Willie Wood (bowler)
Encyclopedia
William "Willie" Wood MBE
(b. 1938 in Haddington
, East Lothian
) is a Scottish
professional bowls player, who has mainly competed in the outdoor or lawn form of the game. His list of achievements include two Commonwealth Games
gold medals and two World Bowls Championship runner-up medals. He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
in 2007.
, rather than brave the bus journey to the swimming baths at nearby North Berwick
.
Wood undertook his national service
with the British Army
, joining aged 18, serving in Germany with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
. He later ran his own garage before concentrating on bowls.
Wood first represented his country in 1966 and in 2002 became the first athlete to compete in a 7th Commonwealth Games. His Commonwealth Games career included a singles bronze in 1974, a silver in the pairs in 1978, individual gold in 1982 and a captain's role in the 1990 winning fours team. The feat is even more remarkable as, had internal politics not forced him out of the 1986 games (held, ironically, in Scotland), Wood could have competed in more. After refusing to be reclassified as an amateur, the Scotland team decided not to select the World Championship runner-up, denying him the chance to compete in Edinburgh
, at a bowling green just metres from Tynecastle Park - home of his beloved Heart of Midlothian FC. In 2002, Wood was reported to be disappointed that Team Scotland athletes voted to give cyclist Craig McLean the honour of carrying the flag
at the opening ceremony, despite Wood's record-breaking achievement. Aged 72, Wood was included in Scotland's team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
, extending his record to an eighth games, and making him the oldest competitor at the games.
He competed in the finals of the 1984 and 1988 World Bowls Championship (held every four years), missing out by millimetres to Peter Belliss
of New Zealand
in 1984 on home soil in Aberdeen
. He was back in the final four years later in Auckland
, New Zealand but was beaten by England
's David Bryant
. Wood competed in nine World Championships in total and has an impressive collection of fifteen World Championship medals in singles, pairs, triples and foursomes, most recently bronze medals in the triples and fours at the 2000 event in Johannesburg
, South Africa
.
Wood also competed in over forty home international events and won several national titles.
In 2007, Wood became the first bowler to be inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Wood retired from international bowls in 2011, although he intends to continue to compete at national level.
He was awarded the MBE for services to sport in 1992. He has also written an instructional book, A Bias to Bowls, which was published in 1990.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(b. 1938 in Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional bowls player, who has mainly competed in the outdoor or lawn form of the game. His list of achievements include two Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
gold medals and two World Bowls Championship runner-up medals. He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland. It is also funded by BBC Scotland and...
in 2007.
Biography
Wood took up bowls at the age of 12, perhaps unsurprisingly as his father, grandfather and mother all played the sport. With little else to occupy his time, Wood says he elected to bowl in his home village of GiffordGifford, East Lothian
Gifford is a village in the parish of Yester in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately 4 miles south of Haddington and 25 miles east of Edinburgh.-History:...
, rather than brave the bus journey to the swimming baths at nearby North Berwick
North Berwick
The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
.
Wood undertook his national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, joining aged 18, serving in Germany with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
. He later ran his own garage before concentrating on bowls.
Wood first represented his country in 1966 and in 2002 became the first athlete to compete in a 7th Commonwealth Games. His Commonwealth Games career included a singles bronze in 1974, a silver in the pairs in 1978, individual gold in 1982 and a captain's role in the 1990 winning fours team. The feat is even more remarkable as, had internal politics not forced him out of the 1986 games (held, ironically, in Scotland), Wood could have competed in more. After refusing to be reclassified as an amateur, the Scotland team decided not to select the World Championship runner-up, denying him the chance to compete in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, at a bowling green just metres from Tynecastle Park - home of his beloved Heart of Midlothian FC. In 2002, Wood was reported to be disappointed that Team Scotland athletes voted to give cyclist Craig McLean the honour of carrying the flag
Flag of Scotland
The Flag of Scotland, , also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, is the national flag of Scotland. As the national flag it is the Saltire, rather than the Royal Standard of Scotland, which is the correct flag for all individuals and corporate bodies to fly in order to demonstrate both...
at the opening ceremony, despite Wood's record-breaking achievement. Aged 72, Wood was included in Scotland's team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
, extending his record to an eighth games, and making him the oldest competitor at the games.
He competed in the finals of the 1984 and 1988 World Bowls Championship (held every four years), missing out by millimetres to Peter Belliss
Peter Belliss
Peter Belliss is a former lawn bowls player for New Zealand.At the World Bowls Championships he won the 1984 singles in Aberdeen against local player Willie Wood, the 1988 pairs with Rowan Brassey, and triples with Brassey and Andrew Curtain in Johannesburg in 2000.He has competed at four...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1984 on home soil in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. He was back in the final four years later in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand but was beaten by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's David Bryant
David Bryant
David James Bryant CBE is a former three-time World singles bowls champion in 1966, 1980 and 1988 and also a three-time World indoors singles champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He also won the Commonwealth Games singles bowls championship on 4 occasions in 1962, 1970, 1974 and 1978...
. Wood competed in nine World Championships in total and has an impressive collection of fifteen World Championship medals in singles, pairs, triples and foursomes, most recently bronze medals in the triples and fours at the 2000 event in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Wood also competed in over forty home international events and won several national titles.
In 2007, Wood became the first bowler to be inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. Wood retired from international bowls in 2011, although he intends to continue to compete at national level.
He was awarded the MBE for services to sport in 1992. He has also written an instructional book, A Bias to Bowls, which was published in 1990.