The trophy is known as the JG Youll Memorial Handicap Singles Trophy and was recently discovered in a store room at the Leeton and District Bowling Club by David Campbell and Tony Reneker, who discovered it in a back room of the facility while ironically looking for another trophy.

The decision was then made to restore the trophy and enter it into competition once again as an annual event.

The trophy has a long history and was first played for in 1956, with the winners of the club's major and minor singles doing battle.

The minor singles winner is given a 10-shot head start with the player first to reach 31 shots declared the winner.

"The trophy is dedicated to John Gibson Youll who was the manager of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area until his retirement in 1947," Reneker said.

"Youll had moved to Leeton around 1913 and was editor of the Irrigation Record prior to the formation of the Murrumbidgee Irrigator newspaper in 1915.

"After his retirement he became actively involved in the game of lawn bowls and encouraged many non-bowlers to take up the sport at the L&D."

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After his death in 1954, his best friend and co-worker, George Shoebridge, made representations to have one of the greens at the L&D named in his honour.

When this did not eventuate, Shoebridge donated the impressive trophy to the club in memory of his friend and it was played for up until 1999.

Peter Brown was the winner in that year, but following that, the trophy was put aside and forgotten about and has been gathering dust ever since.

"Kevin Hansen volunteered to restore it and did a magnificent job returning it to its former glory," Reneker said.

With the trophy all set to go a date was set down for it to be contested recently at the L&D.

Gus Laruffa and Mick McAliece took to the greens to play for the trophy and, with Laruffa the current club champion and winner of the event three times in the 1980s, he was the hot favourite to win it again.

However, McAliece had other ideas and was never troubled throughout the game winning comfortably by 31 to 6.

Laruffa tried everything he could to reverse his fortunes, calling on all of his experience, but McAliece was simply unstoppable, with his backhand particularly, proving to be very lethal.

The Youll Cup, with its link to the past and the MIA, will once again become a much-anticipated event on the bowling calendar at the L&D.

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