The History of Bowls
The sport of bowls is commonly referred to as lawn bowls or lawn bowling. Competitors attempt to roll their bowl, a larger ball, as close as possible to a smaller ball, called a “jack” or occasionally a “kitty”. When rolled, the bowls follow a curved route because of their shaped design. Games are played until a certain number of ends are played or until one player reaches a score. The game can be played one-on-one or in teams. The game has a long history, dating back to the 1200s.
Although other surfaces are occasionally used, grass is the primary surface on which the game is played. A bowl played indoors will take a wider arc than if played outdoors. Some bowls are best suited to either indoors or outdoors and some can play on both surfaces. Coatbridge has a rich history of playing both indoor and outdoor bowls. It is even credited for being where World Bowls originated. Both clubs have a unique and fascinating history, as do many of the sports clubs in Coatbridge and North Lanarkshire.
Coatbridge Indoor Bowling Club
The club was formed in 1971 as an extension of the Coatbridge Community Centre indoor bowling club from Corsewall Street, Coatbridge. Building on the new stadium started in March 1971 and the club was opened on 6 December 1971 by James Dempsey M.P. with Robert Arthur, Provost of the Burgh of Coatbridge also in attendance. The gents president was Mr. J S Cooper and the ladies president was Mrs. M L Kerr for the opening year. The gents champion was Mr. D McLoughlin and the ladies champion was Mrs. A Lindsay. When it opened, the entry fee for the club was £3.00 and annual subscriptions were £3.00 for men and £2.00 for ladies. The cost per 2 hour session varied from 12 pence to 20 pence per person. Coatbridge Indoor Bowling Club proudly hosted the Bowls championship from 1979 to 1988.
Coatbridge Bowling Club
Coatbridge Bowling Club was founded in 1849, making it the oldest sports club in all of Coatbridge. In 2024 it celebrated its 175th anniversary.
The club has had many participate in the celebrations, both within and outwith the club. Club treasurer Ronnie Grant collected information about the club and its history, including all previous winners and captains as well as the founders. He collated his findings into a booklet that was shared with the members so that they could learn more about the club that they dedicate so much of their time to. There were also events hosted at the bowling club in honour of the anniversary. This included a quiz night on the 4th of November which involved a quiz, bingo, a raffle and horse race betting. They also hosted a speakers night on the 30th of November with Tam Cowan and Chic Young which also included a raffle. The club has been congratulated by Coatbridge businesses in a display of town pride.
About the Author
Lucy Irvine is a Digital Collections Volunteer with the Curatorial Team. She is a sixth year pupil at Airdrie Academy who hopes to study History at university. She has an interest in local history, particularly that of Airdrie and other places close by in North Lanarkshire.