The game of lawn bowls at the amateur level is not just about playing to win, although some bowlers might seem to give the impression that it is! A weekend bowls match, which should be “friendly” in all senses of the word, is also a social occasion, some of the elements of which are given below.
Before the Bowls Match
It is expected that players will arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start of play, which is usually 2.30pm. It is good form for the home players to try to be there in time to welcome their guests, and always embarrassing if the visitors are waiting at the gate before anyone with a key has turned up!
Most clubs play the same fixtures every year, and so old acquaintances are often renewed. This is especially true if the clubs play return “home and away” fixtures during the season.
If the club has a bar, this will usually be open before the match, which can be very welcome on a hot day!
During the Bowls Match
Before play begins, it is usual for the players to shake hands with all the opposition players on their rink, which is a good ice-breaker and a way of setting a friendly tone for the afternoon.
There is plenty of opportunity during a match for conversation and banter to take place. A player who is standoffish in this respect stands out like a sore thumb. Although this a contest, and everyone wants their own team to win, bowls is a game in which good play is appreciated by everyone on the rink, whichever side they belong to.
After an end is completed, it is common practice, and good manners, for all the “front end” players on both sides to help with the task of pushing the bowls back to the edge of the rink ready for the next end. Many clubs make use of “bowls pushers”, which are wheeled frames designed to collect the bowls so that they can be pushed in one go. While one player does the pushing, the rest can kick the bowls into line to make the job easier.
Everything Stops for Tea
At about the half-way point in the match, the players stop for tea, either tea and biscuits or a more substantial meal based around the ubiquitous ham salad. This is another good opportunity for conversation, about bowls or anything else.
It is usual for short speeches to be made by both captains (or club presidents if they are playing) after everyone has finished, and for a raffle to be held.
What is the “Penny End”?
After 21 ends have been played, the bowls will usually be at the wrong end of the green, so in order to get them back to where the game started from, a “penny end” is often played. This is just for fun, with the players sending their bowls in reverse order – skips first, leads last – towards a pre-set long jack. The bowl that ends up closest to the jack receives the “pennies”, with ten pence being the usual amount agreed these days. The winner therefore goes away with the princely sum of 70 pence, which custom in many clubs decrees is placed straight in the club’s charity box!
After the Bowls Match
After everyone has changed out of their bowling shoes, it is normal for the home players to offer their opposite numbers a drink from the bar, which is usually reciprocated later. It is good form for the visitors to spend at least some time socialising after the match and not rush off as soon as they can. For one thing, the bar is often an important source of finance for a bowls club, and bar takings after a weekend match are what keeps a club going.
Whatever the result of the match, everyone should have had a good afternoon out, both on the green and off.
John Welford - I was a full-time professional librarian for more than 25 years before redundancy made me take a fresh direction. I now work as a ...
