Fond memories for Marshall

There was Usain’s ‘Lightning Bolt’. There was the Mo Farah ‘Mobot’. And there was the Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall ... well, let’s just call it THAT gesture.

Two choreographed iconic celebrations anyone could have predicted for Glasgow 2014, and one that was spur of the moment.

Marshall will make his sixth Commonwealth Games appearance in Australia, looking to add to his collection of four gold medals.

The bowler partnered Paul Foster to win the pairs title at Kelvingrove. His stunning two shots to beat England in the semi-finals, and his own reaction to them, have lived long in the memory.

“After the Commonwealth Games I was going along in the open-deck bus and people were shouting out and asking if I was the guy who did the ‘Tattie Marshall’,” said Marshall, who also won four golds in Glasgow.

“To be in the same boat as Usain Bolt and Mo Farah ... there was a picture of three people doing their actions and I was at the back of the two of them. It was massive for me to be in the same picture.

“It was doing the rounds on social media, and to be tagged with those two guys was amazing for me. The publicity was tremendous and it was a great feeling, walking about the streets.

“Glasgow was the best Commonwealth Games I’ve ever been involved with, given the home support we had, especially after getting off to a great start. We just went from strength to strength,” he said.

“Some people thought it was a gesture targeted at someone. A comment came from the crowd, but it wasn’t targeted at anyone. It was a build-up of emotion and you’ve got to release the pressure at some point.

“To play two bowls as I did within a few inches to win the match and put us into a gold medal play-off, why shouldn’t I celebrate? It was more a celebration than anything else.

“It wasn’t against English people. The truth is, when we play England in the home internationals we get on better with them than we do the Welsh and Irish. We mix with each other all the time.

“It was the worst hand in the whole green, so to play two bowls like that to get through to the final was amazing.

“People think bowls is a boring game, but it’s like a football player scoring the winner four minutes into injury time. These things don’t happen every day. That was something that happens every five, 10, 20 years.”

Marshall believes he is wellplaced to add to his impressive Commonwealth Games tally.

“I still feel I’m good enough and playing some of the best bowls of my career at this moment,” he said.

“I’m a competitive person, and as long as I still have this competitive spirit within me I will keep playing.

“I’m a better bowler now than going into my first Commonwealth Games, at Kuala Lumpur in 1996.”

Picture: Craig Watson. Alex Marshall will make his sixth Commonwealth Games appearance in Australia.