IT was once one of our most popular pastimes, with tens of thousands competing on the manicured lawns of Scotland’s bowling greens.

The country may still be home to the sports world headquarters but now it is fighting for its future.

New research has revealed an alarming drop of almost 25% in memberships over the last two years, which has forced clubs to close and raised fears over whether the nation will be able to field a team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Clubs are blaming the haemorraging membership on retirement and death of its ageing membership as young people are put off by the sport’s traditional image of blazer-clad elderly players.

The study coincides with a new campaign aimed at breathing new life into the sport.

Some bowling clubs have warned that young people had been excluded and some clubs have scrapped their junior membership schemes.

“It’s definitely an image thing – people tend to think that lawn bowls is an old person’s game,” said Gavin Ansari, youth development coach of Lenzie Bowling Club in East Dunbartonshire, who blamed the sport’s problems on a lack of youth development. “We need to get more young people involved – they are the ones who can take the sport forward.”

Susan Cole, 74, ladies’ president of Raploch Bowling Club in Lanarkshire, said: “A complete change of image is needed for the sport, especially the uniform. It is definitely too old fashioned and if we want to attract young people that has to change. There are so many other sports for young people to take part in that we have to make lawn bowling appealing.”

The campaign, Get on the Green, is being backed by bowls manufacturer Taylor Bowls which compiled the survey of clubs in the west of Scotland.

Spokesman Grant Heron said: “Lawn bowls has developed a bit of an unfair reputation as being a sport for the older generation, but this simply isn’t the case. The sport provides for the most diverse group of competing athletes, coming from all age groups and backgrounds – our members range from three years old up to 93 years old.

“We’re hoping to encourage a raft of young athletes to continue the future of the sport.”

Since the Commonwealth Games started 70 years ago, Scotland has won 21 medals in this event – just behind Australia and New Zealand’s totals of 22 each and reached its peak in popularity in the late 1980s

Mr Heron added: “Lawn bowls is one of the sports Scotland has excelled in. But countries such as New Zealand, England and Australia also traditionally do well at winning Commonwealth Games medals in the sport.”

One bowling club affected is Elderslie Wallace in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, which is now closed three nights a week, due to lack of demand. Elderslie Wallace Club coach, Iain McMillan, said: “We haven’t seen a drop in membership, but we have seen a significant drop in people attending. Our club used to be full every night, but people just aren’t socialising the way they used to. Most sit at home and drink these days, they can’t afford to go out and enjoy themselves.”

Member Robert Robertson added: “The game needs more advertising, we need something that will get more young people involved. Too many people see it as an old man’s game. We have to let the community know what is available to them.”

History of lawn bowls in Scotland

• The first talks about forming a national governing body were held in Glasgow in 1848 involving 200 clubs. The meeting agreed the need for a common set of laws.
• In 1892, the Scottish Bowling Association came into being.
• Queen’s Park Bowling Club was to become known as the “mecca” of Scottish bowling holding national championships.
• In 1901, Dr WG Grace, the legendary English cricketer, was given permission to affiliate his newly-formed London Bowling Club to the SBA. Later, at Dr Grace’s suggestion, an international series involving the four home nations took place.
• The 1970s saw the prestigious Cockburn Trophy for triples competition introduced along with the Dewar Trophy for junior singles.
• The home of the modern game is still Scotland with the World Bowls centre in Edinburgh at Caledonia House,1 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle.