The History of MAGS

MAGS was formed in 1961, by the advertising fraternity of Manchester, to enjoy a few rounds of golf each year with like minded fellow professionals. It is popularly believed that following the success of the First Friday golf day in 1961 that the collective minds of Bill Burgess of ATV Midlands, George Baker of the TV Times and John Cartwright of Edward Bates Advertising came up with the concept of an advertising industry golf society. This famous triumvirate, known as the B.B.C. were instrumental in promoting the concept and recruiting members

The society quickly grew as the expenses driven advertising industry placed a high value on the networking opportunities presented by playing golf with business colleagues. The first meet was duly arranged and on September 27th 1961, 50 golfers gathered at Mere Golf Club to test the water and see if the society could be viable. Each golfer paid the princely sum of two pounds ten shillings, sixpence of which was the Society membership fee with the balance contributing to the green fee and meal. The prize winners sweep amounted to a not insignificant five pounds two shillings and sixpence.

The Society has always had a benevolent philosophy from that first meeting at Mere when ten pounds five shillings was collected for NABS. A magnificent trophy was donated by Lord Iliffe, proprietor of trade and technical press, several midland newspaper titles and co-owner of the Daily Telegraph. The trophy was inscribed as the NABS trophy and is still competed for to the present day, the recipient of which having the highest aggregate stableford points score of the spring and autumn meetings.

The Mere competition was won by John Cartwright and the inaugural meeting was deemed a great success, so much so that a full competition programme for 1962 was finalised to include Spring and Autumn meets, Captains Day and Invitation Day. Eric Arnold was duly elected as the first Captain and presided over a highly successful year of events.

Trophies

  • The Scotsman Trophy

    The Spring Meeting trophy was originally donated by George Baker and was known as the TV Times trophy. Sadly the trophy disappeared many years ago but we are fortunate to have had it replaced by a past captain Ken Buckley so we now compete at spring for the Scotsman trophy.

  • The Arthur Wood Trophy

    On Captain's Day we play for the Arthur Wood trophy. Arthur was one of the original members of the Society, a larger than life charismatic character and was Captain in 1979. Arthur passed away in 1999. The following year his son Graeme, also one of our members, generously donated the Arthur Wood trophy in his memory to be competed for on Captain's Day over 18 holes stableford.

  • The Cyril Bond Trophy

    The Invitation Day competition has always been popular as it allows the members to invite friends and business colleagues to enjoy the MAGS fraternity. The venue for the first invitation day was Mere and in subsequent years it moved from course to course until it found a more permanent venue at Royal Birkdale in 1970. For reasons primarily of cost the venue changed to neighbouring Hillside in 2002 where it remained for a further 8 years before returning to its nomadic roots. The current trophy was donated by GBM and presented by Malcolm Ealand in memory of former Captain Cyril Bond who passed away in 1998. Cyril joined MAGS in its first year way back in 1962 and 6 years later he was made Captain. He was highly revered as long serving Honorary Secretary, a position he held for well over 20 years.

  • NABS Trophy

    The NABS trophy was the first of the MAGS trophies to be competed for. It is testament to the fact that MAGS has a long history of benevolence having supported the NABS charity from the first meeting in 1961. The trophy was donated by Lord Iliffe, the then co owner of the Daily Telegraph, major shareholder of several Midland newspapers and IPC Business Press, subsequently acquired by the Reed Group. It is a magnificent silver trophy that has to be hand engraved and is awarded to the golfer with the best aggregate score of the spring and autumn meetings. The Rex Stewart Salver, which was donated by David Fisher the M.D. of Rex Stewart Advertising used to be presented to the runner up to the NABS trophy winner. It has long since disappeared possibly because nobody remembers who came second.

MAGS Captains

  • R. Axon

    2023

  • M. Milner

    2022

  • S. Evans

    2021

  • C. Covid

    2020

  • C. Hamer

    2019

  • C. Axon

    2018

  • D. Mckenna

    2017

  • B. Howard

    2016

  • M. Williams

    2015

  • C. Kirkham

    2014

  • J. Sinclair Smith

    2013

  • D. N. Mee

    2012

  • B. Bolton

    2011

  • K. Buckley

    2010

  • M. Shannon

    2009

  • D. O'Brien

    2008

  • M. Kilham

    2007

  • P. Jeffries

    2006

  • P. Hey

    2005

  • D. Alexander

    2004

  • R. Wiltshire

    2003

  • C. Rowbottom

    2002

  • M. Ealand

    2001

  • S. Brotherton

    2000

  • E. Wright

    1999

  • T. Wedd

    1998

  • A. Royle

    1997

  • L. Ashcroft

    1996

  • J. Martin Lewis

    1995

  • G. Kathrens

    1994

  • G. Harris

    1993

  • J. M. Wood

    1992

  • P. A. Sullivan

    1991

  • P. M. Cartwright

    1990

  • J. S. Lever

    1989

  • H. Besnard

    1988

  • M. Milner

    1987

  • J. Cartwright

    1986

  • W. W. Smirthwaite

    1985

  • I. Harrison

    1984

  • B. Adshead

    1983

  • T. G. Everatt

    1982

  • G. J. Halksworth

    1981

  • L. J. Hosker

    1980

  • A. P. Wood

    1979

  • D. Gunn

    1978

  • G. Taylor

    1977

  • T. P. Keating

    1976

  • G. A. Isbell

    1975

  • A. Arthur

    1974

  • D. N. Mee

    1973

  • R. A. Howat

    1972

  • E. J. Sibbald

    1971

  • J. S. Clough

    1970

  • A. B. Stockton

    1969

  • C. Bond

    1968

  • J. W. Burgess

    1967

  • N. R. Slater

    1966

  • G. T. Baker

    1965

  • J. Cartwright

    1964

  • A. E. Stockton

    1963

  • E. Arnold

    1962