Meet the Tarring Priory Club Officers

Derek Ridley holds this most important of roles. He was re-elected to the office for a seventh successive year in January 2020. He succeeded out-going President Wally Burrows, who stood down at the 2014 AGM after a much valued period at the helm.  Derek joined the club on the 10 October 1991, he was co-opted onto the Governing Committee in 1998 as an Assistant Secretary and served as Secretary from 1999 - 2004, during at which time he was also Bar Manager 2001 - 2002. He became Vice Captain in 2004 and Captain 2005 - 2006 and was elected President for the years 2007 - 2009. Derek's tireless efforts to promote bowls at a local level received County wide recognition in 2015 with the award of the 'Sussex Bowls Man of the Year' Trophy. To contact our president by e-mail click on his picture.

Club President

Chairman

The position of Tarring Priory Chairman was born out of the constitutional reform agreed at the 2018 SGM which preceded the 2018 AGM. Keith Brinsmead was elected unopposed at the meeting and was re-elected  in 2020 will now act as the channel and guide for Tarring Priory Committee Meetings.

Keith, despite his youthful looks has been a playing member at Priory since 1978. He has served on the committee in various guises during that time, but it is his recent retirement which has allowed him the time to take on this important role at our club.

As a player, Keith is one of our top men and is our Singles Champion. Keith indeed has a total of 22 honours against his name at Tarring Priory

Honorary Secretary

John Fairs joined Priory in 1990 to start learning the game whilst still an active weekend Cricketer with Broadwater. He retired from Cricket in 1996 and took up bowling in earnest, playing in as many matches as work and home life would permit. When not playing bowls he enjoys watching and supporting the club and other members in matches at all levels. John was elected to the Priory Committee in 2003 and in 2005 he assisted the Competition Secretary taking on the role full time 2006 - 2008. He is the SCB and BE delegate for Tarring Priory. In 2009 he was elected as Club Captain and held the role until 2013. John's playing record at Priory is second to none and he was Club Singles Champion in 2008 and repeated the feat again in September 2014, altogether he appears on the Priory Honours board 22 times. He took over the chief administrative role for the club in 2014 and was re-elected for 2020. If you want to email John please click on his picture. John will be helped by our Assistant Secretary, John Schools.

Honorary Treasurer

Chris 'Gus' Roberts was elected onto the management committee to fulfil this vital role in 2017 and after astute tutelage from President Derek was re-elected for a third year in 2020.  Gus has worked with figures professionally for many years and is confident of maintaining the healthy  state of the Tarring Priory Bowls Club finances. He joined Priory as a bowler in 2013 and has been a regular member of both our friendly and league teams . If you want to contact 'Gus' click on his picture to send him an e-mail.

Gus is planning to step down from this post in March 2021

Sarah Baker was co-opted onto the management committee to replace Gus Roberts in 2021. Gus is cutting down on his commitments due to continuing health problems.  Sarah has a background in book keeping and is welcomed as a valued member of our Management team. Sarah is charged with maintaining the Tarring Priory Bowls Club finances. She was one of our first lady members joining Priory as a bowler in 2019 and has been a member of our friendly sides on quite a few occasions. If you want to contact 'Sarah' click on her picture to send e-mail.

Our accounts are inspected annually by David Fairs

First Team Manager

Stuart was elected to the important position of manager for West Sussex Bowls League matches at the January 2019 AGM, he was re-elected in 2020 for a second year. He will also oversee Sussex County Bowls Double Fours selection (Abergavenny). In addition Stuart will have ultimate selection control for our entries into the Bowls England Team Competitions, The Top Club and Double Rinkers

Stuart's bowling highlights include, winning the SCB Unbadged Singles in 2015. Stuart has also represented SCB in the Home Counties League. 

At Priory he has appeared on our Honours Boards 13 times in the short time he has been with us. Notably he won the Championship Singles in 2015 and 2017, the 2 sets singles in 2016 and 2018, and has also won the Handicap singles in 2015.  

