| The Story So Far.....
THE EARLY YEARS
1988-The Beginning
Following a demonstration evening of short mat bowls by Anglia Bowls Centre in Kirby Bedon Church Hall a number of locals decided that they would like to form a club and play regularly. Anglia Bowls agreed to leave a mat at the hall and the villagers decided to meet twice a week to practise. Anglia Bowls brought a number of second hand bowls to the hall and most of the new bowlers bought two each. They also made a decision to put in extra money each week so that the newly formed club could buy two mats and agreed to raise money through fundraising until there was enough money in the bank to pay the members back
1988/89 Winter Season
N.C.S.M.B.A Chairman Mark Hedges was encouraging short mat bowls clubs to join leagues and Kirby Bedon, despite all its members being completely new to bowls, joined in a brand new league with four other clubs who were Langley, Earsham, Hempnall and Thurton. This league was initially named the Sports & Country Clothing League after a proposed sponsor, but after this fell through it was renamed the Drakes Pride League just before the end of the season. Chaotic is possibly the most polite way to describe the administration of the league with a fixtures secretary who seemed unsure of the scoring system but at least it introduced the fledgling Kirby Bedon team to competitive bowling although they predictably found themselves on the end of some heavy defeats! On the positive side Kirby Bedon already looked one of the best turned out teams in the area. Finances were aided by a £266 grant and a jumble sale in April raised £231-95.
1989 Summer
Kirby Bedon members decided to practise hard throughout the summer to ensure that they would not suffer the same fate as they did during their first season! A series of friendly matches were also played against Oasis, Chapel Break, Thurton, Watton, Hevingham, Shipdham and Electricity with the team winning 7 games and losing 4. A challenge match was also played against Bramerton, short mat at home and outdoor on Bramerton's green. The Committee also decided to hold club championships, singles, pairs and triples, and have a presentation evening on 22-9-89 in the Church Hall. County wide the sport had grown to such an extent that a brand new league structure was being discussed. Five leagues were planned across Norfolk and Kirby Bedon was initially put into the league involving South Norfolk clubs. Kirby Bedon decided to ask to be put in the league consisting mainly of city area sides because of its proximity to Norwich and this was done. For the 1989/90 season the club would be in a league with Jarrolds, Thorpe St Andrews, Eastern Electricity, British Rail, British Legion, Wentworth Green and County Council.
1989/90 Season
The practising and the friendlies paid dividends with Kirby Bedon no longer a soft touch. Jarrolds were favourites to win the league as they were one of the first clubs formed in Norfolk and they duly won the title with 146 points but Kirby Bedon were runners-up with 133 points. Ten wins and just four defeats left Kirby nine points clear of third placed Eastern Electricity. Not bad for beginners who just a year earlier were considered easy prey. At N.C.S.M.B.A level Norfolk Vice-Chairman Len Bloom of Jarrolds resigned in March 1990 and Kirby Bedon's Selwyn Goldsmith was elected to the position which he held till the 1990 AGM when he decided not to stand as did the Chairman Mark Hedges. Jill Watson and Selwyn Goldsmith continued to serve on the N.C.S.M.B.A Committee as league delegates for the City of Norwich League.
THE CITY OF NORWICH LEAGUE GLORY YEARS
1989-1998
The first two seasons of the City of Norwich League had seen Kirby Bedon finish as runners-up behind the experienced Jarrolds side but these two triumphs would be Jarrolds last. In 1991-92 Kirby Bedon were crowned champions finishing ahead of runners-up Electricity. This proved to be the first of four straight titles for Kirby Bedon with Electricity second again in 92-93, Deaf Sports second in 93-94 and Horsford Heroes second in 94-05. Horsford Heroes shared Kirby's taste for competitive bowling and for the next two years beat Kirby into second place. Back came Kirby Bedon to reclaim the title in 1997-98 which was to be for the last time as Kirby Bedon quit the City League along with Deaf Sports to join the Bure League. This came about following applications for league membership being turned down from five teams including Thorpe Marriott and Woodbastwick. Kirby's delegates has supported the applications and also proposed a plan to turn the league into two divisions with promotion and relegation. This was also defeated. Kirby Bedon felt that accepting stronger teams into the league would help their own bowling improve and that a 2-up and 2-down promotion and relegation system would make the league more exciting. Never-the-less Kirby Bedon had left its mark on the City League with League Singles, Pairs and Triples Championships all put in place by Kirby officers.
THE INCREDIBLE SUMMER LEAGUE RUN
Kirby Bedon win Div One title 10 times in 11 years.
