David Bryant (bowls)

David Bryant CBE
Personal information
Nationality	England
Born	27 October 1931; Clevedon, North Somerset, England
Sport
Sport	Bowls
Club	Clevedon
Representing England
Men's Bowls
World Outdoor Bowls Championships
Commonwealth Games
World Indoor Bowls Championships

David John Bryant CBE (born 27 October 1931 in Clevedon, North Somerset) is a former three-times World (outdoors) singles bowls champion (in 1966, 1980 and 1988) and also three-times a World indoors singles champion (in 1979, 1980 and 1981).[1] He is generally considered to be the greatest bowler of all time.[2]

Bowls career

World Outdoor Championships

He won the inaugural World Outdoor singles title at Kyeemagh in 1966[3] and went on to win five gold medals (three singles, one triples and one team). He won eleven medals in total (three more silver and three more bronze), from 1966 until 1988.

Commonwealth Games

Bryant claimed a double gold medal at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth in both the singles and fours. This was the catalyst for four singles gold medals and five gold Commonwealth Games gold medals in total. The singles golds were in 1962, 1970, 1974 and 1978. No bowls competition was held at the 1966 Commonwealth Games which arguably stopped Bryant from winning a fifth.[2]

World Indoor Championships

Bryant also reached legendary status indoors after winning nine World Championships, three in singles and six in the pairs with Tony Allcock.[4]

National

Bryant also helped his county win the Middleton Cup on numerous occasions, where among his Somerset teammates was former Scottish League internationalist footballer Bobby Black.[5]

In addition to the Middleton Cup victories he was crowned National Champion on 16 occasions for Somerset.[6] [7]

Singles - 1960, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975
Pairs - 1965, 1969, 1970
Triples - 1966, 1977, 1985
Fours - 1957, 1968, 1969, 1971

Awards

In 1969 he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to bowls, and in 1980 he was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), again for services to bowls.

Personal life

Bryant was famous for smoking a tobacco pipe whilst playing, and in 1986 was honoured with the award for Pipe Smoker of the Year. His father Reginald Bryant won three National fours/rinks titles.

Bibliography

Bryant has written many books on the subject of bowls, including:

Bryant on Bowls — Outdoor & Indoor 1966 ISBN 0-304-93687-1
Bowl with Bryant 1984 ISBN 0-00-218025-1
The Game of Bowls (co-authored with David Rhys Jones) 1990 ISBN 1-85225-101-8
Bowl to Win (co-authored with Tony Allcock) 1994 ISBN 0-00-218523-7

References

"Profile". Bowls tawa.
"David Bryant wins a fourth consecutive lawn bowls singles title at Edmonton 1978". Inside the Games.
Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
"David Bryant CBE". Somerset Bowls.
Bobby Black interview Archived 26 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
"Past Records". Bowls England.
Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.

External links

David Bryant on the Somerset Bowls Association website

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[1] "Profile". Bowls tawa.

[ITG-2] "David Bryant wins a fourth consecutive lawn bowls singles title at Edmonton 1978". Inside the Games.

[3] Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.

[4] "David Bryant CBE". Somerset Bowls.

[5] Bobby Black interview Archived 26 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[6] "Past Records". Bowls England.

[7] Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.