Disability Sport Fife has selected a strong team of bowlers with a physical, visual or learning disability for the 2016 National Lawn Bowls Championships organised by Scottish Disability Sport at the Westburn Park in Aberdeen. The Championships will be held on Saturday 3rd September and Craig Donaldson from Kinghorn and Central Fife CSS and World Champion Martin Hunter from Burntisland BC will be hoping to defend the singles titles that they won in 2015.
Competing in different sections for physically disabled bowlers in addition to Martin Hunter will be Michael Simpson from Auchtermuchty and Strathmiglo BC and Barbara McMillan from Cowdenbeath BC. All three were part of the Scottish Team that won the Home Nations title at Kelvingrove in June. Michael Simpson captained the Scottish team and led from the front. Barbara played her best international tournament to date and Martin similarly contributed significantly to a great Scottish performance. Sadly the team is without world champion Maria Spencer from Abbeyview BC who is unwell. Experienced Eleanor Clark from Kirkcaldy will ensure that Team Fife is represented in the sections for visually impaired bowlers.
Early in the month Team Fife retained the Inter Area Team title at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy. The event brought together the country’s leading players with a learning disability to compete in singles, pairs and triples. All bowlers representing Fife in Aberdeen were part of that outstanding team performance. Craig is the defending champion but Fife has several representatives who are capable of lifting the national title.
DSF welcomes back Pamela Mitchell from Dunfermline to Team Fife. Pamela plays most of her bowls indoors at Headwell but she is an excellent lawn bowler. Mary Wilson from Edinburgh will be representing Fife for the first time in the section for physically disabled non restricted women. Wullie Christie from East Fife CSS is also a first timer having secured his place in the team when he won the Section 2 title at the Beveridge Park.
John Collins is the Fife Team Manager once more and he will be backed up by a strong team of support staff. The Aberdeen event brings the outdoor season to an end and Fife bowlers turn their attention to the hugely popular Indoor Championships at the East Fife Indoor BC at Aberhill. The full Fife team is as follows:
Michael Simpson, Martin Hunter, Billy Allan, Stuart Chesby, Barbara McMillan, Mary Wilson, Wullie Harrison, Neil Laughlin, Kenny Dow, Eleanor Clark, Darryl Stewart, Gary Lindsay, Wullie Christie, Gary Handyside, Pamela Mitchell, Tanis Murphy, Michelle Wallace, Julie Allan and Craig Donaldson.
Photo: Defending Champion Martin Hunter delivers a winning bowl at the Home Nations in Glasgow.
Richard Brickley MBE
President Disability Sport Fife