Family affair for Beer win
Dave and Lena Beer didn't know whether to laugh or cry as they watched their sons make Shropshire bowls history. Sixteen-year-old Michael has enjoyed a quite staggering season so it was no surprise when the Battlefield star got to the final of the Tanners Shropshire League Handicap on Monday.
(Pictured right: Cheers to the Beers - mum Lena, final rivals Danny and Michael and dad Dave face the camera as league chairman Tony Gibbons holds the Sam Powell Cup).
But he could never have expected to come face to face in the crunch clash with elder brother Danny, now back playing again after finishing his studies in Manchester.
Danny, now in his early twenties, made his name as a junior with GWR and was a member of the Shropshire team that won the Drakes Pride county championship in 1999.
Back as a clubmate of Michael's at Battlefield, Danny claimed some classy scalps as he reached the final at Severnside in a Bank Holiday KO that attracted 72 entries - 51 on the day.
And no matter how seriously the Beers tried to take the final, there was plenty of humour as they became the first brothers to ever battle it out for the prized Sam Powell Cup.
Organiser Barry Jennings declared: "They were having the crack on the green and although Michael is the younger, it was Danny who was the outsider.
"Dave kept making comments from the side of the green and it was played in a fantastic spirit, they were laughing and joking all the time."
In the end it was Michael who won the 'Battle of the Beers' 21-14 to add to his other Tanners League titles this year, his Shropshire Junior Merit crown and the fact that he was runner-up in both the British Junior Merit and Shropshire Senior Merit finals.
Michael defeated Pontesbury county man Daryl Edwards - who has never beaten him - 21-18 from 14-12 down in his semi-final while Danny was beating Dave Pritchard (Royal Mail) 21-19 at the same stage.
Quarter-final scores - Danny Beer (receive 1) 21, Dave Pugh (r 1, Greenfields) 14; D Pritchard (scr) 21, Tony Cunningham (r3, Monkmoor) 18; Michael Beer (scr) 21 Gary Neal (scr, Prince Hotel) 16; Edwards (scr) 21, Rob Jones (r2, Minsterley) 16.
By Malcolm Fletcher
