Percy Watson (bowls)

Percy Watson
Personal information
NationalityNorthern Irish
Born1894
Diedbefore 1990
Sport
ClubCavehill BC
Medal record
Representing Northern Ireland
Commonwealth Games
1934 London fours
1954 Vancouver pairs

Percy Thomson Watson (1894 – ?), was a Northern Ireland international lawn bowler.[1][2]

Bowls career

Watson was a member of the Cavehill Bowls Club.[3]

He represented Northern Ireland in four Commonwealth Games. He won a silver medal in the fours at the 1934 British Empire Games in London.[4] After the games he was given a civic reception by the Lord and Mayor and Lady Mayoress at the Belfast City Hall.[5]

Twenty years later he won a gold medal in the pairs event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, with William Rosbotham.[6][7]

He also competed at the 1958 and 1962 Commonwealth Games and won the 1933 and 1938 Irish National Bowls Championships singles.[8][9]

In addition to his two National singles titles he also won two National pairs titles in 1926 and 1930 bowling for the Cavehill Bowls Club.[10]

Personal life

He was a director of a linen manufacturers by trade and lived in Bedford Street, Belfast.[11] He was married to Margaret who died in 1982.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Athletes and Results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  2. ^ "British Players win and lose on opening day at Empire Games". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 31 July 1954. Retrieved 28 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Bowling Notes". Belfast News-Letter. 18 July 1933. p. 3. Retrieved 25 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Commonwealth Games Medallists". GBR Athletics.
  5. ^ "Ulster Athletes Entertained". Belfast News-Letter. 4 September 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 2 November 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "profile". Bowls tawa.
  7. ^ "Two from Ireland for Canada trip". Belfast Telegraph. 11 January 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 26 October 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "IBA Singles winners". Irish Bowls Association.
  9. ^ Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
  10. ^ Bolsover, Godfrey (1959). Who's Who and Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Rowland Publishers Ltd (Pre isbn).
  11. ^ Bolsover, Godfrey (1959). Who's Who and Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Rowland Publishers Ltd (Pre isbn).
  12. ^ "Deaths". Belfast Telegraph. 25 August 1982. p. 2. Retrieved 9 April 2021 – via The British Newspaper Archive.