About the EBA
	The English Bowling Association The English Bowling Association governs the game of flat green outdoor bowls for men in England. There are thirty five affiliated Counties, to which a total of 2,700 clubs are in membership nationwide. Approximately 132,000 players come under the jurisdiction of this Association.
	The origins of the game are veiled in the mists of antiquity. A game of some kind was probably played in the Stone Age, but for evidence of something similar to the present, one would have to go to the 13th and 14th century. Manuscripts from this period depict a game in which two players deliver one bowl each towards a conical marker. Bowls was considered to be an undesirable game for a long time, as it distracted men from archery. It was outlawed to commoners by various acts of parliament, which remained on the statute book until 1845. However noblemen continued to play the game, with Sir Francis Drake's game on Plymouth Hoe being the most famous historical reference, and both William Shakespeare and Samuel Pepys mentioning the game in their writings. The Scottish were responsible for the introduction of the modern game, with the laying of truly flat greens, often using sea washed turf, and the formulation of a code of laws in 1849. The English Bowling Association was established in 1903 by Dr W G Grace, the famous cricketer, with membership confined to individual clubs. By 1906 there were 90 affiliated clubs and this number continued to grow steadily. The first County Association was formed in 1904, and by 1921 there were fifteen such Associations. At this point a new Constitution was adopted, with the County Associations directly affiliated, and this remains the position to this day. The development of competitive bowls and the introduction of commercial sponsorship has taken place since 1970. More recently the game has become popular on television, and this, in turn, has resulted in increased participation. The administration moved during 1987 from Bournemouth to a new purpose built headquarters in Worthing.