Welcome to Bolton Parks Veterans Amateur Bowling Association website.
Dropbox:
Membership, Aims and Objectives
Association Rules
Officers
Teams Secretaries
Team Results Secretaries
Team Captains
Club / Team Treasurers
Club / Team Secretaries
Guide to Results Entry
Association Competitions
Lancashire Competitions
Useful Links:
BCGBA Website
Lancashire Website
BCGBA - Latest Newsletter
BCGBA Registration Form
BCGBA Development Plan
CGB Federation
Safeguarding Website
Admin:
League admin
BOLTON PARKS VETERANS AMATEUR BOWLING ASSOCIATION
Sponsored by BETFRED
2025 SEASON
The Merit Competitions due to be played on 19th September will now be played at Darbishire Park - two qualifying bowlers from each team are asked to attend the greens from 11:00.
Due to Ray's Cremation today - the Preliminaries of the BetFred Competition will now be played on the reserve date of Monday, 25th August. We now have 33 entries for the BetFred. No further entries will be accepted after Saturday.
I will be updating the Content and Links on the website in the coming weeks before the start of the season. Please contact me if you find links are not working.
The aims of the association are to encourage, promote and organise the game of Crown Green Bowls for Veterans playing on Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Park Greens.
The League has two Sections; the 'A' Section has 13 teams and the 'B' Section 14 teams. We play on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (plus some Wednesdays). Each team has ten players.
We welcome anyone over the age of 58 years, male or female but you need to register for a team before playing a match and hold a current BCGBA number and have paid for a Bolton Parks' permit through your Club.
Please click the post holder to contact the Chairman - Vacancy the Results & Fixtures Secretary - Alan Hamer; League and Competitions Secretary & Website Manager - Clive Fenn If the links do not work for you, please use the following email address clive.fenn@flowtechdesign.com or Telephone: 07949 200 926.
Please look around the site and have a look at the different links on the left hand side. There are links to names and addresses of all Team Secretaries, Results Secretaries, etc. There is a link to the guide to help your entry of results once the season starts. Links to BCGBA Newsletters, etc.
Previous years' results can be found via links by clicking the Bolton Leagues tab on the home page and scrolling down the screen to the Archives Table - click the relevant year for the league you want to review.
Ray Forrest
RAY FORREST
It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of Ray Forrest who passed away in hospital on 29th July with his family around him. Ray had had a heart attack just after the match between Moss Bank B and Tonge Park A and collapsed onto the footpath on leaving the green. An Ambulance arrived within about 4 minutes and the paramedics worked on him for sometime before he was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where he was sedated for a few days and subsequently died on 29th July at 10:00.
Ray Forrest, holding the Mills Crossley Cup at Tonge Park on 18th July 2025. Ray first won the Mills Crossley Cup in 1983. Ray died only 11 days after this photograph was taken by Brian Anderson. Ray was a stalwart of Bolton for over 50 years and will be a great loss to the bowling community and many friends.
Ray was 82 when he died and leaves a loving wife Sonia, a son Mark and daughter Toni and step sons Scott and Lee.
Rest In Peace Ray you will be sadly missed.
Ray's Cremation will be at Overdale West Chapple at 11:00 on 22nd August - further arrangements will be posted when known.
Date of Next Meeting and Minutes of Meetings
Contact details and forms:
Current list of BPVABA Officers / Executive, BPVABA Team Secretaries & Captains & Results Secretaries for the 2024 season.
Blank Team Registration Form 2025
Template for Bolton Parks Permits for Clubs
Future Meetings
Proposed dates, to be confirmed and subject to availablility of the venue.
League Meeting – Thursday, 20th March @ 8.00pm in Railway (Sec apologies) - This meeting is to collect score cards and pay registration fees.
League Meeting – Thursday, 18th September @ 13.30 in Railway tbc
Presentation – Thursday, 6th November @ 13.30 in Railway tbc
Annual General Meeting – Thursday, 29th January 2026 @ 13.30 in Railway
Past Meetings
Draft Minutes of the AGM held on 29th January 2025
Treasurer's Report Annual Accounts
Draft Minutes of the League Meeting held on 19th September at the Railway
Minutes of the AGM held on 25th January 2024
Vets - Trophy and Prize Winners 2023
Minutes of the League Meeting on 26th September 2023
Minutes of the AGM held on 26th January 2023
Treasurer's Balance Sheet for 2022
Lancashire Email requesting support for the Manchester Indoor Bowling Project
Papers from the AGM held on 10th March 2022
Draft Minutes of the League Meeting on 15th September 2022
Minutes of the AGM held on 10th March 2022
Treasurer's Report - Balance Sheet
Proposals from the Executive Committee
Proposals to have 10 players in a team
Association Rules as approved on 10th March 2022
Current List of Officers and Executive Committee Members
Additional Papers following the AGM
Association Competitions for 2022 and Entry Forms
Fraser Huyton Pairs Entry Form
BetFred Competition Entry Form
Big Bowls Weekend Guide - 27th to 29th May 2022
Minutes of previous meetings held in 2021 can be viewed by clicking the appropriate link below
Minutes of the Team Representatives Meeting - 30th September 2021
Minutes of the Team Representatives Meeting - 10th June 2021
Earlier Meetings
AGM Minutes (Draft) - 30th January 2020
Treasurer's Income/Expenditure Balance Sheet and Reconciliation Report on 2019
Proposal from the Executive Committee to change the name of our Secretaries Meeting to League Meetings
Secretaries Meeting Minutes – 19th September 2019
Papers distributed at the Secretaries Meeting of 14th March 2019
Trial Rule Changes for BPVABA Competitions in 2019 including Individual Handicaps
AGM Minutes - 31st January 2019
Treasurer's Report 2018 Annual Balance Sheet and Reconciliation Statement
Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 20th September 2018
Notes of Furum Meeting - 19th September 2018
Ken Holcroft's thoughts on Competitions
AGM Minutes - 25th January 2018
Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 21st September 2017
Secretaries Meeting Minutes - 9th March 2017
ASM Minutes - 12th January 2017
Bowl played out of turn
We have had a number of instances when opponents have not allowed a bowler to resend a bowl after it was originally played out of turn. Rule 5.12 of the BCGBA states that "If a player delivers a bowl out of turn it must be returned to be played in its proper turn". This means should a player send their bowl inadvertently after setting a mark following the original block being sent off by their opponent - that player gets their bowl back.
Rule 5.13 covers the instance when a bowler delivers their opponent's bowl. In this instance the offending player forfeits their bowl and the bowl is returned to their opponent. The wording of the rule is "If a player, in turn, delivers a bowl of another player, it shall be returned to the proper owner to be played, the offender forfeiting a bowl." This means the bowl sent incorrectly is not replaced by the correct bowl - it is lost and removed from the end.
Please make sure you read the rules. The rules are printed in the Lancashire and BCGBA Official Handbooks. Your Club should have new copies of these handbooks annually.