# Crown green bowls

Crown green bowls (or crown green) is a code of bowls played outdoors on a grass or artificial turf surface known as a bowling green. The sport's name is derived from the intentionally convex or uneven nature of the bowling green which is traditionally formed with a raised centre known as the crown.
Crown green bowls is played in the Midlands, Northern England, and North Wales.

## Game

The aim of crown green bowls is to roll a set of two bowls from the hand towards a smaller target bowl known as the jack. Rolling the bowl or jack is known as the delivery. When delivering a bowl or jack, the player must place one foot on a mat to ensure that all bowls and jack are sent from the same spot.
A full game comprises a number of ends. An end is where the jack is rolled first. The player sending the jack can choose to deliver it wherever they like on the bowling green. This ability to bowl an end in any direction is a unique feature of crown green bowls. Players then take it in turns to roll each of their bowls towards the jack. An end finishes when all bowls have been delivered. At the amateur level it is usual for several ends to be played simultaneously on one green. If two moving woods meet, both are taken back and the shots replayed. If a moving wood strikes a stationary wood or jack from another end, it is again taken back and replayed, but the bowl struck is replaced where contact took place.
The aim of an end is for a player to finish with their own bowls closer to the jack than those of the opponent. For each bowl that is closer than those of the opponent, a player scores one point. Each player usually has two bowls allowing a maximum of two points on each end. A score of one or two is denoted to the two markers (one from each team, in a team match) by raising one or two hands. The winner of the end delivers the jack in the next end.
Competitive games are usually held between two people with the winner being the first person to accumulate 21 points. An unlimited number of ends are played until someone wins. Variations exist where players can have more than two bowls, games are played to 31 points or more, or players form teams of two or more players.

## Bowling green

Crown green bowls is played on a specially prepared short-cut smooth grass surface known as a bowling green or simply the green (usually 45x45 yards). The green usually has a raised centre known as the crown which can often be as high as 30 centimetres above the edge of the green. The green has a ditch around the edge, and slopes on all sides from the crown towards the ditch. Greens are usually rectangular or square, but L-shaped and circular greens also exist. The surfaces also often feature ridges, hollows and slopes to make the game more difficult. Due to this vast array of historical differences, no rules stipulating the shape, size or height of the crown are laid down by the British Crown Green Bowls Association.

## Bowls equipment
### Bowls

In crown green bowls, players use two bowls each. Bowls are also commonly known as woods. There are no requirement for official markings on the bowls although manufacturers branding and the weight of the bowls is common. Players often have their initials marked on one side, or use stickers to identify their bowls. One side of the bowl has an indent or dimple allowing the player to identify by touch which side of the bowl has the bias.
Crown green bowls come in a variety of bias strengths, weights, densities, sizes, materials and colours. The minimum weight is 2 lb (0.91 kg) but there is no maximum weight.
Bowls are referred to and sold by their weight, and are available from 2 lb 0 oz to 2 lb 14 oz, in 1 oz increments. They were traditionally made from lignum vitae wood but are now manufactured from a composite plastic. Wooden bowls have a variable density throughout their core due to the nature of wood. Plastic bowls have a consistent and regular density throughout and manufacturers can produce bowls in different densities generally known as standard, low density and high density. This means that a smaller bowl with a higher density can be the same weight as a larger bowl with a lower density.
There are two ways of delivering a bowl: with or against the bias. Sending a bowl with the thumb on the biased side is known as thumb peg and sending a bowl with the thumb on the non-biased side is known as finger peg. The different pegs determine in which direction the bowl will go. A player delivering the jack is expected to declare which peg is used, but a player delivering a subsequent wood is not.

### Jack

The jack, also commonly known as the block, is a smaller version of the bowls used by each player in a game of crown green bowls and also contains a bias. There are written specifications determining the size, weight and bias strength of jacks. To be able to be used in an official British Crown Green Bowls Association recognised league match or competition, jacks must be black, white or yellow. Other colours are available for use in practice.
Jacks have different markings on each side. On one side there is a single circle with the manufacturer's name and other official lettering. This side of the jack is the side with the bias. The other side has a single circle surrounded by three solid dots or smaller circles indicating the non-bias side. Official jacks must also be stamped with an approved date stamp every seven years to comply with the rules. Jacks measure 9.5 cm (3 & 3/4 inches) in diameter and weigh about 660 grams (1 lb 7 oz).

### Mat

The mat is also known as the footer. It is usually black and has a textured top surface to help with grip. It a simple rubber circular mat measuring 14 cm (4.5 inches) in diameter, and around 0.5 cm (1/8th of an inch) in thickness. When delivering a jack or bowl, the player must place their non-leading foot on the mat.

