R.I.P. Roland 'Ron' Swallow

Rest in Peace

Roland 'Ron' Swallow 1944-2024

Very sad to report the passing yesterday of Roland 'Ron' Swallow a highly successful bowler who played for Crosland Moor, Kirkheaton Con and Grange Moor. Ron had been ill for a few months which curtailed his bowling from August this year but he had enjoyed a wonderful bowling career and made many friends along the way. Ron's real name was Roland and he went by both names not caring which version people preferred to use but his car carried the personalised RON number plate which was the name he usually went by at Kirkheaton.

I played with Ron at Grange Moor in the Heavy Woollen League and then with the Kirkheaton Cons Veterans team, a great teammate and a really good bowler for both those teams.

He joined the Kirkheaton Cons Vets team for the start of the 2022 season after Crosland Moor folded their 10-Man League team but he continued to play for them in the 6-Man League. This was our first season back in Division 1 and Ron was a major contributor to the team's success in finishing that season in 2nd place in the table.

I was especially pleased that Ron was well enough to attend the Bistro Final this year at Brockholes in September. He wasn't well enough to bowl but had played all rounds up to and including the quarter-finals. I was even more pleased that he had been persuaded to step up to receive the Bistro trophy on behalf of the team.

But it is the person I remember. For a big bloke he was very quietly spoken and a very mild mannered man who enjoyed a pint. His wife, Sue, told me earlier this month how much Ron had enjoyed bowling at the Cons and I told her how lucky we had been in getting him signed up. Ron was 80 years old and had been a top bowler of his day winning numerous awards.

Ron and Kirkheaton clubmate Ken Brook were cousins and played together in the 1971 Henry Taylor Cup Final team from Crosland Moor. Ron was a member of the Huddersfield Veterans Inter-District team and I believe was a former Huddersfield Merit winner. A really good bloke, a role model for any young man or young bowler to follow. R.I.P. Ron