Thornley lifts handicap prize
Date published: 30 June 2009
DAVID Thornley (left) receives the winner’s trophy from Failsworth League president Frank Lees.
DAVID Thornley (Dobcross) won the Failsworth League’s President’s Handicap at Lees and Hey with a 21–16 defeat of Bob Nisbet (Nimble Nook) in the final.
Thornley beat Neil Armstrong (St Paul’s) 21–15 in the semi-finals, while Nisbet recorded a 21-13 verdict against Michael Hodson (Springbank).
Quarter-finals: John Rudkin (Star) 10, Thornley 21; Armstrong 21, Paul Heap (Springbank) 15; Stuart Wild (Lees and Hey) 13, Hodson 21; Nisbet 21, George Shaw (Springbank) 15.
JONATHAN Copeland (Nimble Nook) won the Greater Manchester Junior Merit at Prestwich Conservative Club when he defeated Ben Gloag (Lowes Arms) 21-20 in a nip-and-tuck final.
Jonathan’s passage to the final was much simpler as he recorded a 21-5 verdict over Chris Crowther.
The two finalists will represent Greater Manchester in the BCGBA (All-England) Junior Merit in Preston in August.
NIMBLE Nook star Gary Ellis hit the crossbar twice in major competitions this weekend.
Ellis was beaten 21-17 by Swinton’s David Walker in the final of the Greater Manchester Merit at the Eagle and Child, Whitefield, on Saturday.
And it was a similar story at Hopwood Unionist Club, Heywood, the following day when he lost 21-16 to former Oldhamer Graeme Wilson in the final of the £1,550 J W Lees Classic.
Ellis defeated his Nook team-mate Darren Griffiths 21-14 in the semi-final of the Hopwood competition, while Wilson beat Oldham Evening Chronicle Handicap finalist Peter Craig (Syke) 21–10.
