County landmark

GRAHAM Flint (left) president of Greater Manchester County Bowling Association and Steve Copeland

IT has been a long and fruitful journey for Oldham crown green bowling star Steve Copeland.

The 53-year-old first sent a bowl at the tender age of four - and now he is celebrating reaching an historic milestone for Greater Manchester.

Copeland played his 100th match for the county in the Endsleigh Championship match against South Yorkshire earlier this summer. He became the first GM bowler to reach the landmark figure.

Two matches later, against Shropshire, he was presented with a special commemorative memento by Greater Manchester president Graham Flint.

Yet Copeland began the current bowling season unsure just how many county caps he had gained.

"I knew I was somewhere in the 90s, but I honestly didn't know at the time that I was playing my 100th match against South Yorkshire," he said. "I am very proud of reaching 100 caps for my county."

The left-hander began bowling as a four-year-old at the King George green in Chadderton.

'SCHOOL HOLIDAYS'

Steve and his elder brother David - another hugely-successful player - were guided by the club's veterans and used to be given a lift to the green by stalwart Albert Lismore.

"I was four or five and David was six or seven back then, and we used to spend the whole school holidays on the bowling green," said Steve.

"We played for the club until well into out teens at which point David decided to join Chadderton Cot. I went with him a year later.

"Cot had a top-class side in those days with the likes of Stan Boston and Stewart Buckley, who were in their pomp.

"But we both got in the team quite quickly and I stayed there and enjoyed a lot of success with the club until I moved to Royton, near to where I lived, in the late 1980s.

"I was at Royton for about 10 years before switching to Springbank, where I still play in the Chadderton League today."

Copeland has enjoyed a glittering bowling career, not only on the county scene, but also on the open handicap circuit.

He has won the Oldham Chronicle-sponsored Green Final Bowling Handicap a record-equalling four times and to this day remains the youngest champion at the age of 19.

"I can't even remember who I played in the final, but it was played in Alexandra Park in those days and was a really big thing to win," he said.

"In fact, I've won almost everything I have wanted to, with the exception of the Waterloo Handicap (in Blackpool), although I did get to the semi-final one year.

'COMPETITIONS'

"I don't enter as many competitions now and only play one league match a week for Springbank .

"David and I used to spend all weekend playing in competitions, but I have done all that and it does not appeal any more, especially with all the driving that goes with it."