The genteel sport of crown green bowling is being threatened by increasing incidents of hooliganism, prompting one county to impose a ban on alcohol-related trouble at matches.
Shropshire Crown Green Bowls Association has agreed to impose fines, points deductions and bans on players for breaches of its new code of conduct.
The code insists that players and spectators “act in a sportsman like way at all times, and refrain from verbal and physical abuse including swearing, shouting and threatening behaviour”.
Mike Caddick, the outgoing president of the club, said matches had been overshadowed by spectators behaving like football hooligans. “We didn’t need a code of conduct before, but spectators have become more vociferous and alcohol helps them along. It’s the kind of behaviour you used to get on football terraces and we don’t want it in bowls.”
The tough new rules come after a number of national bowls matches have been marred by foul-mouthed barracking, drunken behaviour and even green invasions.
The British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA) has been forced to employ security guards to combat crowd problems at its merit cup finals, the highlight of the bowling year involving the country’s top 64 players.
In Shropshire, the county’s cup final at the Battlefield club at the Red Lion in Shrewsbury last August was ruined when a fan repeatedly swore at players and tried to put them off as they were bowling.
“It was the most prestigious event in our year and everyone was there,” said Caddick. “For half an hour all everybody was aware of was the effing and blinding.”
The tight match was won by St George’s bowling club, from Telford, who beat Ifton from north Shropshire by only three points. After the game, Caddick said he apologised to the captain of the losing team for the spectator’s behaviour. “I felt responsible. It went too far,” he said.
The fan, himself a keen local bowler, was given a four-year national ban from bowling for foul and abusive language. The decision was upheld by the BCGBA. A further spectator was given a three-month ban for shouting at another Shropshire event.
The Shropshire league secretary, Malcolm Fletcher, said these incidents were not confined to his county. “They’ve had so many problems at the merit finals in the last few years that they [the BCGBA] had to employ security guards because boozed-up fans have been running on the green and all sorts. There was an incident in Stoke when people were on the green while players were trying to bowl.”
Caddick said: “Despite its image, crown bowling is a very competitive sport. But we don’t want that kind of support. Genuine bowls supporters will acknowledge opponents winning an end with a very good bowl. There’s a fine line between supporters shouting encouragement and banter and shouting to put people off.”
