Copeland takes title

JONATHAN Copeland receives the Junior Waterloo trophy from Pat Crowther (British Crown sGreen Bowling Association Development Officer).JONATHAN Copeland receives the Junior Waterloo trophy from Pat Crowther (British Crown Green Bowling Association Development Officer).

JONATHAN COPELAND has won many trophies as a junior bowler, but on Sunday he landed his biggest prize so far.

The Blackpool Borough-sponsored Junior Waterloo attracted most of the game’s top young players and it was Nimble Nook’s Jonathan who came out on top.

He defeated Birmingham’s Keiron Bailey 21-9 in the final after seeing off the challenge of three-times winner Wayne Ditchfield (Eccleston) 21-18 in the semis.

Jonathan, the son of 1995 Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap winner David, clearly has a bright future in crown green bowls and is already playing at leading senior level in the Chadderton League ‘A’ Division.


NOOK’S Gary Ellis landed his sixth major title of the season and a £700 prize when he won the Wharton Cons Open, beating Warrington’s Tommy Johnstone 31-23 in the final.

Ellis saw off Andrew Cairns (Rawtenstall) 31-27 in a superb semi-final encounter, while Johnstone defeated Paul Williams (Shrewsbury) 31-15.

GLYN Storer (Midlands) won the £800 top prize and secured a place in the Champion Of Champions event in Blackpool when he beat Andrew Sykes (Brighouse) in the final of the £3,000 Moorside Classic.

Storer, who went on to lose 31-17 to Ellis in the last eight of the Wharton Open, led Sykes 19-7 in the final, but the Yorkshireman sent the jack at 19-19 before Storer clinched victory with a double.

Losing semi-finalists were Moorside-based Yorkshireman Graeme Wilson and Halifax’s Graham Hickey.