TONY Watchman has joined an exclusive band of Wiltshire bowlers.

He has become only the third true Moonraker (Wiltshireman) and the first for over 30 years to have held the position of both indoor and outdoor county president.

He emulates Denis Uncles from Bradford on Avon who was outdoor president in 1971 and indoor 1975-76 and Westinghouse’s Percy King (outdoor 1976 and indoors 1980-81).

Watchman, who plays indoors at the North Wilts Club in Chippenham, recently took over the role of county president at the Wiltshire Indoor Bowls Association annual general meeting from Westlecot’s Keith Baker.

He is a former outdoor president and held the post in 2004 when a member of the now-defunct Westinghouse Bowls Club before switching to Chippenham Park in 2009.

Born in Swindon in 1941 Watchman represented Wiltshire in the all-England youth athletics championships and was school captain in rugby, cricket and volleyball.

He was head boy at Nelson Haden School, Trowbridge and became the first secondary modern schoolboy to obtain a five-year apprenticeship with Chippenham firm Westinghouse. He qualified as an electrician and was also a part-time fireman with Westinghouse.

He played cricket for Langley Burrell, enjoyed tennis and played rugby for Trowbridge, Lackham and Chippenham.

However, he was involved in a serious car accident in 1983 and was wheelchair-bound for some time.

“That was how I came to play bowls or try” he said.

“I was advised to walk at least twice a day, and one evening I ended up at Westinghouse Bowls Club.

“They were playing some inter-departmental league games, one team was short. I played and I was hooked, went home and had a talk with my wife Margaret – the rest is history.”

Watchman joined Westinghouse Bowls Club and has been captain and president of the club and helped them to win the County Three Rink League in 1994.

He has also been chairman of the Chippenham Bowls Association – Westinghouse, Chippenham Town and Chippenham Park – whose aim was to raise funds for their own indoor bowls club which came to fruition with the help of Town Council who gave the land and a grant from the Sports Council in 1996.

With the backing of Westinghouse his name was put forward as outdoor county president and he firstly became junior vice-president under Frank Hinchliffe in 2002 and president of Wiltshire in 2004.

Ten years on in 2014 he has become the Wiltshire Indoor president to complete the presidential double.

“I would recommend anyone thinking of considering being president to take it up we need more people interested in the role,” said Watchman.

“The structure of both codes, outdoors and indoors will give all the help that is needed.

“You don’t have to be a skip to be a president or an outstanding bowler just competent. I play all my games at two and you get all the banter at the front end which I enjoy.”

Watchman added, “Since my car accident I try not to take anything for granted. I would like to thank all those most sincerely who have helped me achieve all the things that I have done regarding the wonderful game of bowls.

“And of course my wife Margaret as without her considerable help and tolerance I would not have been able to pursue my love of bowls.”

Watchman made the perfect start to his tenure, leading his representative side to victory at Westlecot in the opening county friendly of the 2014-15 season.

Despite trailing overall against neighbours Oxfordshire for most of the match Wiltshire produced a super late rally to snatch a five-shots win.

Across the board the Moonrakers trailed 30-28 at five ends, 55-48 at ten and were 73-70 down at 15. But then from only three shots adrift at 15 ends found themselves 15 down as they trailed 92-77 at 18.

However, a brilliant final surge saw the team collect 25 shots and only concede five over the last three ends across the board and snatch an unlikely 102-97 victory.

As a result of the late rally Wiltshire took the honours on four of the five rinks with Watchman’s rink skipped by Steve Remington winning the battle of the presidents and also recording Wiltshire’s highest winning margin of eight shots.

The other three successful rinks all had narrow wins with Maurice Byron’s four collecting eight shots in the final three ends to win 23-21.

Meanwhile Martin Salter’s quartet scored a five on end 20 to help them to a 20-17 win while Dave Williams’ rink held on for a two shot win despite being 25-21 up at 19 ends.

Wiltshire’s next friendly match is this Sunday, October 19 (2pm) at home at North Wilts against Devon.

RESULTS

Rink 1: Arthur Fletcher (North Wilts), Jim Cremin (West), Steve Gedge (Christie Miller) & Martin Salter (West) beat John Davey 20-17. Rink 2: Gavin Newman (West), Jim Wilkie (NW), Harry Langley & Ron Salsbury (both West) lost to Bob Spencer 12-22. Rink 3: Bob George, Tony Watchman, Clive Swift (all NW) & Steve Remington (CM) beat Terry Gripe 22-14. Rink 4: Don French, (NW), Derek Fry (West), Bob Roberts-Phare & Dave Williams (NW) beat Alex Fleming 25-23. Rink 5: Peter Naish (CM), Gerry Vincent (Swindon Manor), Keith Baker (West) & Maurice Byron (NW) beat Tony Thomas 23-21.

Score: Wiltshire beat Oxfordshire 102-97.