WERNETH WEDGE No. 76 Captain: Paul Higgins Sept. 2007

WHALEY TO BE CENTENARY CAPTAIN.

Hold the front page - journalist David Whaley is to be club Captain during our centenary year in 2009. This was confirmed when the current Vice-Captain, David Whittingham, named the deputy editor of the Oldham Evening Chronicle as his chosen successor when he assumes the captaincy next year.

This prestigious honour came as a belated wedding gift for Dave (as he is popularly known), following his recent marriage to Wendy, and as an early birthday present - he celebrates his 47th in October.

It also came as a shock to him. "As a matter of fact, I made a bit of a fool of myself," he said. "When the Vice-Captain rang me and said he wanted to discuss who should succeed him, I thought he was asking me for some advice. "Others had said they would like to propose me but I had politely declined. But I am aware that the Captaincy in our centenary year is rather special and I felt I could not turn down David's offer. "For the past couple of years I have been very busy as the Comps and Handicaps Secretary and Wendy said she will probably see more of me now that I will be relinquishing that post."

Dave, who was born in Middleton but has lived in Shaw for most of his life, entered journalism as a junior reporter with the Chronicle on leaving Chadderton Grammar School. He later joined the Lincolnshire Echo as a sports reporter and had a brush with death when covering a match at Bradford when the stand in which he was working caught fire. More than fifty people died, but Dave escaped by running on to the pitch. "If I had gone the other way I would probably have died," he said.

He then moved to the Birmingham Mail group, where he became assistant editor, before rejoining the Chronicle seven years ago as deputy editor. Although football was his first love (he was a centre forward for various amateur teams), he joined Saddleworth Golf Club as a 15-year-old for a couple of years, but did not play regularly until returning to Oldham.

He again applied to Saddleworth but found there was a waiting list - and joined Werneth instead six years ago. A handy 13-handicapper, he has been a member of the council for the past three years and is now eagerly looking forward to his next two big years.

NEW TERRACE TO MARK CENTENARY.

Council has given the go-ahead for a new terrace to be built, with access from the lounge, as the club's major centenary project. Planning permission is now being sought for the £16,500 scheme, and work will commence as soon as possible. The south-facing terrace which will benefit from most of the day's sunshine, will be enhanced with decorative wrought iron fencing but a suggestion that it should incorporate a trolley storage area at ground level has had to be abandoned because of the extra cost involved. The Centenary Fund currently stands at about £10,000 but more than forty of those who have pledged £100 have yet to make their donations. Now that a definite project has been earmarked, they are asked to do so.

Meanwhile, many other fund-raising events are planned throughout 2008, including another corporate day. There is also a plan to sell £10 tickets for a draw providing the winner with a free year's subscription. They will be on sale until the end of next year with members permitted to buy as many as they wish.

WERNETH PAIR IN LYTHAM TRIUMPH.

Competing against a field of fifty fourballs at Lytham Green Drive's challenging course, 75-year-old John Stockley, who plays off 10, and his 57-year-old partner, Steve Britt (11) took the first prize with an impressive 45 Stableford points, beating the home club's Captain and Vice-Captain by a point John also holed his second shots at two of the substantial par threes to keep the pair in golf balls for a while.

WOODEN SPOON IN DREADED RETURN.

And now for the bad news - the "prize" which no-one wishes to win has returned to Werneth after an absence of eight years. The infamous Wooden Spoon is awarded each year to the losers in a competition between the Captains and Vice-Captains of Werneth, Oldham, Saddleworth, Crompton and Royton, and Brookdale, and has to be displayed in a prominent position in the appropriate clubhouse.

In a tense match at Cleckheaton, Captain Paul Higgins and Vice-Captain David Whittingham scored 34pts - a total matched by Crompton's Mike Jackson and Tony Doidge, after "Dodgy" had holed out from off the green at the 18th. On a back-nine countback, our pair lost out.

Whisper it quietly but if last year's Captain, Shaun Rattigan, had not found Mike's lost ball on the 15th, with Dodgy in deep rough in a valley, things might have been different. They then escaped with a four for three points. Keep it to yourselves but last to bring home the spoon were Dave Griffiths and Pete Griffin.

TIGHT FINISHES IN MAJORS.

There have been tight finishes in the finals of most of the major competitions so far decided. Nigel Wareing (5) beat Ian Ashworth (11) at the last hole to take the Challenge cup, while James Buckley (5) and Lee Rowbotham (1) had to go down the 19th before defeating Shaun Rattigan (9) and Grahame Holt (5) in the Hetherington event.

The Fairway Cup went to Brian Donnelly (71-6-65), but only after a card playoff with Pete Griffin. And the Mixed Foursomes title was also decided at the first extra hole, with Shaun Rattigan and Pat Grant, who had been two down with five to play, emerging victorious over father and daughter Cliff and Jane Fletcher.

Twenty-handicapper Peter Hickey shot a fine 78 gross to take the Grasshopper Trophy by two shots from Steve Lee (77-17-60).

FINE SCORES ON INVITATION DAY.

Adie Buckley and Brookdale ex-Captain Mark Riley notched up 47pts to take the first prize on our closing Invitation Day. Dave Griffiths and Oldham's Eric Charles, with 45pts, edged out Kevin Roberts and Dave Connor (Whittaker), to take second place. Fourth were Steve McNamara and Ryan Goodall (Brookdale) with 44 pts, with fifth place going to Terry Melia and Steve Lynch (C and R) with 43, relegating James Buckley and Bruce Clay (Saddleworth) to sixth place on a card playoff.

WHITWORTH, GRANT WIN MONTHLY MEDALS.

Wayne Whitworth, with a score of 77-8-59 won the first division title in the September monthly medal, with Geoff Dawson - a splendid 66-6-60 - in second place. The second division winner was left hander Ian Grant (79-16-63), with John Armstrong (77-14-63), the runner-up. A 13-hole Stableford was won by Rick Riley with 32pts, one better than Tommy Dwayre. A similar competition was won by Paul McKee with 31pts on a card-playoff with Steve McNamara.

YOUNG SUTTIE IN COUNTY TRIUMPH.

Representing Lancashire under 15s against Cheshire at Ellesmere Port, Jack Suttie won both his singles and foursomes matches. Belated congratulations Jack.

GRANNIE SHEILA WINS GRANDMOTHERS CUP.

Sheila Waterhouse, with a score of 96-29-67, won the Grandmothers Trophy - one of the ladies' board competitions. Fiona Dooley won a LGU pendant with a score of 78-6-72, and another LGU event was won by Lisa Hall (101-36-65). Fiona and Lisa then teamed up with Gail Rowbotham to win a Texas Scramble with a fine score of 70-7.5-62.5.