Floodlit bowls comes to Bristol in ‘first’ for the sport

Nearly 150 bowls players from 15 clubs will take part in a floodlit ‘first’ for the sport in Bristol In September and October.

The Bristol St Andrew’s Club is hosting the first tournament of its kind in the city after they secured £27,000 from Sport England to install floodlights at their Derby Road green last winter.

Clubs from the city and beyond will play games on three evenings over five weeks, beginning on September 15.

It is hoped the tournament, organised in three leagues with promotion and relegation, will become a regular fixture in the sport’s calendar.

Clubs involved are Bristol St Andrew’s, Ardagh, GB Britton, Olveston, Page Park, Redland Green, Avonvale, Bradley Stoke, Canford, Henleaze, St Anne’s Park, Yate, Greenbank, Long Ashton and SLAT (St Anne’s Park). The 18 teams will have eight players taking part.

Winning teams in each league will receive prize money of £125 (£75 for runners-up) thanks to the main sponsors Nailsea Patio Supplies and others supplying the following shields: Steve Lewis Memorial Shield; David Wintle Memorial Shield; Dan Swift Shield; J & C Bowls Shield; and Voice Newspapers Shield.

Planning permission from Bristol City Council means the club is restricted to just 20 evenings per year with the lights on but this will be enough for the tournament.

Tournament organiser Pete Jones said; “We are incredibly excited to be hosting this tournament, the first of its kind in Bristol.

“We are expecting bowlers from 15 clubs and the bowls will be very competitive in all three divisions.

“Bowls is a great spectacle under lights and we are hoping to create a fantastic atmosphere for players and spectators alike.

“We have only been able to do this thanks to the generous grant received from Sport England as well as the hard work of BSA members who have made huge improvements to the club over recent years.

“Covid has had an impact on all sports but this summer has seen bowls return to something close to normality and we hope this tournament will be just the first of many over coming years.

“I would like to thank all of our sponsors as well as the local clubs which have agreed to take part.”

For more information on bowls or to join Bristol St Andrews, call 0117 942 1103 or email info@bsabowls.co.uk