Richard Fearn and Jackie Freeman (club members) were playing and skipping at their local Boulet facility in Macher during March 2010 while discussing Richard´s lack of success trying to persuade the Town Council to assist him build a municipal full length bowling green. Jackie mentioned that she and husband Keith played Short Mat Bowls in the UK and this might be much easier to set up on the island. Motivated with thanks to Jackie, the conception of Short Mat Bowls was formed in Richard’s mind.
Informing the other Boulet players present, Richard decided there and then that he would go ahead, source and purchase the appropriate equipment in order to have it delivered to Lanzarote by the time he and his wife, May Fearn, were due to return in October 2010.
Present at the time on hearing the announcement, Cliff & Ivy Tollady offered to pay a subscription to the new club there and then and another resident offered to take delivery of the equipment for Richard prior to his return to the island. Richard also approached Dario Monzo the manager of the Club de Tennis Match Point facilities receiving full support for his idea.
Good as his word, Richard successfully obtained the necessary equipment which arrived on time for Richard and May’s return in the third week of October 2010.
There was only room for one mat at Match Point, but Short Mat Bowling was born where today Mat 3 and Mat 4 are located.
With nowhere to store the equipment, Richard used his truck to take the mat and the rest of the equipment back and forth from his garage on a Tuesday and Thursday until soon after, thankfully, Dario found some storage space.
A successful campaign based on advertising in the local Gazette together with an open day and a month’s free bowling offer followed. To further promote Short Mat Bowling a second Mat was used at Playa Park Apartments one evening a week and also later in 2011 at a bar in Playa Honda as well as an evening session at the Tias Sociadad.
Such was the early interest that before long it was time to form a small Committee to manage the new club. On the 5th February 2011, the first AGM was held with 23 members attending, heralding the Christening of Lanzarote Short Mat Bowls Club.
Richard Fearn become the first President alongside his Vice President Roger Reay and ably backed up by Brian Steadman and Paul & Shirley Saunders.
The formation of LSMBC without doubt has been the catalyst that has introduced so many like-minded members to the sport and in turn helped to form long-lasting friendships and acquaintances on the island. A truly wonderful achievement, the rest is history.

The Committee January 2024.