Protestors cry foul at turkey bowling

James Ducker

November 03, 2003

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ICE hockey bosses were forced to rethink plans to stage the country's first turkey bowling event at the M.E.N. Arena - after falling foul of animal rights protesters.

The original plan had been to get two fans to compete for the title of UK Great Turkey Bowling Champion during the final interval of Manchester Phoenix's game with Cardiff yesterday.

It would have involved bowling frozen turkeys down the ice at skittles.

But when animal rights campaigners saw an article in the M.E.N. publicising the event, they complained to the Phoenix and threatened to demonstrate outside if the "show" went ahead.

Charity

As a result, Phoenix managing director, Neil Morris, decided to use plastic turkeys instead.

He said: "The event was never intended to upset anyone, just be a bit of fun.

"In the event, it was still a success and the two turkeys we were going to use are now to be donated, as we had always planned, to the charity Lifecare."

Turkey bowling is popular in minor league ice hockey in North America and Canada.

The idea to hold the event in Manchester was the brainchild of journalist Jason Curran, who has been sent by the Canadian government to examine ice hockey in Britain. M.E.N. deputy sports editor Chris Brierley took part.

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Phil Heap, Crossacres (03/11/2003 at 20:07)

What a sad bunch these animal rights protesters are. The damn birds were dead so they could come to no harm. Yet again political correctness gone mad.

bill, longsight (04/11/2003 at 11:40)

The birds may be dead but just think what live turkeys would think if they saw their best friends rolling down the ice.
Instead of that maybe we should get thugs and vandals on the ice and let them batter each other with hockey sticks, now that would be worth the entry money!!!

mike, appleton (04/11/2003 at 11:59)

I think the veggies just felt left out. Maybe there should have been a separate event using specially weighted loaves of bread.
Then, you could have a cross-code tournament - the turkeys against the bread-heads.
The possibilities are endless.

Ray, Stockport (04/11/2003 at 13:32)

Another example of the depths to which this namby-pamby country of ours has plumbed. But no surprise to those of us who played rugby and football in those dear, long-departed days when men were men, when the ball - whether round, oval or of indeterminate shape - was made of leather, encapsulating a bladder inflated by a bicycle pump, and laced up. Today's equivalents are mere beach balls by comparison. Now the time-honoured sport of turkey bowling has stooped to the use of frozen birds. Where is the skill in that? No self-respecting fowl would be seen dead taking centre stage in such a travesty. Real turkey bowling demands a newly-plucked fowl, stuffed with a freshly-prepared sage and onion mix and a full pound of thick pork sausages. Small wonder the animal rights people are up in arms. More power to their elbows!

Pete, Manchester (05/11/2003 at 15:40)

Bill - it's called ice hockey. You can watch a low quality version at the Arena every week.

Calvin Brathwaite, Barbados (01/12/2005 at 05:27)

With reference to turkey-bowling;..has the world gone mad?
This has little or nothing to do with animal rights.'''The turkeys are dead.
However, it DOES have a lot to do with human compassion and moral concern for others less fortunate than ourselves.
In a world where millions of people die of starvation every day,is it morally right to waste such vitally nutritional food by bowling it down a bowling alley and then disposing of it?
Does the arguement that the frozen turkeys are rendered inedible during the bowling process, make any sense to you?
Why not donate the frozen turkeys to needy families & charitable organizations worldwide?
It's your turn to do something about this terrible situation, if you care about your fellow human beings.

Angela, Sheffield (01/12/2005 at 20:11)

Can those of you who think this 'turkey bowling' is fun explain what it is about it that would be different if they were using say....er....um....cabbages, for example. I'd be really interested to know.

Amanda, Warrington (04/02/2006 at 21:51)

To the carnivoires among you, is is not enough that they die to feed your ever increasing waistlines? Must you also take a life for mere fun? Animal Rights are not over reacting, just sickened by your sense of amusement.

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