George Best (bowls)

George Best
Personal information
NationalityNorthern Irish
Born(1911-04-13)13 April 1911
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died25 September 1994(1994-09-25) (aged 83)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sport
SportLawn bowls
ClubWillowfield BC
Medal record
Representing  Northern Ireland
National Championships
1949 pairs
1957 pairs
1960 fours
1961 fours

George Best (13 April 1911 – 25 September 1994), was an international lawn bowler from Northern Ireland who competed at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games (now Commonwealth Games).

Biography

Best was first capped by Ireland at international level in 1946.[1] He was a 21st president of the Willowfield Bowling Club of Belfast and was given the honour of re-opening the club's green at Gibson Park in April 1949.[2]

It was also in 1949 that Best won the pairs championship of Ireland with Syd Thompson at the Irish National Bowls Championships[3] and the duo won a second pairs title in 1957.[4]

Best represented the 1958 Northern Irish team[5] at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales[6] in the fours event, with Gerry Crossey, Tom Henry and Jack Webb,[7] where the team finished in eighth place.[8]

Best and Thompson teamed up with William Greer and Fred Greer to win consecutive fours titles in 1960[9] and 1961.[10] Also in 1961, Best was named captain of the Irish team for the 1961 internationals.[1]

In 1962 he retired as honorary secretary of the Willowfield Club after nine years in the role.[11] He was also the president of Linfield F.C. and died in 1994.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "George Best named as captain at Eastbourne". Northern Whig. 5 June 1961. p. 8. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "Willowfield Bowling Green Opened". Northern Whig. 18 April 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ Bolsover, Godfrey (1959). Who's Who and Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Rowland Publishers Ltd (Pre isbn).
  4. ^ "Bowling". Londonderry Standard. 12 August 1957. p. 4. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Bowls Rink for Empire Games". Belfast Telegraph. 6 March 1958. p. 16. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 82. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
  7. ^ "Northern Ireland Cardiff 1958". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Bowls". Daily Mirror. 25 July 1958. p. 18. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. p. 138-140. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.
  10. ^ "Linagarvey player takes Irish singles title". Belfast News-Letter. 14 August 1961. p. 8. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Mr Hugh Mitchell". Northern Whig. 8 October 1962. p. 6. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Linfield president Best dies aged 84". Northern Whig. 26 September 1994. p. 9. Retrieved 27 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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