A HISTORY OF PARKSIDE BOWLING CLUB IN VERSE BY  J.P TIERNEY
1902
For its conception Parkside is indebted,
To printers who, at Nelsons, plied their trade,
Into The Printers League they were accepted,
And on East Meadows Bowling Green they played.
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When Thomas Nelson bought land situated,
Close to the grassy slopes of Arthur's Seat,
The area, he promptly allocated,
To sportsmen from his works across the street.
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A sale of work the sportsmen soon had running,
To fund a sports pavilion they required,
The sum their efforts raised was truly stunning,
Suffice to build the quarters they desired.
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As soon as the pavilion was completed,
The Parkside blazer badges were designed,
A bowl and jack marked where they now competed,
With Arthur's Seat depicted close behind.
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1910
Parksiders also joined a league created,
By Maule who owned a store of great renown,
That league would be confined , he stipulated,
To the foremost industries in the town.
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The printing workers, Parkside, represented,
While, Postal, answered to the postmen's call,
To act for railmen, Caley' Club, consented,
And transport crews chose, Tramways, for the Maule.
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1914
The First World War affected Parkside greatly,
When many of their members joined the corps,
Some never made it back, unfortunately,
But they will be remembered evermore.
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1919
To make sure peace in Europe would be binding,
The Treaty of Versailles had been drawn up,
In sporting pastimes people were unwinding,
And Parkside lifted the The Victory Cup.
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1920
A Director of Nelson's whose creation,
'The Thirty-Nine Steps', gained him world acclaim,
Spent many of his hours of relaxation,
At Parkside, joining in a friendly game.
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1927
Their members must have really been frustrated,
When Parkside's Silver Jubilee came round,
The Twenty-Six strike had just terminated,
And funds for such events could not be found.
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1939
Parksiders, like most British lads, enlisted,
To make sure Allied Nations would survive,
The mighty Axis forces were resisted,
And made to bend the knee in Forty-Five.
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1952
For their fiftieth year Parkside's decision,
To have a week of bowls caused some dismay,
The members and their luckless opposition,
Were drenched with rain which pelted down each day.
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1957
Although the members may have felt elated,
When licensed to sell liquor in Parkside,
Their secretary soon was inundated,
with calls for friendly games from far and wide.
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1960
In a last-ditch attempt to gain salvation,
When many printing firms began to fold,
Nelson was forced to seek amalgamation,
And there were fears his sports ground would be sold.
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1966
In spite of Nelson's efforts to recover,
His famous printing-house closed down for good,
But, thankfully, the eminent sports lover,
Made sure that Parkside's lease would be renewed.
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For a short distance Parkside's green was shifted,
To make room for a swimming pool, next door,
A stretch of green, nearest the pool, was lifted,
And transfered from the rear end to the fore.
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Although the old pavilion was demolished,
A better clubhouse took shape further east,
The 'Printers Only' statute was abolished,
And, rapidly, the membership increased.
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1969
With Parkside private now, the members voted,
To seek out opposition more renowned,
Within a league of private clubs, they'd noted,
A place for them would, hopefully be found.
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1970
Those South side clubs gave Parkside their permission,
To join the SEBA League without delay,
The ELBA also granted their admission,
As consequently did the S.B.A.
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1975
In SEBA games Parkside were now respected,
In ELBA matches they proved hard to beat,
The famed Kyles Triples Trophy they collected,
A feat which, eight years on, they would repeat.
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So greatly had the membership now risen,
On function nights the place was overrun,
The convicts had more space in Saughton Prison,
Quite clearly something needed to be done.
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1976
A double-storeyed structure was appended,
The upper floor, for where committee met,
Beneath that floor a corridor extended,
With toilets, to one side of it offset.
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Lockers, in the committee room, were fitted,
Most of sufficient size for two to share,
Though visitors would also be permitted,
To use the changing quarters up the stair.
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1978
In the Sharp Trophy, Parkside Club succeeded,
When only one of its eight rinks lost out,
For this event great strength in depth is needed,
And Parkside had grown strong without a doubt.
