Bowls: McNabs make a clean sweep at the Dean

The McNab family of George and his three sons Andy, and twins Kevin and George, have cleaned up at Dean Bowls Club this season by capturing the four major titles between them.

Successes in the Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours are all national qualifying events and represent a fantastic, and probably unique, achievement in what is thought to be a first in for the Dean club in its 111 years.

And the family clean-sweep also coincides with George Snr being the reigning club president.

Andy McNab said: “It is a competitive environment here at Dean so we are all thrilled to bits.”

Winning four national qualifying events in the same season does bring its headaches however as the Scottish Rules only allow players to compete for one title, so tough decisions lie ahead although Kevin, as club champion, is expected to go for the Singles.

The 42-year-old won the Championship title for a fifth time when he beat Charlie Skellett but, previous to that, he had won an epic 21-19 battle against Andy in the semi-finals.

Andy, 39, is also a champion of the Dean five times and title compensation came for him in the Pairs where he played lead to Kevin and captured that crown with a battling win over Kenny Liddle and Bob Cranston in the final.

The Fours brought the whole family unit together with the line up of George Jnr, 42, George Snr 71, Andy, and Kevin (skip) reaching the final and scoring a comfortable victory over Bob Clayton.

The Triples was the last of the four disciplines to be decided so there was an extra edge to it but George Snr was extremely proud to watch his sons cope with the added pressure to beat Charlie Urquhart, Jim Wallace and Bob Clayton in the final.

The McNab brothers were aged around 15 and 16 when they followed their dad into membership of the Dean and, in trying to explain their sporting and winning mentality, perhaps there is something special in the air at Fettes College.

“My dad is retired now but was the joiner/cabinet maker at Fettes while Kevin is presently the head groundsman there, and George Jnr his assistant,” explained Andy.

“But I spoil the theory a bit as I am a postie, and don’t deliver to Fettes,” he added.