Manchester Golf Club played host to the
Old Manchester Golf Club Bi-Centenary Gala Dinner on the evening of 18th September 2018 where bucks fizz and canapes were served upon arrival. The dining room was prepared for seventy eight diners and an honours table where all of the Old Manchester trophies were on display.
Members of Old Manchester Golf Club, their Guests and Honoured Guests were in attendance and David Besant Roberts, the Master of Ceremonies, extended the welcome and wished everybody an enjoyable evening. He then invited Tony Gregory to say Grace.
Honoured Guests in attendance
Desmond Duffy President of England Golf
Michael Lay President of Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs
Glyn Henry Captain of Manchester Golf Club
Niall O’Donnell Captain of Royal Birkdale
Simon Bedford Captain of Bramall Park Golf Club
Helen Besant Roberts Author of the Bi-Centenary Book
Peter Ross Great Great Grandson of Malcolm Ross
Kim Ross Great Great Grandson of Malcolm Ross
Menu
Starters
Broccoli and Lancashire Cheese Veloute, Warm Baked Roll
or
Chicken Liver Parfait, Onion Marmalade with Wholemeal Toast, Dressed Leaves
Main Course
Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb, Panache of Vegetables, Fondant Potatoes
or
Fillet of Sea Bass, Char-grilled Vegetables
Dessert
Trio of Desserts
or
Manchester Tart, Chocolate Truffle, Lemon Meringue
Cheese
Lancashire Cheese and Biscuits with Port Wine
Toasts
On completion of the meal, Tony Berry gave the standard OMGC Toast of “Golf Clubs all of The World” which was followed by the Loyal Toast to “The Queen, Duke of Lancaster” which was proposed by Michael Lay the President of Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs.
David Besant Roberts then invited Desmond Duffy, The President of England Golf to propose the Toast to Old Manchester Golf Club.
Desmond Duffy, The President of England Golf, thanked Old Manchester for the invitation which he was very pleased to accept and said that he had read the 1988 book in preparation for his visit. He indicated that he was very impressed with the history of Old Manchester and successful continuation as a club without a course which was without doubt due to the dedication and enthusiasm of the members. He spoke about his association with Lancashire and Manchester on a personal and professional level as a Rules and Match Referee and having made many friends and played a great number of courses in the area. Desmond related a number of stories about his experiences and then proposed a toast to Old Manchester by referring to the final paragraph of page 64 of the 1988 Jean Russell book which he said he was unable to surpass or better describe the character and spirit of the club. He read:
“The OMGC did not cease to exist in 1960 says much for its members who find satisfaction in its long and distinguished past and look forward to what they hope will be a successful future. It now seems certain that the Club will never again have a course of its own but new members continue to join, the old trophies are a source of great pride and the two new ones signify a determination to preserve an organisation that is an important part of the country’s sporting heritage”
Then proposed the toast to Old Manchester Golf Club after which he presented an engraved Glass Plate marking the Bi-Centenary Anniversary on behalf of England Golf to The Captain of Old Manchester, Phil Goodall.
David Besant Roberts then invited Phil Goodall, The Captain of Old Manchester to respond to the President’s Toast.
The Captain firstly thanked the President for the Glass plate then gave biography of the historic events Old Manchester experienced including nine reigning monarchs between George III and Elizabeth II. He spoke about the early members and their position in society then related the 1858 “Dinner for One” story of Malcolm Ross which was celebrated in 1958 and 2008, the 100 and 150 respective anniversaries. The Captain invited two of our guests to stand, Peter and Kim Ross introducing them as the Great Great Grandsons of Malcolm Ross and said the Club was very pleased that they were able to attend. He then referred to guests of Old Manchester through the 19th century being signed into the club in the “Stranger’s Book” and on this occasion asked the members to stand and toast our guests in this original form of “The Strangers”.
This was followed by a prize presentation where all the trophies were distributed to their respective winners and presentation packs of the Old Manchester “Bi-Centennial Ale” donated by Bank Top Brewery of Bolton were presented to the Honoured Guests.
The Master of Ceremonies, David Besant Roberts, thanked Manchester Golf Club and their staff for hosting the event and concluded the proceedings by wishing everybody a save journey home.
Slide show of Photos of Evening
Old Manchester Golf Club 