National champs miss out on British glory

The White Rock Bowls Club triple representing England in the British Isles Championships suffered disappointment.
The White Rock Bowls Club triple of Nick Wingfield, Shaun Godfrey and Glen Newton which represented England at the British Isles Bowls ChampionshipsThe White Rock Bowls Club triple of Nick Wingfield, Shaun Godfrey and Glen Newton which represented England at the British Isles Bowls Championships
The White Rock Bowls Club triple of Nick Wingfield, Shaun Godfrey and Glen Newton which represented England at the British Isles Bowls Championships

Shaun Godfrey, Nick Wingfield and Glen Newton made the trip to Ireland to do battle with the hosts, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey and Scotland having won the Bowls England Men’s National Triples Championship last summer.

But they bowed out at the first stage with an 18-10 quarter-final defeat against Scotland despite leading until the 15th end. The score was then poised at 11-10 in favour of the Scots with one end remaining when they pulled away with a stunning seven to leave the Hastings-based trio wondering what might have been.

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“Little things went against us and we were unlucky,” said skip Godfrey. “It’s a game we could and should have won really, and it’s disappointing that Scotland went on to win it because I think we could’ve too if we’d overcome them.”

The tight contest was played in tricky conditions as the rain poured down - particularly near the end - but Godfrey insists that’s not an excuse.

“It was the same for both teams,” he added. “In the end they edged it, but the team and the Scottish fans could appreciate our performance. Their guys even admitted they rode their luck a bit. They were a nice bunch of lads and I have no qualms with them going on to lift the trophy. It’s just a shame we couldn’t do more.”

It was a bad day all round for England, who lost matches in the doubles, triples and fours events, though they did take the series at the end of the weekend. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the White Rock men, however, as Wingfield impressed selectors enough to earn a trial for the England junior side.