Whitestone Short Mat Bowls Club

Short Mat Bowls came to Whitestone in November 2013 after two rinks were kindly donated
by Teignbridge District Council. Local residents were not slow in donating sets of
bowls and we now have 12 sets of bowls in various sizes for use by all.
Several players have now purchased their own set of bowls

New underlay mats were purchased and they took out most of the minor irregularities
found in Parish Hall floor.

We normally meet THREE times a week.The cost is only £2.00 (50p for 16s and under)
and that includes tea/coffee and a biscuit.

To protect the green mat (rink), please wear soft shoes with completely flat soles if you have them.
If not, bowling in socks is perfectly OK. Why not come along and have a go.
There is no need to have your own bowls as we have plenty of sets available

BOWLS FOR NOVEMBER 2024

We meet in the main Hall of Whitestone Parish Hall
on the following dates but other meetings may take place
if possible. We will keep you informed.

A free 15 minutes are permitted by the Hall for setting up.
Please arrive early for changing shoes, selecting bowls, selecting teams, etc.

Details always available from Sue and Jock on 811205

A TRULY INCLUSIVE ACTIVITY
FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Don’t worry – this isn’t about football…  but imagine, if you will, that the cup final has gone to a shootout…
...nine year old Johnny takes the first shot, his 86 year old great-grandmother takes the second, the lady from the coffee shop takes the third, and finally the postman wins with the fourth.

Of course this would never happen, well not in the rarified atmosphere of the multi-million pound male football game anyway. Nor in any other competitive football game where the teams are segregated according to age, sex and disability. To be honest this holds true of pretty much any competitive sport that you care to think of. Its rare for men and women to compete against each other, but its even more rare for widely differing ages to compete too, – let alone those with different abilities. There is one sport where it does hold true however, and that is Short Mat Bowls.

If you have never heard of it, then you wouldn’t be alone. In fact even the word ‘bowls’ may conjure up images of groups of elderly people, all dressed in white, playing something very slow on a beautifully manicured lawn on a hot summer afternoon.  If that is your image, then forget it – because Short Mat Bowls is to bowls, what T20 cricket is to cricket.  Its shorter, more dynamic, both more relaxed and more vicious, equally respectful, and much much more inclusive. You don’t need to be an athlete, nor spend thousands on equipment – in fact most clubs have bowls that you can use to start with.

  There is no benefit from being fitter or younger or stronger, so everyone starts from a level playing field. Some people play purely for the social fun of getting out of the house, having a good chat, and getting a bit of exercise too.  Some people play for the thrill of the competition, challenging themselves against the better players, improving week by week until they are themselves amongst the best.  The strange thing about Short Mat Bowls is that the dedicated and the social players play in the same teams and against each other.  Imagine having a kickabout in the park and Harry Kane is on your team – well the same thing happens every time in Short Mat bowls.

So, why have you never heard of it?  It’s not that lots of people don’t play it, but simply that it hasn’t come to the attention of Television executives or sponsors. It’s a sport that remains refreshingly amateur, and doesn’t boast purpose built stadiums that catch the eye.  Instead it happens where you would least expect it, in the quite village halls that litter the British landscape.  For Short Mat bowls does exactly what it says on the tin.  Its played on a 40’ long mat that is rolled out at the start of every session, and put away again at the end.  The skill is in keeping the bowls on the mat, rather than needing strength to bowl a heavy ball long distances – in fact I can almost guarantee that any first timer will bowl too hard, not too soft. It’s a game of subtlety, control, and tactics – punctuated by the occasional ‘strike’ when someone decides to rearrange the whole thing. Imagine the Olympic sport of Curling, but without the ice and the brushes!

Devon boasts the most players of any County, and they literally range from primary school age to pensioners in their 90’s, and all ages in between.  Its cheap, its fun, and its almost literally on your doorstep – for we have a very friendly club in Whitestone – and we would make you very welcome. So, if all that has tweaked your interest, then why not give it a go?

You can just turn up any Tuesday or Friday evening at 7.15 at the Parish Hall, or if your more a morning person, then try a Wednesday morning at 9.45am.

  Still unsure, well then contact us and we’ll try to answer any questions that you might have.  What have you got to lose?  Just a warning – its addictive!

Customisable Team Selector

Teams