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Part 3 of a look back over 90 years of Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association history


By Craig Christie

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THE Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association’s 90th year ended in disappointment with the season being cancelled due to Covid-19.

Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association has been on the go for 90 years.
Morayshire Indoor Bowling Association has been on the go for 90 years.

Long-serving member Ronald Gordon’s step back in time through nine decades of the association looked last time at the wartime period, and the third part charts the progress made through the 1950s.

Part 1: How it all started

Part 2: Post-War restart

The 1950s got underway with New Elgin claiming another championship at the start off the decade.

There were to be new champions in 1951, Bishopmill claiming the title and followed up their success by winning a second title in 1955.

Burghead became the dominant coastal club, claiming their first championship in 1954 with the title returning to the Broch in 1956.

Not to be overshadowed, New Elgin maintained their superiority by winning successive championships in 1952 and 1953.

New Elgin then became the first club to win three consecutive championships between 1957 and 1959, bringing up a total of six titles in the decade, a remarkable team performance as they continued to be the dominant club.

The Campbell Cup singles produced an array of clubs winning the coveted trophy.

Dallas player J. Stark Dallas became the first multiple winner of the trophy in 1951, adding to his success of two years previously.

Hopeman's A.J. Smith became the next multiple winner when he was champion in 1950 and 1953.

J. Young won for Miltonduff in 1952 and Jimmy Young took the trophy to Hopeman in 1955.

Other notable winners included Dallas' Bill Ingram in 1956, one of the great names within the Association.

Fochabers claimed a first association triumph in 1954 through C. Cowie in 1954, while newcomers Duffus celebrated when Archie Begg claimed the trophy in 1957.

Burghead showed their strength by adding two Campbell Cups to their league success, J. Davidson winning in 1958 and Sandy Wyllie snr defending the trophy for the coast outfit a year later.

Association Singles records date back to 1958, where two of the great names within the association won the trophy at the end of the decade.

Fraser Bain did Bishopmill proud by winning his first in 1958 followed by New Elgin's Gordon Milne the following year.

In the Association Pairs, Bishopmill proved to be the dominant club by winning the trophy on four occasions with Fraser Bain becoming the first player to win an association trophy on three occasions.

D. Russell partnered Bain in 1957 and 1958 with J. McNeil pairing up in 1950, while Bain had also won the pairs title in 1947 to bring his overall total in the competition to four.

Bishopmill also claimed the pairs in 1953, served well by A. McGregor and H. McKenzie.

Kilmolymock were twice winners of the pairs during the decade, with Bill Dalgarno on the winning side on both occasions.

This feat was matched by New Elgin who also won twice in the decade, both times with Jock Young being one of the two winning bowlers. Miltonduff were the other club to take the trophy home during the '50s.

Dating back to 1957, the Association Rinks was first won by Burghead before Miltonduff and Hopeman took the honours to finish the decade.

It was 1959 when the second division began, and Urquhart were the maiden champions.

The 50s proved to be a momentous decade for the association with some great achievements by both the clubs and individuals.

Team of the decade would have to be New Elgin with five championships to their name.

As for a player of the 1950s, Fraser Bain's three pairs titles and one association singles crown for Bishopmill makes him a worthy winner.


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