Polmaise Bowling Club

Fallin's story begins with coal. In the 1890s, the Polmaise estate owned by the Murray family revealed rich coal seams, prompting the Alloa Coal Company to purchase the land and sink two collieries by 1902. A mining village sprang up as workers and their families arrived, with the coal industry providing homes, a new school built in 1907 to educate 200 children, and even a church erected in 1908.

As the village took shape around the pit, one thing it lacked was a local pub – miners seeking a drink had to trek three miles into Stirling on foot or by horse-drawn cart. This changed on 4 November 1910 with the opening of The Gothenburg (fondly nicknamed "The Goth"), a public house established under the enlightened Gothenburg system.

Under this system – imported from Sweden – only a 5% dividend went to shareholders, while at least 95% of pub profits were reinvested into the community. The Gothenburg system's focus on temperance and community welfare fit well in this tight-knit mining village, providing much-needed facilities and funding everything from street lighting to social clubs.

In late 1910, as Fallin's miners enjoyed their new pub, community leaders began planning a recreational outlet that would offer healthy, sociable competition. The founding committee of the Fallin Public House Society included several avid lawn bowlers, so it's perhaps no surprise that the very first project financed by The Goth's profits was the construction of a bowling green adjacent to the pub.

In early 1911, a public meeting of villagers – with backing from the pub and the colliery owners – decided to establish a bowling club. According to club lore, the organizers even debated whether to build a swimming pond or a bowling green, ultimately choosing the bowling club as the village's new sporting facility.

The club's first committee was composed largely of local miners, with Major Murray of Polmaise (the local laird) and Mr. Jackson Russell of the colliery company serving as Honorary Presidents. Leading the club was its first President, Mr. D. Todd (a miner), alongside Vice-President J. Barr, Secretary D. Blythe, and Treasurer A. Kerr.

The grand opening of the bowling green took place in June 1911 and was a festive affair for the whole village. A "Sale of Work" and gala day were organized on 3 June 1911 to celebrate the opening, raising additional funds and marking the club's birth with due ceremony.

A few weeks later, on Wednesday 12 July 1911, Polmaise Bowling Club hosted its first-ever match. Five rinks from the nearby Spittalmyre Bowling Club visited Fallin for a friendly inaugural game on the new green. Polmaise's novices were defeated in that maiden encounter, but by all accounts the match was played in great spirit.

From its earliest years, Polmaise Bowling Club became a focal point of community life in Fallin. Membership grew quickly among the miners; although the club began with only around 30 members, they were a dedicated group who practiced diligently on their well-tended green.

Polmaise's bowlers wasted no time making a name for themselves. By 1914 – just three years after founding – the club had captured its first trophy, winning a tournament in emphatic fashion by 101 shots to 61. Over the following decade, Polmaise bowlers shocked larger clubs by winning nearly every Stirlingshire cup they contested.

In 1935, Polmaise achieved a notable milestone by winning the prestigious MacIntosh Trophy outright – earning permanent ownership of the cup after a nail-biting victory over Bridge of Allan Bowling Club.

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 brought new challenges to Polmaise Bowling Club. Competitive bowling was curtailed during the war, with club records showing no official activity in 1939, and several members left to serve in the armed forces.

Nevertheless, those who remained kept the spirit of the club alive. In 1942, an extraordinary club championship final saw John Gwynne Snr. face his own son on the Polmaise green – a father-versus-son showdown for the title. The senior Gwynne, then in his 60s, managed to defeat his son, claiming his last club championship.

When the Polmaise Colliery closed in 1987, marking the end of an era for the mining village, Polmaise Bowling Club emerged as even more vital in the post-mining era, carrying forward the village's heritage and providing a positive gathering place in changing times.

For much of its history, Polmaise's "clubhouse" was modest – often the members relied on The Goth for meeting space. By the 1990s, however, the need for a modern clubhouse was apparent.

The club marked its centenary in 2011 with extensive celebrations, honoring 100 years of bowling in Fallin. The occasion was both a reunion of generations of members and a recommitment to the club's future.

In recent years, Polmaise has launched new initiatives to secure the next hundred years, notably by focusing on youth development. The club's volunteers have partnered with Fallin Primary School to introduce children to bowls through free coaching sessions, even setting up indoor carpet bowling at the community centre in winter.