## Major events

The first event that gained major status was the Talbot Handicap played at the Talbot Hotel in Blackpool which was inaugurated in 1887 and continued until 1975. In 1907 the Waterloo Handicap was inaugurated and the event held at the Waterloo Hotel (also in Blackpool) eventually surpassed the importance of the Talbot Handicap. The Waterloo Hotel had its safety licence to hold big competitions withdrawn and the compitition lost some of its stature when it transferred to Fleetwood Bowling Club in 2022.
More modern events include the BCGBA Senior Individual Merit and BCGBA Champion of Champions.

## Past winners
### BCGBA Champion of Champions

Extended content :
Year
Winner
1974Jim Hadfield
1975Jim Collen
1976Tony Poole
1977Cliff Bordley
1978Noel Burrows
1979Terry Turner
1980Noel Burrows
1981Dave Ellis
1982Nigel Cranston
1983Stan Frith
1984Tony Poole
1985Robert Hitchen
1986Steve Smurthwaite
1987Brian Shore
1988Martin Gilpin
1989Tommy Johnstone
1990Ian Rigby
1991Brian Duncan
1992Steve Williams
Year
Winner
1993Jack Robertson
1994Stuart Jones
1995Ken Strutt
1996Ken Strutt
1997Andy Petford
1998Paul Strutt
1999Ian Rigby
2000Chris Mordue
2001Kerry Morris
2002Alan Thompson
2003Graeme Wilson
2004Gary Ellis
2005Paul Wilson
2006Andrew Spragg
2007John Bailey
2008Graeme Wilson
2009Graeme Wilson
2010Chris Mordue
2011Gary Ellis
Year
Winner
2012John Finch
2013Terry Glover
2014Simon Coupe
2015Callum Wraight
2016Gary Ellis
2017Michael Beer
2018John Bailey
2019Colin Kelly
2020not held (covid)
2021not held (covid)
2022Chris Kelly
2023Greg Smith
2024Paul Dudley :

### BCGBA Senior Merit

Extended content :
Year
Winner
1910E Peers
1911J Stead
1912T Dale
1913J Chesters
1914A Robinson
1915J Charnock
1916S Sackville
1917J Gough
1918T Burgess
1919J Charnock
1920W Twist
1921F Dickinson
1922John Gleave
1923Joe Gleave
1924E Blackledge
1925F Bentley
1926A Booth
1927P Ainscough
1928Joe Gleave
1929J Gough
1930G Fielding
1931J Fort
1932C Garside
1933J Eyes
1934Joe Gleave
1935J Pickering
1936G Howells
1937W Garrard
1938J Davies
1939W Garside
1940-45 not held
1946B Longbottom
1947H King
1948R Meyrick
1949A Bebbington
1950J Barnsley
1951J Pilling
Year
Winner
1952A Shore
1953W Slater
1954N Norris
1955H Burgess
1956E Fish
1957N Hardman
1958C Littlehales
1959E Ashton
1960R Hodson
1961R Meyrick
1962R Meyrick
1963F Goulden
1964R Green
1965W Baldwin
1966R Meyrick
1967A Shore
1968R Oakes
1969A Johnson
1970A Dowley
1971Tony Poole
1972Dennis Mercer
1973W Line
1974F Whitehead
1975R Wilby
1976Noel Burrows
1977R Edkins
1978K Widdowson
1979Jack Hunt
1980J Hadfield
1981Ian Ross
1982Ian Bottomley
1983Stan Frith
1984Michael Leach
1985T Moss
1986Steve Smurthwaite
1987A Dodd
1988Ron Stanford
Year
Winner
1989Chris Squires
1990Phil Owen
1991Paul Chamberlain
1992Stan Frith
1993John Taylor
1994Steve Ellis
1995Gary Ainley
1996Stephen Hirst
1997Glynn Cookson
1998Stuart Perry
1999Lee Heaton
2000Graeme Wilson
2001Matt Gilmore
2002Tommy Johnstone
2003Gary Ellis
2004Graeme Wilson
2005Darren Smith
2006Andrew Spragg
2007Andrew Spragg
2008Matt Bower
2009Callum Wraight
2010Noel Burrows
2011Mike Riley
2012Gary Ellis
2013Greg Smith
2014Ashley Daykin
2015Tom Vickers
2016Matt Gilmore
2017Darren Plenderleith
2018Chris Mordue
2019Ryan Prosser
2020not held (covid)
2021Ross Dunkley
2022Callum Wraight
2023Simon Coupe
2024Greg Smith :

