Mel Evans' vision has given bowls a lift

But the greatest achievement of Chadsmoor Progressive's Mel Evans may have come last month when he helped return crown green bowls to terrestrial television screens.

ITV4 screened the men's and women's Waterloo Championship finals – the bowling equivalent of the FA Cup final.

It marked the first time in more than a quarter of a century that the competition had featured on terrestrial TV.

Evans, who is the British Crown Green Bowls Association's commercial officer, was a major driving force behind the broadcasts.

And he was also one of the public faces of the shows, forming part of the commentary team which covered the final two days of the event.

Evans said: "At the beginning of the year I was appointed BCGBA commercial officer and one of the first things I wanted to do was to try to get the sport back on terrestrial TV.

"The Waterloo Finals is the most famous competition on the calendar, but it hadn't been on TV for 26 years.

"I approached ITV a few months ago, showed them the stadium (at the tournament venue, the Blackpool Waterloo Hotel Bowling Green), and they were impressed and keen to do something.

"They said they were happy to televise last two days live on ITV4, which amounted to about 14 hours of live coverage as well as a highlights programme. It was a tremendous opportunity."

The cost of the broadcast was quoted at around £50,000 – and the plan received a massive boost when Co-operative Funeral Care came on board as sponsor.

Evans said: "For a company to put that amount of money into the sport was tremendous and it caused a real buzz around the game when people found out it would be on terrestrial TV again."

He joined an experienced commentary and presenting team which included former Waterloo Cup winner Andrew Cairns, ITV presenter Rishi Persad, David Corkhill and six-time record ladies' Waterloo winner Lynn Pritchatt.

With a major opportunity to draw in new fans and players, coverage was given a modern twist.

Evans said: "ITV were very much saying' how would you like the sport to be covered?' so we had a players' tunnel and walk-on music. We jazzed it up a little bit which was something new."

Whether it was down to the presentation, or the drama that took place on the green, the show proved to be a big hit and exceeded expected viewing figures.

Evans said: "At the initial talks with the producer, I asked them what their target audience figures would be and they said it would be between 30-50,000.

"They were staggered when 235,000 tuned in across the two days and Granada did a piece on the regional news which got about 400,000."

The event was also streamed live on-line internationally, with a further 12,000 people following the action via that format.

Evans added: "It is the biggest thing to happen to crown green bowls for a long time and hopefully it will attract more people to the sport.

"It already has done so at my club. Since it has been on TV we have had 10 new people on the green after watching it on the box.

"I have heard other clubs saying similar things and I came back to 324 emails and text messages after the shows.

"It was from people saying how good it was and saying 'I want to enter next year' or asking: 'How do I get tickets to come and watch? Hopefully it will give the sport a renaissance.

"We need new players coming into the sport. A lot of people say we need young players, which we do, but it is also attractive to people who have been competitive in other sports previously.

"People who have played football, rugby or cricket who still want to compete, but maybe their knees won't hold up any more, for example. We want to attract people like that as well."

Evans is keen to see the broadcasts repeated next year and is set for talks with both Co-op and ITV next month to discuss the matter.

He's also overseen the signing of a new sponsorship deal with Cherish Protect Insurance Agency, which will see the winner's prize money in the women's Waterloo final doubled from £1,500 to £3,000.

He added: "Both parties seem keen to do it again."

Whatever the outcome of those talks, Evans can look back proudly on an achievement which he puts on a par with receiving his MBE.

He said: "It was special being the only man to get an MBE for crown green bowls, but I told people at the time that it wasn't just for me.

"I wanted to use it to promote the sport and I said that from the off, while talking to Prince Charles. I said that I wanted to get it back on terrestrial TV and get more people playing it.

"That is what I have tried to do and it has definitely helped to open quite a few doors. The two (achievements) are inter-related.

"The one has created quite a few opportunities and I will continue to promote the sport."