The West Lothian trio of Richard Mark, Gary Orr, and James Speirs represented joint sponsors Johnston Fuels of Bathgate in the high-profile Pro-Am Triples Tournament staged and hosted by East Lothian IBC.
Read MoreIt was hot company but Speirs skipped his high octane trio into the knockout stage and joined the triples skipped by Graeme Archer, Derek Oliver, Colin Walker, Darren Burnett, Ryan Burnett, Stuart Airey, and James Fleming Jnr. The Johnston Fuels trio played magnificently to reach the final where in an epic confrontation and dramatic climax they lost by two shots to Andrew Thomson (Aberdeen), Jamies Macnab (Midlothian) and Fleming Jnr (Inverclyde).
The gents team of West Lothian IBC have launched their bid for Scottish Cup glory with a formbook 8-2 points victory over Inverclyde at Blantyre and this weekend again have the odds in their favour against first round proper opponents Tweedbank at East Lothian IBC.
Balbardie enter the action this Saturday and although the Bathgate based team finished their Division 1 league programme with a brilliant hat trick of live saving wins they have a major task against premier league giants Falkirk at Livingston.
The ladies version of the Scottish Cup produced the gem of a prelim round local derby between West Lothian and Balbardie and it was the Bathgate based stars that sparkled best to win 6-4 at Falkirk. Balbardie continue in the first round proper against Abbeyview at East Lothian on Saturday 3rd of March.
The disappointing 6-2 exit of West Lothian to Abbeyview at Bainfield means that there is now no Lothian representation in the quarterfinals stage of The Team Championship mixed event.
The seniors brigade from West Lothian made good progress into the second round of the Scottish Knockout Cup with a 6-4 win over Stirling (6-4) at Alloa and they next meet Midlothian at Stirling.
The recent sudden passing of West Lothian’s world-renowned iconic sporting figure Linda Brennan at the age of 51 came as a massive shock to the Bowls Community and all who new her. Linda – the hugely generous and massively supportive proprietor of David Gourlay Bowls – played 15 Outdoor and 14 Indoor international series for Scotland under The Middleton Hall and WLIBC banner’s and also raised the profile of her native West Lothian as a member of the Scotland Team in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. They came from England, Wales, Ireland and perhaps other far horizons to join a turn out of Scotland mourners that filled Winchburgh Parish Church to overspill capacity in an emotional burial ceremony, shared by the local minister and local priest, that paid a fitting tribute to an extra-ordinary person. A statement released by the National Governing Body of Bowls England said “ Linda has an amazing legacy and has touched people across the world with her humour, smile and passion for all things bowls”. Chair of Bowls Scotland, Sue Beatt said, In every conversation with Linda her passion for the sport shone through, She was a huge advocate of sustaining and modernising the game and had loads of ideas which in typical fashion she delivered at 90 miles an hours. Five minutes in Linda’s company had you laughing and uplifted .She was an irrepressible and irreplaceable force and her absence will be acutely felt throughout the bowls community, not just in Scotland but also around the world”. The numerous tributes on facebook included,
“A larger than life character with a bubbly personality”, “A pair of bowling shoes that nobody will ever fill”, “Linda new half the people in Scotland and the other half new her”, “what a wonderful ambassador for our sport”, “Always a breath of fresh air”, “we will never see her likes again”.
Linda was not just a can do person she was a will do person who always said yes and not no, turned negatives into positives, raised vast sums for charitable causes, and if you were down in the dumps would lift your spirits in a jiffy. Yes our Linda was some girl – and had a heart of gold that cared for all communities.