John Charles Evans (born 24 March 1947 in Torquay) is an English former professional footballer and an international bowls player.[1]

John Evans
Personal information
Born (1947-03-24) 24 March 1947 (age 77)
Torquay, England
Sport
SportFootball
bowls
PositionWinger
ClubTorquay United
Torquay BC
Medal record
Representing England
Bowls
World Outdoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Johannesburg fours
Silver medal – second place 1976 Johannesburg team
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 1974 Christchurch pairs

Football career

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Evans began his footballing career as an apprentice with Torquay United, turning professional in April 1965.[2] He made six league appearances as a winger, scoring once, before leaving Plainmoor.[3] But his football career took second place to bowls.[4]

Bowls career

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He later became a regular member of the England bowls team, first capped in 1973,[5] then winning a silver medal in the 1974 British Commonwealth Games pairs competition with Peter Line.[6]

He won a bronze medal in the fours with Bill Irish, Tommy Armstrong and Peter Line at the 1976 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Johannesburg in addition to a silver medal in the team event (Leonard Cup).[7] He also won a silver in the pairs at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games.[8] He reached the quarter-finals of the World Indoor Bowls Championships singles competition in 1991 and won the national triples in 1994, while bowling for the Torquay bowls club.[9]

In April 2001 he played in a trial to return to the England team for the first time since the 1982–83 bowling season, and later that year qualified to play in the 2002 World Indoor Championships.[10]

Personal life

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He ran a bowls tour company which ceased trading in 2008.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "John Evans Profile". Bowls tawa. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. ^ Hugman, Barry J (1989). the PFA Premier & Football League Player's Records 1946-1998. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 1-85291-585-4.
  3. ^ "Torquay United : 1946/47–2006/07". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  4. ^ Woods, Jon (27 July 2000). "Bowls: Elder statesmen to lead the challenge". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  5. ^ Newby, Donald (1989). Bowls Yearbook. Telegraph Publications. ISBN 0-330-31093-3.
  6. ^ "Commonwealth Games Medallists - Bowls". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  7. ^ "World Bowls Champions". Burnside Bowling Club.
  8. ^ "COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS". GBR Athletics.
  9. ^ "Bowls". Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette. 5 September 1994. Retrieved 25 August 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ Dunwoodie, Gordon (8 January 2008). "Hurry vows to return to the world stage" (reprint). Evening News. Edinburgh: FindArticles. Retrieved 1 December 2009. [dead link]
  11. ^ "Bowls star files for bankruptcy". Herald Express. Torquay. 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2009.