THE Gents Short Carpet League gets underway with the initial fixtures being held tonight (Wednesday). All the teams will be hoping to get their campaign off to a good start. Last year’s top two clubs, Clydebank and Yoker, both have difficult away matches and the full list of fixtures is as follows: Albion v Yarrow, Victoria Park v Singer, Scotstounhill v Clydebank, Radnor Park v Dalmuir and Old Kilpatrick v Yoker. All games will commence at 6.45pm and home teams are required to make their carpet available to the away team between 6.30 and 6.45pm. The second round of league fixtures is due to be played on Wednesday, October 15. Both Singer and Dalmuir have their second successive away matches, whilst Clydebank and Yoker play at their home venues. The week 2 fixtures are as follows: Yoker v Albion, Old Kilpatrick v Victoria Park, Radnor Park v Scotstounhill, Clydebank v Singer and Yarrow v Dalmuir. Could clubs please ensure that all scorecards are returned to the District Secretary John Anderson as soon as possible after the games.

The Senior Short Carpet League is due to commence on Monday, October 13. Last year’s winners Clydebank start with a home game against Yoker. Joint runners-up Dalmuir are at home to Victoria Park with the other joint runners-up Singer having a free week. The fixtures for the initial league games are as follows: Radnor Park v Albion, Clydebank v Yoker, Old Kilpatrick v Scotstounhill and Dalmuir v Victoria Park. Singer sit out the first week.

At the Clydebank and District B.A. Meeting on Tuesday, September 30, Albion B.C. were accepted into the Dominoes League despite the fixture list having been issued. This means that there will be seven teams participating this year: Radnor Park A and B, Dalmuir, Victoria Park, Singer, Clydebank and Albion. The revised fixture list will be issued shortly but the teams have been asked to play the initial games as stated in the previous fixture list. The dominoes were scheduled to start on Monday, October 6 with the following fixtures: Dalmuir v Victoria Park, Radnor B v Radnor A and Singer v Clydebank. Albion are not playing in the first week.

DISTRICT CLUB NEWS DALMUIR B.C. held their closing day on Saturday, October 4 with the annual Secretary v Treasurer match. The highest up Treasurer’s team were Allan Nairn, Drew Kilday and Alex Campbell and the highest up Secretary’s team were George White, Ronnie McKillop and Frank Hancox. The overall score was Secretary 36 Treasurer 49 and this meant that Secretary Ian MacDonald had to reluctantly present the Trophy to Treasurer Jim Kearns. Radnor Park’s presentation of prizes will be held at the Green Street Clubhouse on Friday, October 10 commencing at 6.30pm. Old Kilpatrick B.C. will hold their presentation of prizes on Saturday, October 11 which is a mixed evening starting at 7.30pm.

SCOTTISH INDOOR BOWLING ASSOCIATION THE National Gents Singles knockout competition commenced on Saturday, October 4 at East Kilbride IBC. In the Preliminary Round Hugh Sharpe of Clydebank was beaten 21-7 by Connor Milne of Turriff and Jimmy Young of Allander was defeated 21-12 by Scott Wilson of Ardrossan. Darren Gualtieri of Whiteinch was beaten 21-10 by Jim McLarrie of Coatbridge. Outdoor Singles Champion Kevin Anderson fared better winning his Preliminary game against Craig Paterson of Bainfield by 21-15. However, Kevin lost his first round tie 12-21 against Chris Stein of East Fife. The match of the competition took place in the quarter finals where holder Iain McLean (Blantyre) was matched up against Paul Foster of Prestwick. The lead changed hands several times before Paul Foster won the last three ends to win by 21-18. The semi-finals and final will be played in 2015.

The Whiteinch Ladies commenced their league campaign on Saturday, October 4. The Ladies once again compete in Premier Division Section A this year and started with a difficult away match against East Fife IBC, however, the result has yet to be reported by SIBA. Similarly, the results of Ladies Division 1 Section D matches, Allander v West of Scotland and Dumbarton v Fintry, have not been reported. The Whiteinch Ladies travel up to Turriff on Saturday, October 11 for their second Premier League match. In Division 1 Section D the fixtures are: Lanarkshire v Dumbarton and Allander v Coatbridge.

In the Gents Leagues the fixtures for Saturday October 11 are as follows: Division 1 South – Dumbarton v Tweedbank, Division 2 West – Whiteinch v Glasgow and Cowal v Allander. The Seniors Leagues commence on Saturday October 11 and the initial fixtures are: West Section A – Dumbarton v Ayr, West Section D – Whiteinch v Allander.

The National knockout competitions (or Playdowns) continue this coming weekend when both Ladies and Gents bowlers participate in their two bowl pairs on Sunday, October 12. In the Gents two bowl pairs, Whiteinch and Dumbarton have been drawn against each other in the Preliminary Round. Michael Connolly Jnr and Kevin Anderson will represent Dumbarton with Jim Dorward and Peter Murray playing for Whiteinch. The Allander duo of Douglas McLean and John Harvey of Allander play Fintry in the Preliminary Round. Clydebank received a bye into Round 1 where they will play Coatbridge. All these matches are being held at Lanarkshire IBC.

In the Ladies two bowl pairs Pauline MacMillan and Lorna Cameron (Whiteinch) play against Cowal in the Preliminary Round. In Round 1 Mary Morrison and Ann Jardine of Dumbarton are drawn to play Midlothian and Allander are up against Lanarkshire. These ties are being played at Stirling IBC.