Garstang bowls ace Tim in dream Waterloo triumph

Garstang's Tim Houghton was the toast of Fylde bowls today after winning the coveted Waterloo crown green title.
Tim HoughtonTim Houghton
Tim Houghton

In a dramatic decider he beat John Bailey, of Llanwrst, a previous winner by 21-19.

In the process, Houghton, who plays for Singleton in the Fylde League, became the first bowler from the Fylde Coast to win the Waterloo since Steve Ellis, of Kirkham, back in 1984.

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This year's Waterloo was a cracker, with the biggest crowd for two decades watching the action unfold at the South Shore stadium

The decider was refereed by Evelyn Hastings, from Pilling.

She is the only woman to have officiated at a Waterloo final since it began in 1907.

It was the second time she had overseen a Waterloo decider and has earned many compliments for the standard of her refereing,

Waterloo men's quarter-finals: Terry Glover (Liverpool) 21 Graeme Wilson (Dudley) 20; Tim Houghton (Garstang) 21 James Grimston (Kirkham) 14; John Bailey (Wales) 21 Steve Ellis (Stockport) 16; Glynn Cookson (Winsford) 21 Callum Wraight IShropshire) 20.

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Semi-final: Houghton 21, Glover 16; Bailey 21, Cookson 19. Final: Houghton 21 Bailey 19

In what was a fine advertisement for the women's game, the 2016 ladies; Waterloo went to Linda Williams (North Wales) for the second year in a row.

She retained her title thanks to a 21-19 victory over Kaye Coulthard (Dudley) in a closely-fought decider.

*Greg Smith (Birmingham) did not manage to retain his Waterloo title, but he left Blackpool with a trophy, the one he won last year in the Marton Institute final.

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Smith won w21-15 against East Lancashire Andy Cairns, who has been commentating for ITV at the Waterloo this week.

There was more top-line Blackpool bowling today with the Talbot Trophy contested at the Raikes Hall Hotel.

The week concludes with the men's and women's Champion Of Champions competitions on Saturday and Sunday respectively.