Following the successful Fife Carpet Bowls Championships at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre , Disability Sport Fife selected the following team for the Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships to be held at Dundee International Sports Complex in Dundee on Saturday 2nd February.
Jim Donaldson – Central Fife CSS; Willie Harrison – Central Fife CSS; Theresa Wyse – Central Fife CSS
Billy Allan – Cowdenbeath BC; Glen Livingston – Abbeyview BC; Maria Spencer – Abbeyview BC
Kenny Dow – Central Fife CSS; Neil Laughlin – Central Fife CSS; Eleanor Clark – Central Fife CSS
Craig Donaldson – Central Fife CSS; Jimmy Ramsay – East Fife CSS; Robert Anderson – Dovecot BC
Steven Anderson – Dovecot BC
Nikki Baxter – West Fife CSS; Tanis Murphy – East Fife CSS; Michelle Wallace – Central Fife CSS
Wendy Thomson – East Fife CSS. Reserves: Julie Allan East Fife CSS and Kevin Mustard Central
Fife CSS
As we wish Team Fife bowlers all the very best for the first national championships of 2019, it is perhaps appropriate to reflect on all that happened in 2018 with Fife bowlers at local national, and international level. Following the outstanding results of Fife bowlers at the 2017 Carpet Bowls Championships at DISC in Dundee, team manager John Collins and Fife support staff had high hopes of something similar in 2018. However it was surprisingly left to Kenny Dow from Central Fife CSS to bring back the only national title and the ever reliable Billy Allan to collect silver in the men’s open category for ambulant physically disabled bowlers. Not the best of starts to the bowling year. There was however a massive turn around in fortune at the Scottish Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships at the Westburn Park in Aberdeen in September. Newcomer Glen Livingston from Abbeyview BC defeated team mate and Commonwealth Games representative Michael Simpson from Strathmiglo BC in the final in his first year as a DSF member and his first involvement in the national championships. World champion Maria Spencer from Abbeyview BC defeated Barbara McMillan Kelty BC in the equivalent women’s section. Eleanor Clark was the final title winner in the section for totally blind bowlers. Willie Harrison from Central Fife CSS recorded his best result for many years when he finished runner up in the section for wheelchair bowlers.
The best results of the year were recorded by Fife bowlers at the 2018 SDS/SIB Indoor Bowls Championships at Falkirk. Fife bowlers contested seven sections and won five. Maria Spencer won the B2/B3 title; Billy Allan the B6 title; Barbara McMillan the ladies open ambulant section; Darryl Stewart and Pamela Mitchell the sections for bowlers with a learning disability. Craig Donaldson was runner up to Darryl.
Michael Simpson represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Australia where the men’s triple finished in fifth position. Michael was the only Fife representative to make the trip “down under” when Martin Hunter had to withdraw for personal reasons. Michael was awarded life membership by Strathmiglo BC last year which as we all know is a major accolade in the sport of bowls. Sarah Jane Ewing from Headwell BC travelled with Team Scotland as a coach/guide.
Wendy Thomson St Andrews BC and Pamela Mitchell Headwell BC received the honour of delivering the first bowl on their club opening day. Julie Allan from Windygates BC was in two mainstream club finals and became the first DSF member with a learning disability to win a club title.
Glen Livingston Abbeyview BC and Brian Crombie Coalton of Balgonie BC became welcome new additions to the Fife playing membership with Glen lifting the Lothian Disability Sport title at the first attempt. Billy Allan finished runner up.
There were several Fife Para bowlers involved in the classification clinic hosted by Abbeyview BC on behalf of SDS. Robert Rodger and Ian Graham from Abbeyview BC won the SABA Open Pairs at Hamilton Caledonia BC.
Team Fife retained the Scottish Inter Area Test Match Team Trophy through in Glasgow. The leading six male and six female bowlers with a learning disability represent each Scottish area and play singles, pairs and triples. Team Fife included a number of new bowlers last year who gave an excellent account of themselves and ran out worthy winners.
In the year past bowls specific developments have blossomed in Headwell BC, Dovecot BC, Windygates BC, Abbeyview BC and Lumphinnans BC. There are more DSF members with bowls club memberships than ever before and DSF is working in partnership with more clubs than ever to promote inclusive thinking and practice.
East Fife Indoor BC continues to host and sponsor the Fife Championships for bowlers with a learning disability. Beveridge Park BC similarly is a long standing host club and sponsor of the Fife Lawn Bowls Championships for disabled bowlers. The Fife Carpet Bowls Championships are held annually at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre with support from Fife Sports and Leisure Trust. DSF is as always enormously indebted to these three agencies for supporting
the three major Fife bowls events for disabled participants for over three decades.
It has been an amazing bowls year for Fife bowlers. DSF is indebted to all those who contribute to coaching and to the many volunteers and support staff who travel willingly around Scotland with our teams. As usual it is up to our carpet bowlers to set the standard for other Fife representatives to follow. Good luck Team Fife.
Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife