Yellow bowls of Belfast go to court

THE PLACID world of bowls is about to be dragged through the courts after a player was banned from a tournament when he decided to enliven proceedings by using yellow woods.

Wally Taylor, of Belfast, a former English athletics champion, had dispatched another competitor to cheers from the crowd when he learnt that he was to be disqualified because his bowls were too racy. Officials told him the woods, despite being regulation size and weight, were the wrong colour.

Mr Taylor has challenged the decision in the High Court and is taking the Irish Bowling Association before a judge in Belfast on Tuesday.

Last night, Mr Taylor was unrepentant: "The balls are exactly the same as the more traditional black ones except that they are yellow. The rules says that the balls used can be black, brown or any other colour unless specifically stated otherwise prior to a tournament. It wasn't my opponent who complained. I believe it was some older member of his club. Nearly everyone who has seen me playing with the yellow balls think they are brilliant... we have to move into the modern age."

No comment was available yesterday from the Irish Bowling Association.