St Margaret's Co-operative Bowling Club

The Bowling Club was formed in 1921, when N. Corah & Sons, one of the largest hosiery companies in the country, bought the sports ground on Thurcaston Road,Leicester.

Starting as St. Margaret’s B. C. It shared the ground with football, cricket and tennis, changing the name to Corah B. C. in the early 1970s. It continued until 1990, when road developments had reduced the sports ground in size, and the company decided to sell the remaining land.

The members rallied together and moved the whole of the bowling green complex to a new site on the Co-operative Sports Ground in Birstall, Leicester. The Club was named St. Margaret’s Co-operative B. C. And is now one of the finest bowling clubs in Leicestershire.

Click here for video of first bowl on new green

 

The year 1990 doesn’t mean a great deal to the majority of folk around but that year is indelibly etched on the members of the Corah Bowling Club because that was the year that the name of the Corah Bowling Club ended and the St. Margaret’s Co-operative Bowling Club was formed.

The move is still credited as one of the greatest achievements of a local bowling club, when a group of members under the supervision of the then green keeper Joe Moore, uplifted and laid down again a complete bowling green and surrounds, from Corah’s to here at the Co-op Sports Ground. 

We often stand back and wonder in amazement how we were able to accomplish the move. Novices, doing a very professional and difficult job, but even now, one can still stand back and admire the wonderful improvements that have been made in the years we have been here, and credit for that lies among the dedicated members of this Club.

We would like to pay tribute to the pioneers, who had the vision of this Bowling Club and also to Pete Bryan and his Co-op committee for allowing us to be a part of this sports complex, and to you all for achieving more since 1990 than most clubs achieve in 50 years.

After a number of years using a portacabin, in 1996 we acquired and improved what is now a great pavilion, surely one of the finest around now. We have progressed from an ordinary works club to a private club with a vision that is second to none, that is here for all to see.