[ThatBoyRonaldo]

Anyone play bowls?

Im a member at a club called bellsburn, having a decent season but not anything great.

[KiwiDB]

ThatBoyRonaldo, on 28 June 2011 - 23:14, said:

Anyone play bowls?

Im a member at a club called bellsburn, having a decent season but not anything great.

Aye, I've recently went back to playing after a few years off, playing at a club called Burnside in Christchurch.

We hosted World Bowls in 2008 and will do again in 2015 I think it is, the greens are considered amongst the best in the world, vastly different from Scottish greens as well.

[Eye Valley]

Yes big time, we hosted Borders v East Lothian in Hamilton trophy last weekend (25/6), worked bar most of the day, took in about £2k.
Member of Ayton & District - Berwickshire.
Love playing..

KiwiDB, on 29 June 2011 - 00:53, said:

Aye, I've recently went back to playing after a few years off, playing at a club called Burnside in Christchurch.

We hosted World Bowls in 2008 and will do again in 2015 I think it is, the greens are considered amongst the best in the world, vastly different from Scottish greens as well.

In what way - lightening pace down by?

This post has been edited by aphex twin: 29 June 2011 - 19:40

[KiwiDB]

aphex twin, on 29 June 2011 - 17:36, said:

Yes big time, we hosted Borders v East Lothian in Hamilton trophy last weekend (25/6), worked bar most of the day, took in about £2k.
Member of Ayton & District - Berwickshire.
Love playing..

In what way - lightening pace down by?

I played a couple of Hamilton trophy games for Stirlingshire in my younger days before I drifted out of the game for a few years.

Pace is certainly one aspect of it, the fastest I ever played on in Scotland was Colgrain in Helensburgh and it's got nothing on NZ surfaces

It starts from pretty basic stuff though, the greens in the Southern Hemisphere aren't grass based, they are based on cotula-maniototo weed that instantly changes the way the greens run, as soon as you deliver your first ever bowl over here you instantly notice the difference.

Adjusting hasn't been too bad though, I was talking to the CEO of Bowls NZ a month or two back and he said players from the Northern Hemisphere adapt much quicker to playing down here than those going the opposite way.

[SteamingparBoz]

Used to play for Rosyth and then Abbeyview when I was a bit younger.

[Mackie The Staggie]

Used to play but got involved with the committee, never experienced as much fuddery and stupidity in a group of apparent 'adults' than ever before. Honestly it made the old firm gatherings look like a Mensa gathering. Was junior champion and won a few local opens, but then work comes in and takes over the weekends.

My little brother still plays, at County level as well, just a shame the Northern Counties have been really poor this season (no overall wins this season I think, although his rink at a few wins).

[SteamingparBoz]

So committees are bawbags the country over, its not just here?

[Mackie The Staggie]

SteamingparBoz, on 02 July 2011 - 12:18, said:

So committees are bawbags the country over, its not just here?

I take it you've experienced the backwards thinking of a committee then. Numbers are falling at our club, and the last time we had any recruitment drive was more than 8 years ago when I tried to get a school drive going on. Meanwhile the most important thing the committee discuses now is whether or not the bar should be open past 10pm on weekdays????

It's a great sport, more challenging than it looks when it's on the TV, and even though the playing age is around the 60 years old range (although up here I would imagine the average in our district is closer to 72/73) the banter is good. Also if your lucky enough to do well in competitions then its a physically tirring day as well.

[SteamingparBoz]

It's brilliant exercise for anyone. It's really taken off in West Fife but yes, I've ran into the backward thinking of committees before, including at regional level and so called "team selectors".

[Tryfield]

I've played bowls 3 times, once indoors and twice at a local boolin' club. Heavy bevy sessions.
Can't even remember if I won or lost. Maybe consider playing more when I've finished my working career.

[KiwiDB]

SteamingparBoz, on 02 July 2011 - 15:08, said:

It's brilliant exercise for anyone. It's really taken off in West Fife but yes, I've ran into the backward thinking of committees before, including at regional level and so called "team selectors".

I got myself thrown out the Stirlingshire under-25 team a few years back for airing my opinions about selection policy after a few refreshments.