Kirby Bedon decided to enter the Norfolk Summer League in 1996 and started a run of success like no other. At the time of entry there were four divisions and Kirby Bedon came in to Div Four. Phil & Jill Watson, Selwyn & Teresa Goldsmith, Alistair Hunter and Leonora Chilman made up the first team from the club and won Div Four at the first attempt. Promotion to Div Three for the 1997 season saw Kirby win the title and promotion once again and this time they also lifted the Summer Cup beating Div One champions Bob Carter Centre in the final at East Tuddenham. 1998 saw the story continue as Kirby Bedon "A" as they were now known won the Div Two title and again beat Div One champions Bob Carter in the Summer Cup final.1999 saw Kirby Bedon "A" in Div One and attempting to make it four titles in four years in each division and so it was as they finished top ahead of Bob Carter who had won the Div One title for the previous three years. They again reached the Summer Cup final but lost to East Tuddenham, In the year 2000 Kirby Bedon "A" again won the Summer League Championship title and also went on to win it in 2001, 2002 & 2003. A glitch came in 2004 when Hevingham "A" snatched the title with Kirby as runners-up. The title was recaptured in 2005 and retained in 2006 and 2007. 2008 saw changes in the team when Alistair Hunter decided to take a rest from summer bowling and Carol & John Aggas joined the team but the success continued unabated as the revamped side won the league. Meanwhile in the Summer Cup they beat Bob Carter in the 2001 final but lost to Hevingham in the 2008 final. Kirby Bedon "A" also reached the final in 2006 but were unable to field a side on the date set by the Summer League Cup Secretary and conceded the match against Bob Carter.In 2009 the ESMBA launched a new National Club Championship competition and Teresa & Selwyn Goldsmith, Jill & Phil Watson & Carol & John Aggas from the Kirby Bedon "A" side decided to enter as a team. The years of success were crowned in the ultimate fashion as they beat Warren Heath of Essex in the final at Rugby Thornfield to make Kirby Bedon the first winners of the event. The team then completed a unique triple crown success as they won the Norfolk Summer League Championship title for a tenth time and beat Wymondham in the Norfolk Summer Cup final at Thorpe Marriott to make it a truly remarkable summer that may never be repeated by a Norfolk side again.
Kirby Bedon "B" entered the league in Div Four in 1998 and won the title at the first attempt and the following year finished champions of Div Three. The year 2000 saw Kirby Bedon "B" gain promotion to Div One after finishing second in Div Two behind Hevingham. They also reached the Summer Cup final losing to Yaxham in 2000. 2003 saw Kirby Bedon "B" celebrate a Summer Cup final victory beating Watton in the final. They again reached the final in 2005 losing to Bob Carter. Relegation from Div One proved a disappointment but they finished as runners-up in 2009 to regain their place in Div One.
THE BURE & TENS LEAGUE YEARS
Bure & Tens League Double Achieved
A new era began for the club in 1998-99 as it entered the very competitive Bure League where Coltishall had reigned as champions for two years following East Tuddenham's success in 1995-96. Kirby Bedon's Jill Watson & Selwyn Goldsmith were also instrumental in the formation of a new league, The Tens League, with a brand new scoring system engineered to encourage team play. The team expected to take time to find their feet against the likes of Coltishall, Hevingham and East Tuddenham but what an amazing season unfolded as Kirby Bedon won the Bure League title at the first attempt and also won the Tens League ahead of Bob Carter. Certainly comments made about Kirby Bedon players being "big fish in a small pond" who would find life a lot harder when they left the City League were now impossible to justify.Kirby Bedon went on to retain the Bure League title in the 1999-2000 season but had to settle for the runners-up spot in 2000-01. Then came a hat-trick of wins in 2001-02, 2002-03 & 2003-04. A runners-up spot to Coltishall in 2004-05 followed and then two barren years followed out of the top two. 2008-09 saw Kirby champions again and wins in 2009-10 & 2010-11 saw another hat-trick of wins.
THE NORWICH CUP
Certainly the hardest cup to win with the biggest entry in Norfolk. Kirby Bedon reached the final for the first time in 1995-96 but were beaten by Bob Carter. 2001-02 was the next time Kirby made the final and again faced Bob Carter but this time they finally lifted the trophy after thirteen years of trying, this made captain Alistair Hunter a happy man. Would you believe it the following year Kirby were triumphant again this time beating East Tuddenham in the final. 2004-05 saw Kirby lift the trophy for the third time in four years beating Coltishall in the final.
THE NORFOLK COUNTY CUP
Despite its "county" status and its name the Norfolk Cup has so far failed to capture the interest of most Norfolk clubs and generally has an entry of less than twenty sides. Kirby Bedon stayed out of this cup for many years to avoid fixture congestion in the tail-end of the season. Finally biting the bullet it entered in the 2008-09 season and won the cup at the first attempt beating Sprowston in an entertaining final at St Faiths.
NORFOLK COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
SOUTH-EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Click on the Links Page and go to the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A site to see the success of the club's players in these events.
INTERNATIONALS
Click on the Links Page and go to the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A site to see Kirby Bedon players who have been selected at this level for England & Scotland.
NORFOLK C.S.M.B.A MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Click on the Links Page and go to the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A site to see Kirby Bedon players who serve, and have served, at County level.
NORFOLK OVER 60's SQUAD
Kirby Bedon's Teresa Goldsmith was appointed by the County Committee to organise a Norfolk Over 60's team with Avril Grapes, then of Hevingham. Click on the Links Page and go to the Norfolk C.S.M.B.A site and go to the Norfolk Over 60's pages to see news, fixtures and photo's.
ROUND-UP
Kirby Bedon started life as a small village short mat bowls team and that effectively is what it still is today. It's achievements in the sport though, and the influence it has had on short mat bowls, are so much more than that. The success of the Kirby Bedon bowlers, as a team and as individuals, could never have been imagined back in 1988 when that group of villagers met in Kirby Bedon Church Hall to roll a wood down the mat for the first time. They would not have believed that in the coming years some of them would play the sport in such diverse places as Malta, The Isle Of Skye, Cyprus and Ireland.
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