### The Talbot Handicap

Extended content :
Year
Winner
1887T Salisbury
1888D Greenhalgh
1889J Bowden
1890D Greenhalgh
1891H Rutter
1892William Balmer
1893John Peace
1894Thomas Berry
1895Gerard Hart
1896R Mather
1897Thomas Meadows
1898Thomas Hayes
1899John Peace
1900Edward Barton
1901James Platt
1902James Ward
1903W Fairhurst
1904C Farrington
1905M Sharples
1906W Taylor
1907J Bagot
1908S Massey
1909W H Law
1910R Hart
1911F Threlfall
1912Richard Birchall
1913H Southern
1914J Bromilow
1915T Richardson
1916R Johnson
Year
Winner
1917G F Hampson
1918Eli Yates
1919Edward Whiteside
1920L Banks
1921F Threlfall
1922W Finch
1923J Farnworth
1924Tom Rose
1925Jack Cox
1926G Beswick
1927T Monks
1928G Beswick
1929W R Hardy
1930H Walkden
1931R Pendlebury
1932James Heyes
1933T Turner
1934H Hardman
1935H Bury
1936W Grace
1937G Lomax
1938W Molyneux
1939abandoned
1940W J Wilcock
1941J Edmondson
1942George Croker
1943F Gillett
1944W Ashton
1945J Jolly
1946A Raby
Year
Winner
1947R Thomas
1948J H Hill
1949J Molyneux
1950J Wolstencroft
1951W Parr
1952J Timmins
1953J Molyneux
1954W Parr
1955W Simm
1956J Rothwell
1957J E Ball
1958R Mercer
1959W H Frost
1960W Dalton
1961W Turner
1962W Dalton
1963R Kellett
1964J Kirby
1965A Milnes
1966S Priestley
1967Billy Dawber
1968F Whitehead
1969R Peat
1970Keith Illingworth
1971G Rigby
1972W Dalton
1973C E Jackson
1974Brian Duncan
1975Stuart Buckley
Discontinued :

### The Fleetwood Autumn Waterloo (formerly Waterloo Handicap)

Extended content :
Year
Winner
1907James Rothwell
1908George Beatty
1909Tom Meadows
1910not held
1911John Peace
1912Thomas Lowe
1913Gerard Hart
1914John Rothwell
1915W Fairhurst
1916J Parkinson
1917Geogre Barnes
1918W Simms
1919Len Moss
1920E Whiteside
1921J Bagot
1922W A Smith
1923J Martin
1924Rowland Hill
1925Jack Cox
1926T Roscoe
1927H Waddecar
1928T Whittle
1929Charles Halpin
1930J Chadwick
1931A Gleave
1932T E Booth
1933A Ogden
1934W Derbyshire
1935C Roberts
1936H Yates
1937A King
1938J W Whitter
1939abandoned
1940H Holden
1941W J Wilcock
1942Tommy Bimson
1943S Ivell
1944Tedber Tinker
1945W Grace
1946C Parkinson
Year
Winner
1947W Dalton
1948Albert E Ringrose
1949J Egan
1950H Finch
1951J Waterhouse
1952L Thompson
1953Bernard Kelly
1954Bernard Kelly
1955J Heyes
1956J Sumner
1957Bill Lacy
1958F Salisbury
1959Billy Dawber
1960H Bury
1961J Featherstone
1962J Collier
1963T Mayor
1964W B Heinkey
1965J Pepper
1966R Collier
1967Eric Ashton
1968Billy Bennett
1969G T Underwood
1970Jack Everitt
1971J Bradbury
1972Noel Burrows
1973Arthur Murray
1974W Houghton
1975Jim Collen
1976Keith Illingworth
1977L Barrett
1978Arthur Murray
1979Brian Duncan
1980Vernon Lee
1981Roy Nicholson
1982Dennis Mercer
1983Stan Frith
1984S Ellis
1985Tommy Johnstone
1986Brian Duncan
Year
Winner
1987Brian Duncan
1988Ingham Gregory
1989Brian Duncan
1990John Bancroft
1991John Eccles
1992Brian Duncan
1993Allen Broadhurst
1994Billy Hilton
1995Ken Strutt
1996Lee Heaton
1997Andy Cairns
1998Mick Jagger
1999Ivan Smout
2000Carl Armitage
2001Glynn Cookson
2002Stan Frith
2003Gary Ellis
2004Noel Burrows
2005John Bailey
2006Andy Moss
2007Stan Frith
2008Gary Ellis
2009Gary Ellis
2010Simon Coupe
2011Simon Coupe
2012Gary Ellis
2013Andy Buckley
2014Gary Ellis
2015Greg Smith
2016Tim Houghton
2017Wayne Dicthfield
2018Jon Palmer
2019Paul Dale
2020-21 not held (covid)
2022Paul Dudley
2023Lee Brown
2024Gareth Coates :