It seemed like a good idea at the time

[SteamingparBoz]

F*** them Kiwi, I mind the Fife Under 25s had a trial day out at bloody St Andrews of all places and all the selectors did was get p*shed at the bar, when the roster was announced it was full of players that hadn't impressed, which was admitted to me by others that had been on trial that day.

That day I was skip (not my natural place, I prefer 3rd or 1st) and so was my opponent who I knew and we both played a blinder that day, neither of us got picked first few games so I told them to f*ck right off too and I never played or tried to play for the county again. Not trying to say I was the next Tattie Marshall but it was a f*cking joke how people got picked.

[FuzzyBear]

ThatBoyRonaldo, on 28 June 2011 - 23:14, said:

Anyone play bowls?

Im a member at a club called bellsburn, having a decent season but not anything great.

I won the championship there in 1991 ( i think). Chucked it a couple of years later as the commitee were a shower of *rseholes. Instead of encouraging the young talent - and in these days we had 4 guys who could play a bit - they did their best to p1ss them off. Final straw for me was when the match secretary told me he was trying to get me to move clubs so he had more chance of winning.

[SteamingparBoz]

I also mind when I was at Rosyth that juniors ended up getting banned from the club championship because I had the cheek to beat a few of the older guys including the club president. Bunch of w*nks some of them were.

For bowls read "clique"

[KiwiDB]

SteamingparBoz, on 03 July 2011 - 22:39, said:

F*** them Kiwi, I mind the Fife Under 25s had a trial day out at bloody St Andrews of all places and all the selectors did was get p*shed at the bar, when the roster was announced it was full of players that hadn't impressed, which was admitted to me by others that had been on trial that day.

That day I was skip (not my natural place, I prefer 3rd or 1st) and so was my opponent who I knew and we both played a blinder that day, neither of us got picked first few games so I told them to f*ck right off too and I never played or tried to play for the county again. Not trying to say I was the next Tattie Marshall but it was a f*cking joke how people got picked.

Aye, looking back it was probably the best thing to happen anyway, I had slowly been losing interest for a couple of seasons.

I'd have been about 22 or 23 at the time and started playing when I was about 9, first game for the County at about 16 so I probably needed a break anyway.

I find I've got a new found enthusiasm for the game now, really looking forward to my first full season over here starting in September.

[ThatBoyRonaldo]

FuzzyBear, on 04 July 2011 - 11:11, said:

I won the championship there in 1991 ( i think). Chucked it a couple of years later as the commitee were a shower of *rseholes. Instead of encouraging the young talent - and in these days we had 4 guys who could play a bit - they did their best to p1ss them off. Final straw for me was when the match secretary told me he was trying to get me to move clubs so he had more chance of winning.

come on, names? theres one that i am thinking of who must have been there at the time and is still a w**k. doesnt sound like a great deals changed. dont know how in touch you are with the club but i would say we have the makings of a decent group at the moment. a very promising group of 6-8 of us young lads under 25 who are just starting to challenge for things and can hopefully provide a backbone in the future (as well as modernise the committee and take power away from the old idiots). its helped that me and a few mates all got into it at about the same time though because if it was just 1 or 2 young guys then it wouldnt be fun.

[FuzzyBear]

ThatBoyRonaldo, on 05 July 2011 - 08:18, said:

come on, names? theres one that i am thinking of who must have been there at the time and is still a w**k. doesnt sound like a great deals changed. dont know how in touch you are with the club but i would say we have the makings of a decent group at the moment. a very promising group of 6-8 of us young lads under 25 who are just starting to challenge for things and can hopefully provide a backbone in the future (as well as modernise the committee and take power away from the old idiots). its helped that me and a few mates all got into it at about the same time though because if it was just 1 or 2 young guys then it wouldnt be fun.

I still know a lot of guys at the club and on the committee and most of the current ones are not too bad. Not giving names here but the one that p1ssed me off has the initials WG. He left under a cloud a few years ago. He was a married Church of Scotland elder but got caught shagging around. His missus chucked him out the house and he moved to Glasgow. His ex-wife is still a member of the club.

