A BOWLING Club which is celebrating its 80th anniversary faces closure due to a lack of players.

Bulmers Bowling Club, who play in the Herefordshire Bowls League Division Two, are holding an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) this Monday when the future of the club will be decided.

Several players have recently left the team due to illness, retirement or moved away from the area.

Fixtures secretary Bryan Robinson fears that it could be the end of the club who currently struggle to get a team of 16 players together.

"It looks like it could be the end of Bulmers Bowling Club," said Robinson.

"It's a shame but it's due to a lack of enthusiasm from new people as nobody seems to want to play bowls.

"The old saying is that it's an old man's game but it's one of the most sociable games.

"We have lacked numbers for a couple of years so we want to gee up people to join as we don't want to close the club.

"We have got all the facilities and the biggest green in the county."

Robinson says that ideally the club would have 30 players to allow them to play in six rink matches requiring 24 players, allowing for absentees.

Matches involving four rinks require 16 players, which the club is struggling to meet.

Robinson, 73, started playing bowls in 2010 following a stoke and now plays across the country for Herefordshire.

He added: "I have found bowls to be one of the most sociable games ever after previously taking part in football, cricket and golf.

"After I had a stroke in 2009 I was sat at home doing nothing when my brother said come and play bowls.

"I put my nose up at it first but gave it a go and now wish I had started when I was younger.

"You make new friends every year by playing different clubs and it's nice to play at other greens."

Club nights at Bulmers Bowling Club are held every Monday from 6pm at the King's Acre Bowling Green, which was formerly part of Bulmers Sports & Social Club, off Bredon Drive in Hereford.

For more information contact Bryan Robinson on 01432 639306.