FOLLOWING the successful Fife Carpet Bowls Championships at the Michael Woods Sports & Leisure Centre, Disability Sport Fife selected the following team for the Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships to be held at Dundee International Sports Complex in Dundee on Saturday and a Cowdenbeath man is in it.

Joining Cowdenbeath Bowling Club's Billy Allan, are Jim Donaldson - Central Fife CSS; Willie Harrison – Central Fife CSS; Theresa Wyse – Central Fife CSS; Glen Livingston – Abbeyview BC; Maria Spencer – Abbeyview BC Kenny Dow – Central Fife CSS; Neil Laughlin – Central Fife CSS; Eleanor Clark – Central Fife CSS Craig Donaldson – Central Fife CSS; Jimmy Ramsay – East Fife CSS; Robert Anderson – Dovecot BC Steven Anderson – Dovecot BC Nikki Baxter – West Fife CSS; Tanis Murphy – East Fife CSS; Michelle Wallace – Central Fife CSS Wendy Thomson – East Fife CSS. Reserves: Julie Allan East Fife CSS and Kevin Mustard Central Fife CSS

As the bowling fraternity wish Team Fife bowlers all the very best for the first national championships of 2019, it is perhaps appropriate to reflect on all that happened in 2018 with Fife bowlers at local national, and international level.

Following the outstanding results of Fife bowlers at the 2017 Carpet Bowls Championships at DISC in Dundee, team manager John Collins and Fife support staff had high hopes of something similar in 2018.

However, it was surprisingly left to Kenny Dow, from Central Fife CSS, to bring back the only national title and the ever reliable Billy Allan to collect silver in the men’s open category for ambulant physically disabled bowlers.

Not the best of starts to the bowling year. There was however a massive turn around in fortune at the Scottish Disability Sport Lawn Bowls Championships at the Westburn Park in Aberdeen in September.

Newcomer Glen Livingston from Abbeyview BC defeated team mate and Commonwealth Games representative Michael Simpson from Strathmiglo BC, in the final in his first year as a DSF member and his first involvement in the national championships.

World champion Maria Spencer from Abbeyview BC defeated Barbara McMillan, Kelty BC, in the equivalent women’s section. Eleanor Clark was the final title winner in the section for totally blind bowlers. Willie Harrison from Central Fife CSS recorded his best result for many years when he finished runner up in the section for wheelchair bowlers.

The best results of the year were recorded by Fife bowlers at the 2018 SDS/SIB Indoor Bowls Championships at Falkirk. Fife bowlers contested seven sections and won five. Maria Spencer won the B2/B3 title; Billy Allan the B6 title; Barbara McMillan the ladies open ambulant section; local man Darryl Stewart and Pamela Mitchell the sections for bowlers with a learning disability. Craig Donaldson was runner up to Darryl.

Glen Livingston Abbeyview BC and Brian Crombie Coaltown of Balgonie BC became welcome new additions to the Fife playing membership with Glen lifting the Lothian Disability Sport title at the first attempt while Billy Allan finished runner up.

Team Fife retained the Scottish Inter Area Test Match Team Trophy through in Glasgow. The leading six male and six female bowlers with a learning disability represent each Scottish area and play singles, pairs and triples. Team Fife included a number of new bowlers last year who gave an excellent account of themselves and ran out worthy winners.

In the year past bowls specific developments have blossomed in Headwell BC, Dovecot BC, Windygates BC, Abbeyview BC and Lumphinnans BC. There are more DSF members with bowls club memberships than ever before and DSF is working in partnership with more clubs than ever to promote inclusive thinking and practice.