One year ago he was standing on the top step of the rostrum with his Men’s Fours team mates, Glasgow 2014 Gold medal round his neck, listening to ‘Flower of Scotland’ ring out around Kelvingrove. Now, David Peacock has announced he is retiring from major international championship competition for Scotland.

The 45 year old from Danderhall in Midlothian had always planned to retire after Glasgow 2014, his fourth consecutive Games. But having performed so wellat Kelvingrove he had spent much of the past year agonising over whether to extend his career for one last Games at the Gold Coast in 2018. In the end it came down to the balancing of family life and a full time job.

“To win the gold medal in Glasgow was the pinnacle of my career, but I just couldn’t see myself fully committing to the High Performance programme and continuing for another four years to the Gold Coast,” said Peacock, who played Lead in the men’s Triples and Fours in Glasgow.

“But now I’ve have made the decision I feel as if a little bit of weight has been lifted off my shoulders, because whether to keep playing or not has never left my mind for the last year.”

A fantastic team player, David credits much of the men’s team success in Glasgow to the fact that Darren Burnett, Paul Foster, Alex Marshall, Neil Speirs and himself were such a close knit bunch both on and off the greens, a factor that made the decision to retire all the harder.

“What I will miss most is being involved with the guys,” said Peacock. “We have all had amazing experiences together, had plenty of laughs and jokes, and getting on so well as a unit was a big part of our success.

“The banter is a big part, and a big benefit, of bowls in Scotland and I will miss the camaraderie greatly.”

While today brings to an end a dazzling championship career which included becoming the first man to win three consecutive world titles in any Lawn Bowls discipline with Triples victories in 2004, 2008 and 2012, the Danderhall Bowling Club member still wants to compete for Scotland in the Home Internationals.

“Looking back on my career I feel pretty proud to win four World Championship Gold medals and a Commonwealth Gold,” he said.

“And I feel honoured to have played with and against the very best players in the world.

“Thank you to my family for the support they have given me during the 20 or so years I have played at the top level, the sportscotland institute of sport and the management and coaches from the elite squad.

“I’ve also been lucky to be supported by my work, McGregor Signs in Dalkeith, over the last 28 years.

“But most of all thanks to the players who have helped me in many different ways with my success over the years.

“I started with Willie Wood in 2004 winning the world Triples and I ended up with Alex Marshall, Paul Foster and the rest of the boys in Glasgow. It was a good way to finish.”

Photo Credit: Jeff Holmes