As the excitement around Birmingham 2022 slowly subsides, an unsung Angus hero of the Commonwealth Games is finally getting time to reflect on his role in a history-making Team Scotland achievement.
Courier country stars such as Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir rightly took the limelight for their part in the nation’s stellar performance.
But Scotland’s para bowlers enjoyed a goldrush of their own on the Victoria Park greens of Leamington Spa.
And the guiding hand of former Angus policeman Bob Christie as head coach helped the Scots to a clean sweep of titles in every discipline they contested.
It’s the highlight of a bowling career which has also seen the ex-bobbie represent his country.
Last minute drama
But Brechin-based Bob’s Birmingham build-up couldn’t have been more fraught after he caught Covid on the eve of the Games.
The 62-year-old spent 30 years on the beat in Angus.
He’s been heavily involved in the administrative side of the game for many years.
In 2010 he was elected onto the board of Bowls Scotland as director of development.
And since 2019 Bob has been the nation’s para bowls co-ordinator.
“When I was about eight or nine growing up in Newtyle myself and a group of pals went onto the bowling green and we were chased off!” he said.
“That put me off until 1987 when I took up the game and I was hooked.”
Other highlights include captaining Britain’s police team to a win against an Australian team as well as the home international matches.
All have been eclipsed by these latest achievements.
Dominant Scots display
Garry Brown and Kevin Wallace started the ball rolling with glory in the B6-B8 men’s pairs.
Rosemary Lenton and Pauline Wilson matched the feat in the women’s competition.
And Team Scotland were on cloud nine when Robert Barr and Melanie Innes with directors George Miller and Sarah Jane Ewing triumphed in the B2/B3 mixed pairs.
“The whole build up was a lot of hard work for everyone with the disruption of the pandemic to training schedules and so on,” said Bob.
“Then I took Covid prior to going down and missed the first day, but I was just glad to be able to get there,” he said.
Having also led the outfit as head coach at Gold Coast 2018, he said realistic sights were set for Birmingham.
“You want to get through the round robin sections, and then in the knockout stages and the medal matches you’ve given yourself a chance,” he said.
“But you never know how things will go.
“My job is to encourage the players in everything from staying hydrated to trying to encourage them if a couple of bowls don’t go their way.
“I think ahead of it I would have said a couple of medals would have been great.
“It’s the first time we’ve had the three disciplines, which was great to see on the programme.
“So to come out with three golds was just exceptional – beyond belief and it leaves you chuffed to bits.”
Aiming for bowls’ bounce in wake of Birmingham
He’s hopeful the Scots’ success will bring more players into the para game.
“There are lots of avenues and we’d just encourage folk to get in touch with us and maybe we can get them along to a taster session.”
And he was thrilled with the pioneering development of para and able-bodied athletes competing at the same time in Birmingham.
“Within the bowls community the mainstream and para players encouraged each other and it was a great atmosphere,” said Bob.
“It was an honour to be part of the whole Team Scotland set-up and enjoy such a great ethos – and so much success.
“This was different to Gold Coast because there were a couple of different athletes’ villages rather than thousands being together.
“I think it was better and we were in a village with the likes of boxing and judo.
“So it was great to see their success too, but across the whole of Team Scotland the whole 200-plus athletes encouraged each other.
“Birmingham had a great atmosphere – I went into the city and it was just buzzing, it was fantastic.”
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