History

The Witterings and District Bowls Club was formed in 1969.

The Eric Smith Trophy

The Eric Smith Trophy is a tournament held in memory of a Gentleman bowler and officer who was Chairman of the club in the early Eighties. The competition was the brainchild of two former Wittering club members, James Green and Stan Kendrick, with Eric’s son Roger, who presented a cup to be played for annually. In its original form it consisted of ten visiting teams and two from the Witterings. It was won in its first year, 1988, by a four from Middleton. Subsequent years saw clubs as varied as Fishbourne, Chichester and Hotham claim the title, with a home rink winning on no less than four occasions. However, it was always a modest event and ultimately other competitions elsewhere proved to be more attractive for competitive bowlers. In 1997 it became In-House, and is now played in September to help round off the season.

Roger Smith.