So who are the voices behind the WRONG BIAS bowls podcast?
During November 2019 two lads from Sunderland decided it was time the sport moved into the 21st century. While his better half was watching an episode of The Great Pottery Through-Down local bowls correspondent and bowler of 40 years Richie Mckie pondered with the idea of starting a bowls podcast. To get it off the ground it needed a face and someone with equal enthusiasm about the sport; step forward England International David Bolt. Having known each other for many years it was a match made in a cheesecake factory and the podcast was born. The name came from fellow bowler Trevor Halcrow and so the Wrong Bias Podcast was off and running, its aim was to be informative but very informal, in fact its tagline was “just like two mates sitting having a pint.”
The first podcast featured the lads mate Ian Riches hence the “Rags to Riches” title and it was recorded in the changing rooms at the South Shields Indoor club and it was released on November 9th 2019. Within a week it had been listened to 252 times and the lad’s have not looked back since recently breaking 25,000 downloads.
In 2021 the lads decided to branch out into the World of Live Streaming as they thought the UK was again lagging well behind the rest of the World. The first live stream was a local county singles tie played at Usworth Bowing club in Sunderland. It was very well received and it gave the lads the appetite for more, a year later they were given the chance to stream some of the PBA Indoor qualifiers in there own relaxed style and the plaudits continued to be bestowed on them. The relaxed approach was something the sport in the UK needed and it has gone from strength to strength, they even streamed for the World Bowls in 2023.
Meet the two lads………
Born in Sunderland – David started bowling when he just ten. His first outdoor club was Barley Mow before moving to his current club Silksworth when he was sixteen. Indoors he had stints at City of Sunderland and Stanley before ending up at South Shields. On the green he has become the most successful bowler in the north east with titles galore plus an England internationalist both indoors and outdoors. A few of his outdoor successes are Bowls England national singles and fours title plus a bronze medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia
Born in Sunderland – Richie started bowling when he was sixteen years old, his first outdoor club was Barnes West End before moving to neighbours Barnes Park. In 2006 after getting married he moved to his present club Roker Marine. Indoors he played at City of Sunderland and now at Houghton. On the green he has had a decent career winning two indoor national titles and a British Isles title, outdoors several county titles plus two England trials and one Under 25 England appearance. Off the green he writes a weekly bowls report for the local paper the Sunderland Echo
We will be forever grateful to Jacqueline Henderson for all her support, a partnership made in heaven