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Don Alexander
1 Posted 29/08/2016 at 20:59:09
Fascinating read. Thanks to the author.
Jeff Armstrong
2 Posted 29/08/2016 at 21:19:25
Great read once again Rob. I imagine say, Romelu Lukaku becoming a crown green bowler when he's finished in the game, just to make ends meet. Can't see it happening, to be honest...
Kase Chow
3 Posted 29/08/2016 at 22:10:43
Fantastic read.

Very interesting and a great look at the past.

Current footballers don't know they're born.

Jimmy sounds like quite the gent.

Thanks for sharing.

Eugene Ruane
4 Posted 29/08/2016 at 22:44:44
As usual Rob, a terrific read.

Where it says 'In one season he had a bowling average on seven' - was that wickets per match?

(In a one innings each game, that would be staggering)

By the way, in that top pic he's got a look of one of the (young) Kennedys.

Rob Sawyer
5 Posted 29/08/2016 at 23:10:58
Thanks Eugene. I suspect it was an average of a wicket taken by Jimmy for every seven runs conceded. Quite a feat. It was not clear from the source material at what level he was playing back then.
Jack Convery
6 Posted 29/08/2016 at 23:30:54
A great article and nice to see into the long shadow cast by the legendary Dixie Dean. What a scoring record he had. I wonder how much – at a goal every three games – he would cost today?
Andrew James
7 Posted 29/08/2016 at 23:41:01
Thanks Rob, a worthy read and makes you realise how the game has changed.

Plus any William Ralph info is always welcome!

Eugene Ruane
8 Posted 29/08/2016 at 23:57:49
Rob, I didn't even think of that, a wicket for every seven runs would be even more amazing.
Dennis Stevens
9 Posted 30/08/2016 at 00:05:29
Another great piece, thanks Rob. Particularly as all other players of that era seem somewhat overlooked due the the main focus being on Dean & then Lawton.
Mick Davies
10 Posted 30/08/2016 at 00:21:29
I watched a news item on that very West Houghton bowls club a couple of nights ago. It' been vandalised and may have to close if it carries on; maybe our club could help out, in view of our connection... apparently it's still the only bowls club in the country where betting is allowed. Thanks for that wonderful story – our great club has so many.
Tony Sullivan
11 Posted 30/08/2016 at 09:50:37
Eugene, each wicket cost the bowler 7 runs, eg, 10 wickets for 100 runs is a bowling average average of 10 runs.
David Ellis
12 Posted 30/08/2016 at 10:11:14
Another great piece. Love the photo of Blackpool beach. He's wearing a tie... and his missus seems to be wearing heels extraordinary!
Pete Jones
13 Posted 30/08/2016 at 13:33:39
Nice one Rob, a lovely gentle story.
Andy Meighan
14 Posted 30/08/2016 at 20:43:56
Another great read. Love these stories about the players of old. Unfortunately, Dixie seems to overshadow every last one of them. Can't think why...

And great quip from Jeff about Lukaku. Made me laugh that. He'd probably be too lazy to bend down to pick the jack up knowing him.
Steve Austin
15 Posted 31/08/2016 at 01:26:12
Fantastic another great read.

David Ellis did you notice he is wearing a tie in every picture except the Everton team photos. And I bet he has a tie under the sweater in his bowls picture.

Rick Tarleton
16 Posted 31/08/2016 at 06:46:37
A great read, thank-you. A glimpse of a previous age. I remember watching a mate of mine play bowls for a club in Walton Hall Park and Brian Labone was in the same team.
Michael Farrelly
17 Posted 31/08/2016 at 13:34:20
Very special reading, Rob.

Thank you so much.

Ian Pilkington
18 Posted 02/09/2016 at 18:47:13
Thank you Rob for another tremendous heritage article.

I've always had a particular interest in Jimmy Cunliffe having seen him play Panel bowls several times in the late 1960s when I lived near Wigan. I can confirm he was one of the best in a very tough and competitive sport.

My father and uncle saw him play for Everton and I've always been fascinated that Jimmy must have enjoyed one of the longest careers of any professional sportsman, interrupted only by WW2 and the short spell when he returned to work at Horwich Loco Works after retiring from football.

I was particularly interested to learn that he signed for Everton from Adlington FC. I've lived in Adlington for many years, just 2 miles away from Jimmy's home village of Blackrod. As far as I know there has never been a professional club based here, so we must assume that Jimmy would have been an amateur when he signed for Everton in 1930.

Your article contains much more information about Jimmy than the definitive local history book about Blackrod, thank you again for a great piece of research.

Rob Sawyer
19 Posted 03/09/2016 at 09:34:16
Thanks, Ian. Adlington FC had gone to the wall by the end of the 1930s. It would have been an amateur outfit as you indicate.

I once heard that Alan Ball and his dad were Panel Bowls devotees (they were from that area, after all) so it is another nice link to Jimmy and Everton.

Ian Pilkington
20 Posted 03/09/2016 at 17:05:13
Rob, you're correct about Bally and his father enjoying Panel Bowling, although I didn't see them there myself as we only went to games on Saturdays when Everton were away.

However their attendance was widely known at weekday matches after Bally had finished training and I understand they were very keen on the betting!

Eric Myles
21 Posted 04/09/2016 at 00:47:48
David #12, Steve #15, it's probably due to the era he was brought up in. Me Dad wore a tie every single day of his life, indoors as well as out.

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