Bowling Memories
Below are four press cuttings from the Huddersfield Examiner published in June and July 1998. They provide an insight into bowling activities 23 years ago and some of these featured bowlers and administrators are still very much around today, sadly some are not.
Further down you will find more articles from 1998 about the Mirfield Merit Final; the Althams Travel & William Stones Mixed Pairs Final involving two husband and wife teams and the Ladies Afternoon League Merit Final won by an Almondbury Con bowler.
But first we cover the final of the 1998 Huddersfield Merit when Paul Sigsworth collected the title for a second time beating Edwin Young 21-13 in the Final at Golcar Lib. It promised to be a closer affair at 12-across but a run of three-pairs turned the match in Sigsworth's favour and he ran out a comfortable winner.
That second title had been a long time coming after suffering four 1st Round Finals Day defeats being the nearest Paul had been since his first title win 10 years earlier in 1988. History threatened to repeat itself with another 1st Round exit when Waterloo bowler Peter Ramsden pushed him all the way before succumbing 19-21. Even in Round 2 it could have all gone pear-shaped as Sigsworth held a fragile 18-17 lead over Marsh United bowler Harry Haigh before edging clear.
Paul was a great player and also a fantastic person who was sadly taken away from us far too young. R.I.P Siggy