Exclusive Interview: Mervyn King
Do you think your loss to qualifier Robert Paxton in the Scottish International Open illustrates a new strength in depth to bowls? There’s no doubt, the strength of the qualifiers is getting better. There are also a handful of others who are coming through who are really pushing ahead and making it a lot harder to stay in the top 16. That’s the way it should be, really.
Such as Mark Raddican, who you also played at Perth? Yeah, I played him in the first round and he was a bit disappointed with the outcome, but he ought not to be considering how he played. On the day, he could probably have beaten a lot of people. He probably just caught me playing the some of the best bowls I’ve played.
With younger players like Mark emerging, do you think the way bowls is perceived is changing? Obviously, the more youngsters playing the better it is for attracting younger audiences. Youngsters want to see people like Mark playing bowls, and playing well. They’ll think, ‘Well, if he can do it, we can do it’, and that’s what the game of bowls needs. At that level, I think that’s an element of the game that is getting better.
What do you think of media coverage of the game? I think we need another tournament, firstly. If we could have another couple of events and then get more television coverage that would be great. Sky seem to cover the Australian game fairly well, but never seem to do too much over here. I also think it would be nice to have a WBT event overseas somewhere, so they could get more people from overseas watching and playing. That’s something that has been in the pipeline for several years but, as of yet, it hasn’t happened.
King combines his bowls career with his job as an estates manager in Norfolk
Getting to know King...
• Mervyn King is married to wife, Susanne, with whom he won the WIBC Mixed Pairs title. When he met Susanne, she had never played bowls before. Just a few years later, she was a world champion!
• King has three children, two step-children and became a grandfather for the first time around a year ago. King’s eldest son, Sam (aged 22), has been included in the current England U25 trial squad.
I wouldn’t want to be playing bowls every day of the week
• A stalwart of Norfolk county bowls, having represented his county over 100 times, King is a member of both Hunstanton (outdoors) and Fakenham (indoors) bowls clubs.
If you could transfer your abilities to another sport, what would it be?
I like playing darts. I used to play a lot a few years ago, and I suppose I still play reasonably good darts now, so I think that would be the one I’d go for. Coming back to the media coverage, darts is a game that gets great hype and publicity from that, so I think I’d be a lot better off, too!
There are calls for bowls to be included in the Olympics. Is that something you’d like to see? Bowls should definitely be an Olympic sport. The only reason it’s not in is that not enough countries play the sport. I think that’s why it’s not in at the moment. I can’t see why it shouldn’t be an Olympic sport when you see some of the others which are. You see some of the sports in there which, to me, don’t merit being called an Olympic sport. For me, bowls should definitely be in there.
Away from the green, what do you do for a living?
I love my work. I’ve worked as an estate manager in North Norfolk doing everything from pest control to felling trees, hedge planting and building fences. I love my job and I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I, personally, wouldn’t want to be playing bowls every day of the week, no matter what. I’m an outside person and I enjoy being outside.
Is it ironic then that your greatest successes have come in the indoor game? Yeah, I don’t know why that it is [laughs]. Though I’ve been there or thereabouts in the outdoor game, I’ve certainly won more indoors. A lot of it depends on where you play with outdoor bowls. I play in Norfolk, which is a real strong county. Winning out of Norfolk is the hardest thing for me - it’s a really difficult county to get through.
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