Isle of Man County Crown Green Bowling Association

The qualifying stages of the 2025 Club Team Championship took place on Sunday 30th March at four different locations, with 2024 Canada Life International League Winners Marown A playing at Windle Bowling Club in St. Helens.

With an early 9:30 start the Marown men got off to a solid start with an 18 chalk victory (156-138) over Hoghton (North Lancs & Fylde) to pick up two points, dropping just 12 chalks as they won 6-2 on individual games.

Marown’s second game was always going to be tough against King George V (Warwick & Worcester) a side littered with top players as they lost out by 38 chalks (163-125), this time losing out 2-6 on games.

Their final group game ended with a true draw as they tied on 138 chalks with Willenhall Nordley BC (Staffordshire) whilst also drawing 4-4 on games.

Winning the group with three wins and a maximum six points were King George V, who will now go onto the Finals Day on Sunday 27th April. The Marown men finished in second place in the group with three points.

2025 Season Preview

In Division One Marown A (pictured) will be the team to catch having won the league by a comfortable seven points last season. Marown haven’t won back to back league titles since 2002, when they dominated the local game, they will be looking to achieve that feat this season.

South Ramsey A have strengthened with the return of John Kennish, as they look to regain the league title, still have the core of their team from last season, whilst Stefan Kelly continues his travels, is due back a some point during the season, he may turn out for the B Team upon his return.

Castletown A have a new captain onboard with Nathan Hamilton stepping up as he looks to bring the team forward, following their Rayner Shield final defeat last year, with Dave Quayle stepping down it is understood Kieran Krypner will be plying his trade in Division One this year.

The much talked about merger of Port Erin and Port St Mary took place over the winter, with one club having a bowling green and the other club having a higher membership. Three of the Port Erin ‘old guard’ are rumoured to be in the newly formed Breagle Glen A – David Cain, Bernie Durcan and Steve Durcan.

Port St Mary’s Tom Collins has jumped ship and has settled for somewhere closer to home in the North of the Island, as he turns out for North Ramsey A this year, having lost Paul Allison and Steven Waters to golf, with Gary Merrill stepping down to the B team. Collins is a welcome addition with Joe Kneale and Ewan Christian also rumoured to be stepping up to Division One for the Mooragh Park men.

Peel man George Gadsby is A team captain once again, whilst not playing early on this season following his recent surgery he will have to pull in two players, with Peter Greenlees moving on to pastures new as he will be turning out for Marown B.

South Ramsey B are the newly promoted team to Division One, they will have it all to do to stay up, as they have become a bit of a yoyo team over the past few years.

Marown C will be plying their trade in Division Two as they look to make an immediate return to the top flight.

This Division contains no fewer three A Teams with Noble’s A, Finch Hill A, and Ballaugh A. The Finch men probably look most likely to finish highest out of these three teams.

Noble’s B are the Noble’s D team from last year who won Division Three, under the league rules the highest placed team gets rebranded as the B Team.

Peel B will be looking to return to Division One after missing out last year, however the club are understood to have lost a couple of players to other clubs over the winter, they may well struggle to make a return.

Breagle Glen B could be contenders to battle for promotion with having different players to pick from now.

In Division Three North Ramsey B will be hoping to bounce back to Division Two, however Noble’s C and Noble’s D who have new and improvers players in their ranks might have something to say about that after competing at the top end of the table last season.

More to follow…