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1982
A second room for changing was instated,
Between the clubhouse and the Southern wall,
The bar and all its fittings were updated,
As were the furnishings inside the hall.
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1984
A Parkside A.G.M. put through a motion,
Allowing lady bowlers to enrol,
Some disenchanted members aired the notion,
'Give it a year and they'll be in control.'
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Despite the views the die-hards had been airing,
That Parkside's bonhomie would be no more,
Apart from a reduction in the swearing,
Parkside just carried on, much as before.
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1985
The ELBApairs takes quite a bit of winning,
Yet it was won by two top Parkside men,
Next year the same pair had a second inning,
And won this most prestigious prize again.
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1986
For the Commonwealth Games, Parkside with pleasure,
To Guernsey's bowling needs pledged to attend,
In practice matches and in hours of leisure,
The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves no end.
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A Parksider was finding it hard going,
To wheel his chair-bound son around, of late,
So fellow-members set about bestowing,
A powered chair the lad could navigate.
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An exhibition game which sent funds soaring,
Wee Willie Wood and Richard Corsie played,
David Hicks set the jacks and did the scoring,
All three deserved their lengthy accolade.
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1989
A Parkside Senior Four could not believe it,
A Scottish District Final they'd just won,
The first Parksiders ever to achieve it,
But this could be the start of a great run.
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The Charity Pairs is a competition,
where winning matters less than taking part,
Though Parkside's winners thrashed their opposition,
The hapless losers bore it in good heart.
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1990
The Parkside clubhouse, once more, was extended,
This time it was partitioned into two,
The main hall seating ninety, was intended,
For functions, to increase the revenue.
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The games room, with all mods' and cons' provided,
Was seperated by a sliding door,
The bar was set whereat the rooms divided,
So bar staff had a less exacting chore.
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A modern fitted kitchen was positioned,
Down at the bottom of the function hall,
New chairs and tables then were acquisitioned,
And set on carpets laid from wall to wall.
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1991
The Coronation Fours, Parksiders lifted,
Although the final went right to the wire,
Not only was the winning quartet gifted,
They'd backing from The Parkside Male-Voice Choir.
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1993
A trophy which Sir Malcolm Smith had given,
Parkside's Past Presidents proudly acquired,
This trophy which for so long they had striven,
Is one that is enormously admired.
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1995
The ELBA Senior Pairs, which takes some getting,
By two of Parkside'sSenior stars was won,
Defeating men on whom the sun is setting,
But none-the-less still rank second to none.
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1996
A Parkside trio who were highly rated,
A Scottish District Final win secured,
Their Scottish Finals effort indicated,
More honours, in the future, were assured.
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1997
A Parkside junior, rightly, felt elated,
He'd won a 'District' and to Ayr had gone,
Although he lost observers speculated,
'He will be back at Ayr again, anon.'
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1998
When Parkside joined the Premier League some reckoned,
That they had bitten more than they could chew,
Their First Sixteen, though, managed to come second,
Their Second Sixteen finished well up too.
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The Edinburgh Council intimated,
That lady bowlers must have equal rights,
In most clubs this was, heatedly, debated,
The Parkside die-hards had some sleepless nights.
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A junior, Parksiders had long respected,
Secured the Junior Championship at Ayr,
For Scotland he was, afterwards selected,
And still retains his place with skill and flair.
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1999
A fresh influx of youths helped Parkside greatly,
The Coronation Fours was won again,
The Seniors, who'd been less successful lately,
Secured the ELBA Rinks in their Top Ten.
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2000
Came the Millennium, Parkside Decided,
For forty pounds per head at Hogmanay,
With food and drink there'd also be provided,
A group, a disco and fireworks display.
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The Parkside gravy train continued rolling,
Another Junior made his way to Ayr,
In spite of a superb display of bowling,
He failed to gain the precious silverware.
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A valiant Parksider was nominated,
To be member of the Scottish Team,
In games for bowlers incapacitated,
With disabilities defined extreme.
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The Second Sixteen's fifth rink was elated,
They'd won a league in which reserves compete,
This victory quite clearly demonstrated,
At any level Parkside's hard to beat.
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