Hall of Fame

The Bangor Open

The Bangor Open started in 1939 only missing the war years and one year there was a dispute with the council

There have been a lot of Bowlers who deserved to be mentioned in the Hall of Fame I will list a few of these the First is Geoff McMullan ( Portadown)

He was a regular visitor to the Bangor Open Tournament

but this particular year 2001 he decided it was a good idea to enter all the competitions that was the mixed Pairs, men's pairs and the singles in those days it was the knock out system

21 ends in the pairs and twenty one shots in the singles it had been a very long week for Geoff but when it came to Saturday finals day, the only way to get through the programme was to start at 8am, well he did having managed to get into all the Finals and by 10pm that night he had completed all his games unfortunately he was runner up in all the Finals but still managed to leave with more prize money than anyone in the tournaments history to that point.

We lost Geoff in 2011 after a long illness (Esophagus Cancer)

Richard Geoff's son said he loved bowling in the Bangor Open

He also lost out in Three Irish Finals 1996 Triples,Pairs 2000 and Triples 2002, on his deathbed Richard promised his dad he would win an Irish Title for him.

Emily Dornan was an Under 18 playing for the local Pickie Bowling Club, 2014 was the year she lit up the Bangor Open with a terrific display, she managed to play eighty four ends of bowls in one day that's equivelent to playing four league games in one day.

She was voted Player of the Tournament by the committee who had been struck by the determination to get through all the games.

2016 There was an extraordinary finish to the Open Pairs final, as is sometimes the case there were complication's with the draws in the semi finals Peter Campbell and Dean Mills from Pickie Bowling Club played until late in ward park but realised after that we could not get through the programme on finals day it was decided to play under floodlights at Pickie, the Bangor pair of Graham McKee and Mark Bailie were already at Pickie enjoying the hospitality, what happened next was an extraordinary game there was already a fierce rivalry between the two clubs they played until 12.20am and the pickie pair won by a shot. What a game!

Robert and Elaine Hastings in the mixed pairs have a record unequalled in the history of the tournament they could also have a slot each in the Hall of Fame but we will focus on their mixed pairs achievements, it started in 1999 when Elaine's mum & dad Georgina and Ian Blair entered the First mixed pairs event and went on to beat Ronnie & Ella Burton (Pickie) in the Final at Pickie there was much singing and everyone was enjoying the hospitality put on by Pickie. Sadly just a few days later Elaine's Dad died and from that time to now they have dominated the mixed pairs having won 9 times 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018

GARY SCOTT'S year 1996

Yes an historic year for Irish International Gary Scott winning the singles from a superb entry of 232 and beating fellow International Micheal Nutt from ( Old Bleach ) 21 v 11 to reach the final and beat his team mate Simon Denley 21 v 12 and

the Mens Pairs with his young team mate Clifford Craig with an entry of 150 pairs they beat last years winners Earnie and Tony Budde in the semi final and faced Combers William Massey and Dessie McDowell in the Final 23 v 1

Gary Scott & Clifford Craig 1996 Pairs.j

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