Ninety years of Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association - how history was made in the eighties
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RONALD Gordon’s history of his local bowling league – which is celebrating its 90th year – shines a light on the eighties era.
The decade began with a great achievement and a piece of history for Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association.
For ir was 1980 when New Elgin bowler Sandy Stephen won the coveted association singles accolade to become only the second player in its history to win all five trophies in the league.
The first to achieve that honour was renowned Urquhart player Ian Williamson.
Read more on Ronald Gordon's Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association history:
- Part 1 - how it all started
- Part 2 - Post-War restart
- Part 3 - achievements in the 1950s
- Part 4 - the swinging sixties
- Part 5 - great champs in the '70s
There were some great names to win the singles in the eighties including Norman Walker (Fogwatt) who won the first of his three singles titles in 1983.
Two of the established youngsters were to win in '84 and '86 as Mark Cattanach triumphed for Garmouth and Gordon Gallagher for Spynie.
The experienced Colin Peace took the trophy to Burghead in 1985 while three of the big names were to win at the end of the decade.
Alves' Forbes Symon was followed by Walker claimed a second title and the legendary Harry Milne was the champ in 1989.
The Association Pairs witnessed 1980 player of the year Sandy Stephen complete the double when he partnered Gordon Milne to claim the title.
Jimmy Inch added another pairs title to his collection, winning with Sammy Mann in '81.
The strong partnership of Ian McLean and Andy Simpson claimed the title for Spynie a year later while Urquhart got in on the act in 1983 with J. Williamson and Kenny Stewart grabbing the glory.
Roseisle claimed a first pairs with Les Duncan and Bert Stewart winning in '84 while Burghead's first pairs crown followed a year later (J. Moore and J. Gordon).
Fochabers kept up the run of first-time winners of the pairs when Ian Patterson and Ronald Gordon defeated the New Elgin partnership of Ronnie and Ian Milne in a great final at Lossie British Legion.
Spynie triumphed again in 87 (J. Barclay, J. Geddes), Lossiemouth (G. Smith, R. Murray) did the business in 1988 and Colin Peace adding the pairs to the singles title when partnering P. Raeburn to victory for Burghead in '89.
Roseisle were to claim two of the first three Campbell Cup successes of the decade as Sandy Forbes and Les Duncan were winners either side of Miltonduff's Ian Milne's victory.
Ronald Gordon gave Fochabers a third success, winning at Urquhart in 1983 and Ian Robertson gave Garmouth a first success in '84, following up by winning again in '89.
Gordon Gallagher completed the unique double of winning both singles when he won in '85 for Spynie.
Harry Milne also doubled up winning the Campbell Cup in '86 prior to his association success in 89.
Hopeman's Philip McPherson claimed his only Campbell Cup triumph in 1987 to add to his three association singles, with Charlie Whyte winning for Duffus in '88.
The Association Triples competition had Urquhart, New Elgin and Lossiemouth BC's name on the trophy on two occasions apiece during the decade.
One of the great characters, Jimmy McLennan won for Lossiemouth in '81 and Ian Williamson skipped Urquhart to success in '82.
Burghead, Fogwatt and Garmouth all triumphed with Ronnie Milne winning for New Elgin in '86.
Ian Dean was Garmouth's second winning skip and Dennis Edwards led Lossiemouth to their second, Willie Milne doing likewise for New Elgin in '89.
Jimmy Inch led Elgin BC to the Association Rinks title in 1980 before Ian Williamson secured a triples and rinks double for Garmouth a year later.
Fochabers' first rinks success, skipped by Bert Anderson, saw the Speysiders trailing by two shots going into the final end against Sandy Stephen (New Elgin) before four shots snatched the title at the death for Fochabers.
Garmouth would win two of the next three rinks titles - Urquhart winning in between - and Moray's capital took the final two wins with Bishopmill and New Elgin ending the eighties on a high.
