Paul Foster (bowls)
Paul James Foster MBE (born 13 March 1973) is a bowls player who lives in Troon, Scotland. Foster is also a taxi proprietor. He plays at Troon Portland (Outdoor) & Ambassador Prestwick (Indoor) bowling clubs.[4]
Bowling career
Foster is the second most prolific winner of the World Indoor Championship singles title, behind six-times winner, pairs partner and close friend Alex Marshall. He has four wins from five final appearances (in 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2011), with his only defeat coming in the 2013 final to Stewart Anderson.
He has a record nine major WBT titles to his credit plus three Commonwealth Games Gold medals, two in pairs competition with his partner, Alex Marshall (in 2006 and 2014), and another in the fours event (in 2014 with Marshall too).[5] The pairing went on to win the World Indoor Pairs title in 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2012, they added the World Outdoor Pairs title, becoming the first players to win the indoor and outdoor pairs titles in the same year.[6]
In addition, Foster won the World Indoor Mixed Pairs title with Laura Thomas in 2013 and 2014 and the World Indoor Pairs title with Hugh Duff in 2002. In 2007, Foster was the first bowler to win back-to-back major WBT titles.[7] In 2009, Foster became the first bowler to win a sixth major WBT title in his career,[8] also becoming WBT world number one for the first time.[8]
Awards
He was inducted into the World Bowls Tour (WBT) Hall of Fame in 2008, as well as winning Players' Player of the Year and Performance of the Year at the inaugural World Bowls Tour Awards in 2008.[9] In 2010, Foster won WBT Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.[10] In 2012, he was again voted WBT Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year, also winning Shot of the Year[11] He won another three awards in 2013, which were for Fans' Player of the Year, Performance of the Year, and Shot of the Year.[12]
Foster was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to bowls.[13]
Honours
Year | Achievement |
---|---|
2014[14] | WBT International Open winner |
2014[15] | 2014 Commonwealth Games – Fours Gold |
2014[15] | 2014 Commonwealth Games – Pairs Gold |
2014 | 2014 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Mixed Pairs champion |
2013 | 2013 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Pairs champion |
2013 | 2013 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Mixed Pairs champion |
2012 | 2012 World Outdoor Bowls Championship – Pairs champion |
2012 | 2012 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Pairs champion |
2012[16] | WBT Scottish International Open winner |
2011 | 2011 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Pairs champion |
2011 | 2011 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Singles champion |
2011[17] | Premier League Bowls winner |
2009[8] | WBT Scottish International Open winner |
2009[17] | Premier League Bowls winner |
2008[17] | Premier League Bowls winner |
2007[18] | WBT Welsh International Open winner |
2007[19] | WBT International Open winner |
2007 | Bowls Scotland Scottish Outdoor Pairs winner |
2006 | 2006 Commonwealth Games – Pairs Gold |
2005 | 2005 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Singles champion |
2004 | Bowls Scotland Scottish Outdoor Singles winner |
2002 | 2002 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Pairs champion |
2001 | 2001 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Singles champion |
1999[20] | BIIBC British Isles Indoor Singles winner |
1998 | 1998 World Indoor Bowls Championship – Singles champion |
1998[21] | WIBC Indoor Singles champion |
1998[22] | SIBA Scottish Indoor Singles winner |
1997[22] | SIBA Scottish Indoor Junior Singles winner |
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Paul Foster profile". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- 1 2 "ATLANTIC BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS – Day 14 results". Bowls Scotland. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Scotland wins medals of every colour on week one of Atlantic Championships". Bowls Scotland. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- ↑ "Paul Foster Profile". World Bowls Tour.
- ↑ "Foster & Marshall guarantee record haul". Telegraph.
- ↑ "Foster and Marshall World Pairs Champions". Bowls Scotland. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ↑ "Paul Foster lands fifth bowls title". Telegraph. 12 November 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 "PAUL FOSTER SET TO DEFEND SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL OPEN TITLE at PERTH". Taylor Bowls. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ↑ "Paul Foster Biography". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ↑ "FOSTER FETED AT WORLD BOWLS TOUR AWARDS AT POTTER". Henselite. 12 February 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ↑ "FOSTER COLLECTS THREE AWARDS". Henselite. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ↑ "Plaudits at the World Bowls Tour 'Oscars'". Nationwide Bowler. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60728. p. 18. 31 December 2013.
- ↑ It was Battle of the MBE's WBT. 08-02-2014. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- 1 2 "Will Olympics be convinced to take on lawn bowls?". The Scotsman. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
- ↑ Foster Wins in Scotland WBT. 10-11-2012. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- 1 2 3 Foster wins Premier League for third time Premier League Bowls. 05-10-2011. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- ↑ Welsh International Open 2007 WBT. Retrieved 28-06-2015
- ↑ 2007 WBT International Open WBT. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- ↑ BIIBC Previous Winners BIIBC. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- ↑ WIBC PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS AND FINALISTS WIBC. Retrieved 28-06-2015.
- 1 2 SIBA Previous winners SIBA. Retrieved 28-06-2015.