The Gresham Shield Match 2002
Three teams from East Bridgford Rifle Club took part in the inaugural Gresham Shield Match held at Thorpe Cloud range on 2nd March 2002. Shooting alongside but not eligible to compete for the Shield was a team from Sherwood Rifle Club.
Conditions for the match were three convertible sighters and ten to count at 200 and 300 yds. The targets used were HBSA short range pattern with 4in V-bull, 8in bull, 16in inner and 24in magpie. Eligible rifles were any pre-1945 pattern service rifle of general issue firing a contemporary cartridge. Service pattern slings were allowed at 300 yds but not at 200 yds where the rifles were shot offhand. Each nominated team was squadded in the same detail in uncoached pairs. Weather conditions were fair with temperatures just above zero and a moderate to fresh headwind fishtailing from ten to two o'clock making shooting somewhat challenging particularly at 300 yds where rifle buffeting was a common problem.
East Bridgford Oak (the A team) came first, with Willow (C) and Ash (B) following. The scores were recorded as below.
| Name | 200 yds | 300 yds | Aggregate |
| C. White | 47.2 | 45.0 | 92.2 |
| M. Doyle | 47.2 | 41.0 | 88.2 |
| B. Jeffery | 45.1 | 41.0 | 86.1 |
| R. Doyle | 45.1 | 38.0 | 83.1 |
| Total | 349.6 | ||
| Name | 200 yds | 300 yds | Aggregate |
| D. Nott | 47.1 | 38.1 | 85.2 |
| D. Chase | 43.2 | 38.1 | 81.3 |
| P. Smith | 43.1 | 39.0 | 82.1 |
| R. Parker | 39.2 | 32.0 | 71.3 |
| Total | 319.9 | ||
| Name | 200 yds | 300 yds | Aggregate |
| P. Kelly | 43.2 | 42.1 | 85.3 |
| D. Pickard | 42.1 | 42.3 | 84.4 |
| G. Dawson | 43.0 | 36.0 | 79.0 |
| R. Smith | 33.0 | 31.0 | 64.0 |
| Total | 312.7 | ||
As this was the first time the Gresham Shield Match had taken place, the donors were invited to the Nottinghamshire Rifle Association Annual General Meeting on May 7th to receive our personal thanks for their generous gift and to present the Shield to the first winners. In the event they could not come, so Chris White (on the right) received the Shield from the Association's Chairman, Dick Rosling.
