Fife sections were contested at the 37th Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships organised by Scottish Disability Sport at the Dundee International Sports Centre on Saturday 4th February. Ten players contested the five section finals and 50% of the finalists were representatives of Disability Sport Fife. Last year Team Fife won four titles and the Team of 2017 maintained the impressive Fife record with one title and four runners up medals. Fife Bowls Team Manager John Collins was pleased with the all round performances of the squad of 16 players.

Theresa Wyse from Central Fife CSS lost out in the final of the mixed section for wheelchair bowlers to Evan MacKintosh from Highland by 11 shots to 4. In the all Fife final for restricted bowlers with a physical or visual impairment, Neil Laughlin from Central Fife CSS defeated Eleanor Clark from Kirkcaldy by 10 shots to 8 in a closely contested final. In the mixed non restricted final for physically visually impaired bowlers, Billy Allan from Cowdenbeath lost out to Jimmy Restorick from Lothian by 5-21. Billy was the defending champion and has won the title on four occasions in the past. Jimmy won the title in 2007 and 2009.

Craig Donaldson from Central Fife CSS and Kinghorn BC won the title for bowlers with a learning disability in 1998, 2006 and 2014. Only one other Fife bowler has won the title in 34 years and this was John Kennedy in 1984 and 1985. Craig came up against Andrew Harrison from South Lanarkshire in the final of the 2017 Championships and lost narrowly 19 – 21. This was Andrew’s third title having won it in 2002 and 2008. However this was another outstanding performance by Fife’s leading bowler with a learning disability who has an excellent record outdoors, indoors and on the short carpet.

The SDS National Carpet Bowls Championships were first held in 1981 at the Lochgelly Centre in Fife as part of Fife Regional Council’s contribution to the International Year of Disabled People. The 2017 Championships were the 37th occasion that SDS has held the event in venues throughout Scotland. The Dundee International Sports Centre (DISC) has been the venue for six of the last nine years. All bowlers qualified to compete at DISC by reaching the final stages of their local area Championships. The Fife Championships are supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust and held at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre in Glenrothes in November.

Richard Brickley MBE
President Disability Sport Fife