Oxenhope Bowling Green was opened in 1964 by the Mayor of Keighley, Ald T.Gallagher, who sent the first bowl across the green. In his address the Mayor said,” he did not believe in heavily subsidising a green or expect it to make a profit. However he knew they had an independent spirit at Oxenhope and would do all they could to support it”! There followed an inaugural match between the Parks Committee and NALGO.
It took the new club a while to become established as members of the Worth Valley League and it was only after 6 games that the first win was recorded. At the end of that first season the club finished third from bottom of the league.
The following year, 1965, was very different with a second team entering the fray and the first team winning the league and the Worth Shield in fine style.
From those early beginnings the club has, over the years, entered teams in the Worth Valley, Hebden Royd, Halifax, Shipley, Airedale & Wharfedale and Skipton leagues. Teams have also taken part most years in the annual Yorkshire County Cup competitions
In order to cater for all standards of bowling, from beginners through to experienced players, teams have been entered at various levels in each of these leagues and that continues to this day.
There have been successes, too numerous to list separately. Probably the club’s best performance came in 2013 in the Yorkshire County Cup competitions with victory in the Radley cup final played at Almondbury Bowling Club near Huddersfield. Inevitably, of course, there have also been disappointments, because with bowls there are losers as well as winners. Perhaps the greatest of these was in 2007, again in the Yorkshire County Cup competitions, losing in the semi-final of the Hutchinson Cup at Denby Dale Bowling Club. Win or lose both these performances were excellent achievements with the club winning several rounds against strong opposition along the way.
Individual members of the club have, from time to time, been selected to represent Yorkshire County Parks and the Federation of Crown Green Bowls. Perhaps the club’s best all round performer was the late Brian Potts who won many league and open competitions over a twenty year period commencing in the 1980’s. These included the Hebden Royd Merit and he was also a runner up in the prestigious Halifax merit. He was a regular competitor in the famous Waterloo handicap at Blackpool playing successfully before large numbers of spectators against the best players in the country. His best result was a creditable last sixteen place, which was a great performance from an entry in excess of one thousand players.
In more recent times the club took steps to improve facilities, most notably the installation of floodlights in 2011. These proved extremely useful with members being able to complete games in the fading light without problem and also making it possible to enter a team in a floodlit league at the end of the summer season. This was followed in 2012 by the erection of three new shelters which proved invaluable in adverse weather conditions. Most of the work on these developments was undertaken by club members.