Bristol bowling club lit up after £27k funding boost

Tournament organiser Pete Jones said the Bristol club was 'incredibly excited' to host its first floodlit event

Floodlights installed thanks to a £27,000 grant have helped a city bowling club host a first ever night tournament.

Bristol St Andrew's is welcoming 150 players from 15 clubs to battle it out under the lights, for the first time since it was founded in 1924.

Funding from Sport England allowed the floodlights to be installed at the Derby Road bowling green.

"Bowls is a great spectacle under lights," said the club's Pete Jones.

"We are incredibly excited to be hosting this tournament, the first of its kind in Bristol," he added.

Hosts Bristol St Andrew's got under way with a victory over Redland Green on Wednesday evening

The tournament, which began on Wednesday, will see clubs from the city face off with those from further afield over the next five weeks.

Teams will play in three leagues, with promotion and relegation a factor, and it is hoped that the tournament will become a regular fixture in the calendar.

Planning restrictions on the use of the floodlights mean that the club can only host 20 evenings per year with the lights on.

"We are expecting bowlers from 15 clubs and the bowls will be very competitive in all three divisions. We are hoping to create a fantastic atmosphere for players and spectators alike," said Mr Jones.

"Covid has had an impact on all sports but this summer has seen bowls return to something close to normality and we hope this tournament will be just the first of many over coming years," he added.