NOW that it's all over bar the shouting, or even including the shouting and there's been no shortage of that on the field, more's the pity.

I thought it would be interesting, pointless perhaps but still interesting, to work out which clubs have been the most successful in terms of silverware in recent years.

Taking my benchmark as post-1984, when the League adopted its current format, I added up the number of trophies won by each club in the past 17 seasons, including everything from the first team championship right down the age-range to under-13 runners-up.

In other words, which club's name has appeared most often in all those lists in the records section of the League handbook.

Ignoring all those people who are reading this and thinking that I should try and get out a bit more, I can tell you that top of the list is Tonge, followed at a respectful distance by Farnworth Social Circle, with Heaton in third place just ahead of Greenmount in fourth.

The name of the club coming bottom is a closely-guarded secret, which I shall only reveal in private -- the next time I bump into Derek Derbyshire!

In 2000, Tonge had a golden opportunity to extend their lead when they reached all three Cup Finals, only to lose the lot, an achievement that sets new standards in the definition of what constitutes a 'nearly' season.

Purely by coincidence, the three clubs to beat them in those finals were the three who are immediately behind them in the silverware stakes.

Just before I leave this whole subject, or you go right the way back to 1930, then the name to be found most often in the various lists of winners is that of Bradshaw, who stand marginally ahead of Westhoughton. So there you are. Not many people know that!

Tonge did manage to win the First XI Special Competition this season with 104 points from their last six matches but that will be scant consolation for a side whose eyes are invariably set on higher things.

The second XI competition has been won by Eagley, who led the table for the first half before running into trouble in late June.

They recovered well to take 109 points in the Special Competition. But the hard-luck story belonged to Walkden, who, having languished in 13th place until late July, managed to win eight of their last 10 games to finish only five points behind Eagley, the only side to beat Frank Hinks' team during Walkden's late flourish.

Farnworth Social Circle won the Crumblehulme Cup for the fourth time.

Their success was largely due to their second and third teams, each of whom topped their respective tables -- Tony Bradley's side with an unprecedented 401 points.

THE final league averages would seem to indicate that it has been a batsman's season and figures rarely lie.

Thirteen players have hit 800 runs, with six of them having moved on into four figures.

Chuck O'Rourke leads the way with 1,315 and he has now achieved the not inconsiderable feat of having topped the 5,000-mark in five years, a figure that can be compared to Iqbal's 800 wickets in seven.

Jason Swift, David Morris and Mike Bennison have also hit far more than their fair share of runs, while Mel Whittle and Ian Taylor's 79-wicket hauls are particularly meritorious in such a free-scoring year.

But when The Player-of-the-Year votes are being counted, it's often the all-round figures on which the voting players focus their attention.

Grant Long (715 and 44) and Shahid Mahboob (649 and 53) have each enjoyed a fine season but, if I were allowed a vote, which, I hasten to add, I'm not, I would go for Gary Garner.

He has become the first-ever Heaton amateur batsman to hit over a thousand runs, while only six other 'unpaid' bowlers have bettered his 50 wickets.

The short-list for the Professionals Prize is, in fact, quite long. Six have scored over 800 runs and five have taken in excess of 80 wickets.

But only two, Saeed Anwar and Sairaj Bahutule, feature in both lists.

Bahutule has, of necessity, been somewhat overbowled and his average has suffered accordingly, while Saeed has obtained his 90-odd wickets much more economically and that, along with his 1,036 runs, his major contributions towards Greenmount's first ever Hamer Cup win and his brilliant Trinity Cup century, would mark him down for me as Professional-of-the-Year.

With the Annual General Meeting only a matter of weeks away, I've been glancing through reports of one or two such meetings during the 30s and 40s and it appears that, at one of them, a move was afoot to change the League's name.

Bradshaw wanted it to be called the Mid-Lancashire League, while Radcliffe favoured the South East Lancashire League, proposals which were, thank goodness, eventually thrown out.

In 1942 the question arose of "whether or not to continue the recording of six-hits, which, last season, led to considerable controversy, especially in the game between Egerton and Eagley. More than one umpire declared that they were more bother than they were worth".

Perhaps Dave Seddon, who might well have been playing in the game, will let us have the inside story about the Egerton/Eagley match!

In the same report, details of the end-of-season balance sheet were given, and, again, I quote from Olympian's report in the Evening News.

"The assets of the League are £3.0s.11d cash in hand and £55.0s.1d at the bank -- a happy position indeed".

So, in 1942, the official definition of happiness was a League Treasurer laughing all the way to the bank with three quid in his hands!

One final item from the same report, as our thoughts turn with the seasons from Rayment and Reidy to Ricketts and Rankin, "a new item of expenditure was the insurance of umpires, which cost the League £2.10s.". They had their financial priorities right in those days!

THE competition which has, in previous years, been known as the Jubilee Trophy reaches its climax tomorrow at Little Lever CC when the semi-finals and Final will be played.

From this year, it will be played for the Denis Lyddon Cup, in memory of the Bolton League's former League President, who passed away last year and Mr Lyddon's family will be there tomorrow when his son, Stephen, will present the Cup to the winning captain.

The first semi-final gets underway at 10am and is between Westhoughton and Kearsley.

At 1pm approx in the second semi-final, Horwich will meet the host club, with the final due to start at 4pm.

Neither Little Lever nor Kearsley have yet won the trophy. Horwich have won it once, in 1983 and Westhoughton are three-times winners.