Brookdale at the double

BROOKDALE Rabbits, left to right, back: Paul Cain (club captain), Niel Buller, Andrew Fry, John Wilson, Keith Muir, Jim Garside (club president). Front: Michael Owen (vice-captain), Alan Mills (team captain), Joe Loughman (club past captain and player of the year).

BROOKDALE have landed a double in the Oldham and District Rabbits League.

They have followed their success in the Cup with victory in the end-of-season Rose Bowl, a competition involving all the clubs in the league.

Brookdale defeated Stamford 10-6 at neutral course Houldsworth as they won the Cup for a third successive year.

That was followed by victory in the Rose Bowl, a team competition in which the top four scores from each club counted towards the prizes.

The four leading players for Brookdale were John Wilson, Neil Bullock, Andy Fry and Alex Gunn.

BROOKDALE flew their flag at half mast as a tribute to past president Paul Toop who died suddenly following a heart attack at the age of 70.

Mr Toop, from New Moston, had only days earlier had a knee replacement operation.

A former partner in a flooring company, Mr Toop leaves his wife Barbara, daughter Helen, son Douglas and grandchildren.

Albert Brogan, a past captain at Brookdale and next-door neighbour of Mr Toop, said: “Paul did a lot of work for the club and was a very good president. He was also a good friend of mine.”