A new partnership between a leading local physiotherapy clinic and one of the town’s most popular sports clubs is set to help bowlers of all ages stay active and in the game for longer.
Hartlepool & District Bowls Club, a fixture at the Mill House site for decades, continues to attract hundreds of bowlers and non-bowlers every week.
Now the club has teamed up with Ian ‘Buster’ Gallagher’s First Team Physiotherapy to provide members with accessible professional guidance. The partnership aims to boost physical mobility and mental wellbeing.
Ian ‘Buster’ Gallagher from First Team Physiotherapy with Carl Higgins, vice chairman and director of Hartlepool & District Bowls Club. Pictures: Rephrase
The agreement will see First Team Physiotherapy host regular clinic sessions within the club itself. Members will be offered discounted treatment slots and expert advice on injury prevention from physio Liz Harvey.
Buster spent 25 years just next door as a player and head physiotherapist for Hartlepool United. He admits that stepping inside the venue was an eye-opener.
He said: “I was introduced to Hartlepool & District Bowls Club a few months ago by a patient who I was treating. When you come inside you realise it is genuinely the town’s best-kept secret.
“Everyone knows about the bowls club, but I now understand the importance of having such a facility in the town, and I wanted to get involved.
“You have the competitive nature of sport and the importance of moving, but there is also the social side of things at a club this size, which is hugely impressive.
“You can come along, have breakfast, lunch and tea, and that can be massive. Physically, someone might not be able to play strenuous sport anymore, but they can come here, socialise with friends and stay active. It’s the next best thing.”
Ian ‘Buster’ Gallagher from First Team Physiotherapy with Carl Higgins, vice chairman and director of Hartlepool & District Bowls Club. Pictures: Rephrase
Buster is eager to use his own sports injury expertise alongside Liz’s fantastic knowledge to extend the playing careers of the club’s members.
He added: “I have been really excited about getting started with this service to help prolong the longevity of the members. It is a win-win for First Team Physio and the Hartlepool Bowls Club.
“The goal is to get members in the best possible shape they can be – pain-free – so age doesn’t come into it. The way I am feeling at the moment, I am tempted to play bowls myself, and I’d love to think we can get more younger players here too.”
The initiative has been welcomed by the club’s leadership as a way to add even more value to their membership.
Carl Higgins, Vice Chairman and Director of Hartlepool & District Bowls Club, said: “With more than 400 members, we are the beating heart of the town.
“It is more than just a bowls club because it is a massive social lifeline. Some of these people live on their own and, if they didn’t have this, many would give up.
“Our legendary chairman, Dave Kilner – a former England player – leads by example. We have two men playing as we speak today aged 93 and 95, and they are fit as a fiddle.
“This partnership can help us grow. I want players to play longer, and this is another option for our members. Our youngest member is 12 and our oldest is nearly 96.
“We would love to help promote younger players to come down too – people forget the fitness aspect, but these bowls players will walk miles every day when they come to play here.”
Ian ‘Buster’ Gallagher from First Team Physiotherapy with Carl Higgins, vice chairman and director of Hartlepool & District Bowls Club. Pictures: Rephrase
For members like 69-year-old Kevin McElhone, the club has already been a revelation.
“I have been here for seven years, but I wish I had found it years ago – I wish I found it when I was in my 20s,” said Kevin.
“It is so much more than a bowls club. We have a restaurant, a bar and the bowls … the social side is huge. I have friends next to me who come just for the craic with the lads. It’s a fantastic place.”
First Team Physiotherapy will offer a designated clinic day at the club where members can book in for treatment before or after they play. This ensures injuries are managed and players can remain on the green for years to come.
To book an appointment call 07921335026.
The goal is to get members in the best possible shape they can be – pain-free – so age doesn’t come into it.”
-Ian 'Buster' Gallagher, First Team Physiotherapy
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