Three clubs seek place in Furrows bowls league

Three clubs look set to fight it out for the chance to win a place in the Furrows Shropshire Premier League.

Hanmer, Burway and Abbey are all expected to apply for a spot in the elite division of Shropshire bowls - if they win their leagues.

The trio would then face a round robin tournament for the right to take on the side who finish bottom of the Premier League next week - surely set to be Bylet - in the play-off.

Currently only Hanmer, who have already clinched the Market Drayton League title, have confirmed their interest.

But it is expected the other two will follow suit.

Burway, who lost narrowly in last year's play-off to Childs Ercall, are hoping to win either the Tanners Shropshire or Ludlow league while Abbey have the the Worthington MidShropshire or Mistral Highley titles to go for.

Premier League secretary Mark Burroughs confirmed the play-off format would remain the same as last season, although a fixture pile-up has led to the play-off final date being pushed back from its traditional 'first Friday in October' slot.

Deadline

He said: "It looks like we will have three teams again so the format will be the same as last year when three sides played each other in a round robin format to play in the play-off.

"We have put that back to Friday, October 8, because Burway's season (in the Tanners league) doesn't finish until October 1.

"The deadline for teams to notify any interest is Saturday, September 18, so any teams who are interested do still have time to apply."

For Hanmer, promotion to the Premier would represent a fairytale story for a club denied the chance to go up two years ago.

Hanmer club captain Dave Ellison said: "The plan right from the first week of the season was to apply. We've had a good season and think we've got a chance.

"We applied two years ago as well but we were turned down because our green is in Wales.

"At the time the rules said that any green which was in Wales meant you couldn't apply to be in the Shropshire Premier League and it was too late to change them.

"Since then they have been changed so that a team affiliated solely to Shropshire for more than 10 years can apply and that means we can go for it this time."

Relegation haunted Bylet - who first dropped out of the league in 2001 when beaten by Ford in the play-off - feature in one of only three Premier games tomorrow.

The Bridgnorth club, 11 points adrift, have a must-win clash at home to a St Georges side chasing runners-up prizemoney.

And it gets even tougher for them on the final night of the Premier season next Friday as Bylet are away to champions in waiting Castlefields.

Also tomorrow Sir John Bayley entertain Wem USC while Bowring face Newport just up the road.

Ford versus AWC is now on Wednesday and Meole Brace against Childs Ercall is next Thursday.

By ALEX JAMES