World's best visit Broadbottom

Last weekend saw the inaugural ‘Champion of Champions’ event take place at the Etherow Indoor Bowling Centre in Broadbottom, which saw 32 of the world's best short mat bowling players fight it out for the ultimate prize. 

Irishman Gary McNabb picked up the win, defeating compatriot and current world number 3 Mark Beattie by a scoreline of 17-5 in Sunday’s final.  

The tournament took place across both Saturday and Sunday, kicking off with the group stages on Saturday morning and concluding on Sunday evening with the knockout phase. 

The tournament was broadcast on YouTube with over 17,500 tuning in across the weekend, including over 500 who watched the final live.  

Craig Burgess, one of the directors at the Short Mat Players Tour – the organisation behind the tournament – said: 

“We are delighted to have hosted our first ever Champion of Champions event at such an amazing venue. 

“Through events like this we want to try and make the sport more mainstream, it’s one of the most under-recognised sports in the UK. 

“Darts is a great example of how a sport can progress, after a dip in popularity in the 80’s, we’ve seen it be reinvigorated – we want to experience that type of growth with our sport, and we believe we can achieve that. 

“Most people will be familiar with the long mat version of the game, but short mat bowling is a quicker, more exciting version of the sport, and for me it’s the most skilled out of all bowling formats.” 

To find out more about the Short Mat Players Tour, visit their website: shortmatplayerstour.com 

The venue that hosted the games was the wonderful Etherow Indoor Bowling Centre, located on the first floor of the Etherow Centre, a historic railway warehouse purchased from British rail in 1985.  

The bowling centre was saved from closure in September 2023 when the organisation managing it deemed it was no longer financially viable to keep the centre open. 

Recognising the huge loss closure would have meant to the local community, locals got together with bowlers from across Greater Manchester and formed a plan to save the centre.  

They worked with the Etherow Centre Charitable Trust, local councillor Jacquline Owen and secured sponsorship from Marple’s Techniheat Plant Services Ltd and other local sponsors to secure the future of this fantastic building. 

Etherow Indoor Bowling Centre chairman George Richards said: 

“When it was announced the centre would be closed 19 months ago, we were understandably very upset. 

“There’s nothing like this venue anywhere else, and it gives the local people a purpose. 

“Since then, we’ve taken it over ourselves, and it’s gone from strength to strength. 

“We’ve created a community. We have over 470 members now and it’s amazing what we’ve achieved so far, but this is only the first step. 

“I’m so proud to be the chairman of this great club.” 

Steve Roberts, the club’s captain added: 

“It’s a wonderful place. 

“In saving the building, we’ve introduced so many people to the sport. 

“Short mat bowling is open to everyone, it’s one of the only sports where an eight-year-old and an 88-year-old can compete on an even playing field.

“It’s great for social activity too. We have around 1000 new users every year, and we’re hoping to double that across the next five years. 

“To host the first ever Champion of Champions event here is just brilliant for the profile of the club. 

“We’ve got some of the world’s best players here competing at our club, and it’s amazing that this place is already beginning to be seen around the world as ‘the Crucible of short mat bowling’.” 

To find out more about the Etherow Indoor Bowling Centre, visit their website: etherow-ibc.co.uk or call them on 01457 763 165.