Bowls scribe has the right bias
As a serious bowling competitor since the 1970s and an outdoorsy type, John appreciates the competitive side of bowls as well as the camaraderie it builds.
Since his youth, bowls has been part of John Douthwaite’s life.
Born to parents who spent many years on the greens, John only set foot on a bowling mat at the age of 15, after arthritis left him hardly able to walk.
The sport helped him return to mobility and he’s never looked back.
John, known to many Newcastle Advertiser readers as Burnt End, has been at home on the bowling green for almost 50 years and holds many team and individual accolades to his name.
His brother, Trevor is also a familiar face in bowling circles.
Together, the Douthwaite brothers hold the distinction of finishing in the last eight of the South African Championships, while John claimed the KwaZulu-Natal Masters Singles title three years ago.
“I have won numerous KZN titles and represented what was then Natal B for three years, Natal A for three years, and played over 100 games for KZNCB (KZN Country Bowls), before the district divided.”
As a serious bowling competitor since the 1970s and an outdoorsy type, John appreciates the competitive side of bowls as well as the camaraderie it builds.
He has made many lasting friendships with bowlers across the country.
“Despite the perception that bowls is an old man’s game, I like to mix in other physical activity. I have swum 13 Midmar Miles and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, but the intrigue of bowls always keeps me on the greens.”
John says while the older generations are certainly more populous in the bowling arena, he has seen a move to get more youths involved, particularly in South Africa.
This has given rise to many inter-provincial tournaments for young players.
“The popularity of the Business League is proof that people enjoy bowls. We just need to get them take a step more and join Newcastle Bowling Club.”
Where did the name Burnt End originate?
Before moving to Newcastle, John was a teacher in Greytown and was brought in as a bowls scribe for the local newspaper.
After some pondering, he settled on the nom de plume, Burnt End.
This term refers to when the jack (the white ball bowlers aim their shots at) goes out of play, and this name seemed to stick even after he left Greytown for Newcastle in 1992.
“Dave Milner, then the Editor of the Newcastle Advertiser, was the bowling scribe and I took over from him in around 1995/1996.”
John says contributing a bowls column to the Advertiser is something he enjoys and calls it giving back to bowls just as it gave to him.
What are some of the important characteristics of a good bowler?
“Concentration, focus and practise,” comments John. “You can’t just walk onto the green. Vijay Singh (the Fiji-born professional golfer) would hit 1 000s of balls a day and without that rhythm, you won’t succeed.”
Although bowls has transformed dramatically from days of all-white clothing and petticoats, it remains a lifeblood and outlet for many people of vastly different backgrounds and circumstances.
John even goes as far as to say bowlers become like family.
“It’s also a sport where you can play with any skill and any disability. There are blind, amputee and overweight players, and there’s place for skilled and novice players. You don’t have to be a star or a champion, because on the green, you can go from a champ on one day to a chimp on the next.”
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