Summer Sports - Bowls
“We criticise our predecessors for cutting greens too short and giving very little thought to matters such as aeration, yet it was ‘Hobson’s choice’ then”
Alan Bentley, West Bromwich Football Supporters Bowling Club
“The days of putting the mower to bed in September and getting it out in March are now a distant memory,” smiles Alan. We close our conversation with a nod to the past as Alan suggests, “we criticise our predecessors for cutting greens too short and giving very little thought to matters such as aeration yet, in truth, it was ‘Hobson’s choice’ back then. The only way to achieve a semblance of consistency was to shave a green on a regular basis. Hampered by a lack of money, equipment and education, greenkeepers probably did as much as they could, and bowlers got what they got. I’m sure expectation back then was much less of an issue.” Looking to the future of his own green, Alan is keen to continue upgrading both the quality and quantity of the clubs equipment. “We’ve just managed to
obtain a decent second-hand aerator, which is really the last piece in the jigsaw. That said, give me a blank cheque book and I’d happily add a new mower and a dedicated scarifier to the inventory!” As I conclude my quest to throw some light on bowler’s expectations, it’s clear that, despite whatever expectation might be, reality dictates, “you get what you pay for”. Maybe the expectations of the average bowling club membership should extend no further than the budget. As a bowler myself, I’ve always been curious why members are so reluctant to put their hands in their pockets, in comparison to, say, golf. Bowls has always been a sport supplied on the cheap with greens to prove it! Probably the greatest skill that guys like Alan and Eric possess is to turn a ‘Vauxhall’ budget into a ‘Rolls Royce’
surface.
Ultimately, the whole question of a bowler’s expectation relates very little to anything tangible, and very much to the human psyche. Expectation is really just another word for opinion and, like backsides, everybody has got one! Whilst bowlers might say they want ‘consistency’ from greens, I’ve a hunch that removing the element of the ever- changing green - influenced primarily by the weather and secondly by the greenkeeper - would remove the very essence of the game. The heart and soul of our sport is playing outdoors and adapting to a constantly changing situation. Now, who wouldn’t want to be involved in a game like that? Err, indoor bowlers I guess!
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PROUDLY BRITISH
www.dennisuk.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 PC 79
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