Broomfield Bowling Club

1835 Smethwick Cricket & Athletic Club established at The Uplands, Smethwick.
1898 Henry Mitchell purchases land from the Dorothy Parkes trustees including Broomfield.
1899 Henry Mitchell gives the land to the club itself, held under trust by the Smethwick Corporation.
1903 The duck pond in the corner of the cricket ground is filled, later to be the loaction of our bowls green.
1908 The bowls green is laid at a total cost of £81
1910 First captain of the bowls section is elected at the main club A.G.M. - Mr T Tootell
1921 F.Sadler is the first winner of the Championship Cup.
1926 J.W.Smethurst becomes the first player to win the Club Championship three years in succession.
1955 Arthur Peabody wins the Club Championship for a record 5th time. The record still stands to this day.
1958 The Ken Wharton Handicap is started, first winner P.Hayward.
1963 The Chairmans Shield is given to the section by the Chairman Mr. Edgar Cole.
1966 The first winners of the Ladies Day Competition: Mr & Mrs Woodward.
1969 League bowls is played for the first time at Broomfield as we join the Oldbury & District Midweek Bowling League and the Harborne Wednesday League.
1971 The pairs competition is started in memory of Billy Purcell.
1972 Bill Thurlby retires from office after serving as treasurer since 1963.
1972 Lowest ever attendance at an AGM; 9 members.
1975 Withdraw from the Harborne League and enter a ‘B’ side in the Oldbury League.
1976 Join the Smethwick & District Sunday Morning Bowling League, first captained by Chris Mullis.
1977 Women allowed on our green from this year onwards.
1978 Join the Warwick & Worcester, one senior side captained by Joe Russell.
1979 (July) Broomfield used for a county for the first time.
1980 Join the West Bromwich Midweek Bowling League, first captained by Brian Brownhill.
1980 Roy Freeman becomes only the second person to win the Club Championship three seasons running.
1981 Alliance team entered into the Warwick & Worcester, captained by Barry Griffiths.
1981 The Neale Trophy from the defunct Tennis section is given to us by the Neale family.
1982 First 21-0 on a Saturday for Broomfield in the W&W Premier, George Garbett 21-0 vs H.Young of W.C.W.M.C. 17th July.
1983 First 21-0 defeat in the W&W for Broomfield, Frank Newman 0-21 vs B.T.Jones of The Raven. 18th June. In the same season Peter Nichols wins 21-0 away on Ward End Social in the W&W Alliance.
1983 Paul Newman is named the West Bromwich Leagues Young Player Of The Year.
1985 Paul Freeman is named the West Bromwich Leagues Young Player Of The Year aged 17.
1986 Agreed to discuss plans of building a second green.
1988 Peter Wassell dies tragically on the green, suffering a heart attack during a league game against Olde House At Home.
1990 Simon Heaselgrave is named the West Bromwich Leagues Young Player Of The Year.
1991 Matt Broad is named ‘Young Player Of The Year’ in the West Bromwich League, Mark Atkins collects the same award from the Oldbury League.
1991 Roy Freeman dies aged 55 only 5 days after captaining his Smethwick 'A' team to a cup final win.
1992 The Roy Freeman Cup replaces the Neale Cup. Bob Aldred beats Nigel Freeman in the final of this new competition.
1992 Janice Freeman is made our first ever bowls section President.
1994 The Toilet Trophy (aka “Arse Of The Year) is started, first won by Jackie Rose (now Jackie Newman).
1995 After 18 seasons in the Warwick & Worcester we finally make it into Premier Division 1 after starting in Division 11 in 1978.
1995 First life members of the bowls section are announced: Billy Adams, Sid Overfield, Joe Russell, Arthur Woodward, Fred Price, Jack Howell and Janice Freeman.
1996 Stage the BCGBA County Final; Warwick & Worcester v Staffordshire.
1996 Highest attendance at an AGM; 45.
1996 Enter a ‘C’ side in the West Bromwich League fielding a record 5 midweek sides.
1997 Ollie Newman creates the Bonus Ball fundraiser, which replaces the Bowls Bonanza.
1998 100 years of Broomfield Bowls Club, celebrated by holding the ‘Broomfield Centenary Classic’ – won by Steve Carter of The Richmond.
1998 Highest ever finish in W&W Premier Division 1, 3rd – Captained by Paul Newman.
1998 Most team honours in a season; 10.
1999 Ollie Newman becomes the only person to captain a side undefeated at home in W&W Premier Division 1.
1999 The ‘Club Person Of The Year’ trophy is started in memory of Ray Law.
2000 The Oldbury ‘B’ side is withdrawn during the season taking us to only 2 midweek sides for the first time since 1980.
2001 Enter the Dudley & District Thursday League. Created and run by Chris Price and Mark Healey.
2001 In his final season Paul Freeman wins the W&W Premier Division 2 league averages (+165), the Oldbury Division 1 league averages (+202 19/20 wins) and also achieves +112 in Smethwick Division 1.
2002 Ollie Newman is made a life member for monies raised through the bonus ball fundraiser.
2004 W&W Alliance team withdrawn for the first time since entering in 1981.
2005 The Ken Wharton Handicap Cup is renamed after the passing of President and life member, Janice Freeman.
2005 With the help of crowngreen.com, Broomfield goes online on 28th August - www.broomfieldbc.com
2005 Nigel Freeman wins the Club Championship and the Handicap Cup for the second year running, a feat previously only achieved by his father Roy. He also wins the W&W Premier averages (+134) and the Oldbury averages (+134).
2006 The Smethwick 'A' win the S.F.Jones Cup for an unrivalled sixth time.
2006 Ollie Newman wins all three 'A' team averages (W&W, Oldbury & Smethwick). Ollie also won two league averages (Oldbury Div 1 and Smethwick Div 1.
2007 Mark Hadley Snr wins the club championship 21 years after his first and only championship title. Malcolm Spencer makes it to the final for the fifth time.
2007 Ollie newman repeats his 2006 success and becomes the only player to win all three 'A' team averages in a season, twice.
2007 Induction of seven new life members: Malcolm Spencer, Chris Price, Frank Newman, Nigel Francis, Mark Hadley Snr, Steve Blakeman and Nigel Freeman.