This post has been edited by FuzzyBear: 05 July 2011 - 08:37

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

KiwiDB, on 04 July 2011 - 23:17, said:

Aye, looking back it was probably the best thing to happen anyway, I had slowly been losing interest for a couple of seasons.

I'd have been about 22 or 23 at the time and started playing when I was about 9, first game for the County at about 16 so I probably needed a break anyway.

I find I've got a new found enthusiasm for the game now

same as me to an extent. I started when I was 10, my old man and his dad played aswell so getting took along to ties with him I got interested young.
played indoor and outdoor until I was about 17, won a few inclub things and got to the scottish junior finals at Grangemouth (zenica I think, about 2003) then when I was 17 I wrapped it, prefering to fall about the streets blotto .

re-joined again in April and as you say, found a new found enthusiasm for it. Play at Airdrie Central. good wee family club where weans can run about and no-one bothers. hate these ones ye go to and take the wee one and ye get the scowling looks as if "whats a child doing here". stuck up b*****ds!!

[ThatBoyRonaldo]

I turned up to a tournament yesterday and not only did my first round opponent not turn up, the guy i was meant to play in the second round because he got a bye didnt turn up either. 5 hours i was hanging around that club, and not a bowl thrown! At least im through to the quarters of a tournament i wasnt expecting to get past the first round in :lol:

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

Played my first open pairs tournament in 8 years on Sunday. me and my old boy played, he's just started this season after a 13 year lay off through disinterest, used to be a fine player, 3 club championships at one club then won it at Division 1 Coatbridge (at that time, now Div 4). done not too badly played first 2 games (6 ends a game) winning 9-2 and 12-1 then played the other team who'd won their first 2 games aswell, beat 7-2 then won the last game 11-3, didn't go through to the semi's .

another open tourney on the 13th of August

[Gallows Bank]

I've been Junior Champion at Annan bowling for around 4-5 year but to be honest your playing against 10-12 year old lads who can only throw it long. Beaten in the county junior singles semi-s this year and beat in the Dumfriesshire junior singles last year. Not won many opens as football comes first with being on the supporters committee and used to play of the Dumfries and Stewartry under 25 county team but there is no longer a team due to lack of interest from the Dumfriesshire Bowling Association. Got beat at the SYBA final's triples in Paisley a while back now aswell

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

Played the laney triples last night. It's a monklands regional thing with gartcosh and chrysron thrown in aswell. 2 triples play at home and 2 away to opposition green. All 4 teams won so onwards we go :-). Fwiw I had a decent game at 2nd but my old boy Big G... was outstanding at lead.

[ThatBoyRonaldo]

Was 19-9 up last night before losing 21-19. The game she is a cruel mistress. Having said that, went out and played brilliant in a more important tournament today, hopefully made an impression on a few folk, so not as pissed off as i could be right now.

[Mackie The Staggie]

ThatBoyRonaldo, on 16 July 2011 - 15:06, said:

Was 19-9 up last night before losing 21-19. The game she is a cruel mistress.

Oh god been there and threw away bigger leads than that before. If you can come off that game and look back and think there was nothing else you could have done then I would be able to accept it as "one of those things".

Couple years back when you could give the jack away if you had won the end (I'm told that rule has been done away with now) I was playing in the club championships agaisnt another Junior who was a coulpe years younger than me but he was playing at County level. I was on my game and drawing within a foot of the jack the majority of the time and was leading a fair bit.

However, and without my game going to pot, the little fecker managed to dial in his heavy draws and running shots and started wining ends, he kept last bowl meaning I could play to my length get some behind and on the jack, but he seemed to get it with his last everytime. I tried everything, I mean all the tricks in the book, long ends to bringing the mat up....I even went and tried to ditch the jack on my first bowl on one end but could'nt close the game out. Cruel game, espically since winning that game meant an easy route into the final.

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

beat in the quarter final of the club pairs last night

what a game though, after 16 ends we were winning 11-10, lost a 2 on the last end, 1 of which was a back toucher. was sweating and everything by the end of it. played reasonably well and when I went off, found out i'd been picked to play in the pairs of the Lanarkshire top 10 starting on the 31st of July.
so not a bad night all round.