the Kingston Pairs title. Further success came to Wallington when in 1929 their secretary, F. Barber, won the Surrey County Honorary Secretaries Competition.