Southam United see off Wolvey to retain their Top Club title

Southam United Ladies show off the Warwickshire Top Club trophy after successfully defending their title.

It capped an excellent year for the ladies, with their A team having won the Stratford Herald Triples League.

Southam had reached the showpiece after a nailbiting last-four clash with The Grange which saw the pairs and rink reverse a one-shot deficit with their final bowls to give Southam victory by two shots.

The final was equally tight despite Patsy Tandy giving Southam an early advantage thanks to a 21-5 singles victory.

The triples of Heather Tredgold, Sandi Couchman and Mal Eaton lost 15-14, but the damage was negated by an 18-14 victory for the pair of Velisa Brown and Rosemarie Geden.

This proved to be the decisive result as although the rink of Marie Bromwich, Wendy Jeffs, Fran Padbury and Chris Cooke eventually lost 24-14, they had already done enough to ensure a nine-shot overall victory for Southam.

For many of the Southam ladies it proved the culmination of a very busy weekend with the club finals having been played the day before.

Rosemarie Geden overcame Marie Bromwich in the singles and Tredgold in the two-wood while in the ladies’ pairs Jeffs and Bromwich saw off Brown and Tredgold.

Couchman was part of the winning drawn triples alongside Richard Thornicroft and Ted Coupe, with Bryan Fitchett, Mick Bicknell and Denis Ward the beaten finalists.

The men also staged their finals, with Coupe beating Aubrey Brown in the singles but going down to Ken Tredgold in the handicap.

Eddy Hughes beat Ward in the men’s two-wood, while the Eric Fox novices’ trophy went to Fitchett who beat John Dover.

Barry Grant enjoyed a 100 per cent record at WCC Staff’s finals weekend, coming away with four trophies.

Grant beat Bala Maniam to win both the men’s open and the mixed two-wood, while overcoming Bode Brown to lift the mixed handicap.

He completed his trophy haul with victory in the Faith and Brian Seaton Cup alongside Wayne Roberts, defeating Brown and Sheila Randall in the final.

David Richardson also came away with four victories, with his men’s three woods victory over Allan Bailey being the highlight.

Richards also claimed the novices’ title, beating David Hickman, while teaming up with Colin Randall for the pairs.

Richardson was also a part of the winning triples, with Hilary Hickman and Sheila Randall making up the trio.

Sheila Randall had a busy weekend, with the triple being one of five finals she featured in.

However, her only other success came in the ladies’ three woods, with Caron Hickman the losing finalist.

Hazel Birch claimed the ladies’ open after beating Randall, while George Barber, Joyce Sharp and John Jessamine claimed the Pat Macken Trophy and the KD Gala Trophy went to Bode Brown, Wayne Roberts and Ann Vann.