Stuart takes responsibility for first team  selection and has a sub-committee to support his decision making. To contact him  just click on his picture.

Stracey Team Manager

John Proffitt has stepped into the shoes vacated by Joe Peters and was elected unopposed as Stracey team manager in 2020 following a very successful two year stint looking after our friendly team.

John  plays most of his games in the 'Stracey' team and friendlies. He certainly has an excellent knowledge of the players at the club through his work as Friendly manager and is relishing the chance to win the Stracey Shiel back for priory

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John is a pragmatist and gets the best out of the players available to him.  He is also making himself a reputation as quite a speech maker!

 Click John's picture to email him about the Stracey League

Friendly Team Manager

For 2021 John Proffitt has once again agreed to take on this vital club job.

John of course, did this job in 2019 but stepped forward as a caretaker after the passing of Club Stalwart Joe Peters in 2020

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Thanks  John

Match Secretary, Safeguarding Officer & Webmaster

Alan Messer joined Priory in September 2005  eager to experience the more competitive bowling a club like Priory could offer.  Alan does have a certain pedigree for organisation having been Secretary to the Sussex County Bar Billiards Association for over 10 years, a game which he still strives to be good at in the winter months. He was a winning member of the White Hart (Littlehampton) team who were National Team Champions in 2014. He served as Tarring Priory Competition Secretary (2008-2010, 2012-2017). He was also Match Secretary (2011-2019), and he was re-elected in 2020. Alan also has responsibility for the management of this website, and also holds the vital club mantle of Safeguarding Officer. He is also no mean bowler and finished top of the club ranking points in 2018. He appears on the Competition winners lists no less than 23 times. If you would like to contact Alan about competitions, fixtures, the T.P. website or to chat about Manchester City, please click on his picture.

Competition Secretary

Stuart Logan rejoined Priory in 2015 and is fiercely competitive in his approach to bowling. This is a character trait which should stand him in good stead as he continues in the role of competition secretary at Priory in 2019, re-elected 2020.

Since his return to Priory, Stuart has a taking a liking to the KO Fours Competition and has been a winner twice.

As Competition Secretary Stuart will have responsibility for over-seeing KO Comps, Leagues and also establishing Playing Handicaps for 2020. He will also take on the role as MC for Finals Weekend

Bar Manager

Emilio DiPietro's great love for many years was football (a QPR fan for those that didn't know - come on uarrrrrrrrrs). In 1978 he started coaching a group of local youngsters who did not have a football team and as a result of that the Worthing Minors Boys Football Club came in existance. After four years and the boys getting older Emilio then assisted in the birth of a club for local Italian children and A.C. Azzuri was formed, the club still being in existance today. As he was getting older in the mid 1990's he decided he would like to take up a sport himself rather than being on the sidelines of a football club. Hence he gave bowls a try and joined Tarring Priory Bowls Club. In 2005 he showed his pedigree by being the clubs 'B' teams 'Top Skip' playing in the Brodie Tray. He achieved the top honour in the club as Singles Champion in 2012. Emilio stepped down as the clubs Catering Officer in 2007 after serving the club well for several years. He served three years as the club Vice Captain (2006 - 2008). Emilio was elected Youth Development Officer in 2009. In 2015 he has also took on the very important position of Bar manager. If you would like to contact Emilio by email please click on his picture.

Club Officers from the record books

Hon Secretaries

OCT 1937 W PLATT

MAY 1941 A J HUDSON

DEC 1943 J D EDWARDS

NOV 1944 J BARKER

NOV 1946 A E MASTERS

JUN  1950 J E NEWELL

NOV 1954 F B VICKERS

NOV 1958 H R SMITH

NOV 1959 S T SHORT

NOV 1961 F B VIGOR

NOV 1963 D C STURGESS

NOV 1966 E L GARDINER

MAY 1972 H E MOULDS

NOV 1972 H H WEBSTER

NOV 1989 R T D DALGLEISH

MAY 1999 D RIDLEY

MAY 2005 E J D HOOD

JAN  2006 M J JOYCE

JAN  2014 J F FAIRS