Team Hampshire - Short Mat Bowls

Further to the below, Laurie’s family have asked for the following to be shared. They would love for anyone who knew Laurie to feel free to add any special memories, stories or photos you may have of him.

It would be lovely to fill this with the moments and memories that made Laurie so special, and help celebrate his life and the impact he had on so many people, in the way he truly deserves. ❤️

https://lauriedixon.muchloved.com/

Good morning, and welcome back, short mat bowlers! 😍

The wait is finally over… the 2026/27 season is officially underway! 🎉

This weekend saw the first competitive action of the new season, with the UK Open, hosted by SMPT, kicking things off in style.

And what a start it was, with some fantastic results for Hampshire! 👏

The new season looks set to continue exactly where the last one left off, with Hampshire once again enjoying plenty of success on the national stage.

🥉 Alex Kley & Andrew Shorney — Bronze Medal in the Cup

🥈 Alastair McCrea — Silver Medal in the Cup

🥇 Ben Pay — Gold Medal in the Plate

This season sees Alex Kley join Hampshire, meaning that 3 of the 4 medal winners in the Cup were from Hampshire! 😳

A fantastic way to start the new season, with Hampshire making its mark right from the opening weekend.

Congratulations to all of our medal winners, and well done to everyone who took part! 👏

The 2026/27 season is officially up and running… bring on the rest of it! 🔥

We are saddened to hear of the passing of long time member Laurie Dixon, of Southampton Short Mat Bowls Club. Laurie was a stalwart of both Hampshire Prem and A teams for many years, and will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

Our thoughts go to all of Lauries family and friends at this time.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're delighted to announce our members for the official England squad for the upcoming season! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 😍

Once again, we have SEVEN members selected, making us joint top contributors to the national squad.

A huge congratulations to those who have retained their places from last season:

• Steve Puttock (Caen)
• David White (Caen)
• Jason McLean (Southampton)
• Ryan Knight (Caen)
• Ben Pay (Crown)

And a very warm welcome BACK to our newest England representatives:

⭐ Aidan Corrigan (Southampton)
⭐ Leah Wood (Caen)

We're incredibly proud of you all and wish the team every success for the season ahead!

🚨 COUNTY ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

After extensive negotiations, several cups of tea, and absolutely no interest from Real Madrid... 😏

Hampshire Buccaneers are delighted to announce that Andrew Shorney has signed a new one-year deal to remain Manager for the upcoming season. 🧡🤍

Fresh from guiding the Buccaneers to last season's semi-finals, Andrew has agreed to stay on as the Buccaneers look to take the next step.

Rumours linking him with Barcelona, Team GB, and the local garden centre can finally be put to bed.

The mission remains the same;

📈 Build on last season.
🎯 Go one step further.
🏆 Keep making the Buccaneers proud.

Please join us in congratulating The Gaffer on committing his future to the orange and white.

🧡🤍

🚨 HERE WE GO! CONFIRMED! 🚨

After lengthy negotiations (lasting almost 7 minutes), Hampshire Hurricanes can officially announce that David White has stepped down as Hurricanes Team Manager.

The county can confirm his departure is by mutual consent*.

*Mutual consent = we had a chat and nobody threw a chair.

David leaves after an incredible spell in charge and departs with his head held high, several tactical notebooks, and at least seven imaginary Manager of the Month awards.

Meanwhile... the county is delighted to announce the sensational return of Leah Wood on a long-term deal!

✅ Medical completed
✅ Contracts signed
✅ Scarf held above head
✅ "I'm delighted to be back" interview recorded
✅ Fabrizio has given it the "Here We Go"

An undisclosed packet of Haribo and a Costa Coffee are believed to have sealed the deal, making this one of the biggest transfers of the summer.

The board, players, and fans are excited to welcome Leah back to the mat and look forward to another successful season.

Welcome home, Leah! 🟠 🟠

A HUGE congratulations to our very own Molly Michael for making the England Ladies team for the upcoming season 😍 what a season for Molly 👏👏

Big Congratulations to Molly for being selected to play for the England Ladies this season. Absolutely amazing achievement I am so proud of you. Go smash it. ❤️

The 25/26 season marked the launch of the Solent Premier League - the first competition of its kind for Hampshire Short Mat Bowls. Played as a singles competition with a generous cash prize on offer, the league spanned an impressive 17 weeks and showcased a consistently high standard throughout. 16 competitors in a bi-weekly straight knockout competition. Think the Premier League Darts, but Bowls!

A huge congratulations goes to Ryan Knight, who delivered an outstanding performance across the season. Not only did he top the league standings, but he also went on to win the knockout phase, making him a thoroughly deserving overall debut champion.

Following such a brilliantly successful inaugural season, Solent Premier League are already looking ahead and would love to see even more entrants involved next year. Anyone interested in taking part can get in touch with Jason McLean for further details.

Chris made a valiant effort in defending his title yesterday, reaching the semi finals before coming to defeat - a brilliant run yet again 👏👏