But he does confess to being proud of the achievement he will reach today when he steps on to the greens at Bendigo East to take on Castlemaine in the Bendigo Bowls Division.

Today’s game will be Clough’s 400th division one match for East.

The 75-year-old will be the third player at East to reach the 400-game division one milestone behind Mal Boyd and Barry Edwards.

“You don’t aim for milestones like this. I love playing pennant bowls,” Clough said yesterday.

“I’m not one for records, but I’m proud of the 400 games.”

During his earlier years, Clough played football at Eaglehawk – where he coached for two years – and cricket for California Gully.

However, in 1980 he took up lawn bowls at Bendigo East and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I lived over the road in Lansell Street and they used to play social night bowls at the club,” Clough said.

“I could hear the bowls clicking together and thought, ‘I could take that up’.

“I was about 43 at the time, so I came over and had a look and that started the journey.”

Clough started in what was the C division and worked his way up.

In his first five years he played in five grand finals for three premierships.

Clough started in the top division at Bendigo East in 1985 and has been a regular since, with his total games for the club somewhere around 500.

Throughout his career Clough – who has only ever missed two games – has been fortunate to play in eight top division premierships for East.

“I’ve been very fortunate. There’s an old saying that if you can’t bowl, get in a team with somebody who can,” Clough said.

But the modest Clough certainly can bowl. He’s won five club championships and is a multiple Bendigo bowls champion of champions winner.

While he is now into his mid-70s, Clough has no plans to give the game away in the near future.

“I’m humbled that I’ve got this far, so as long as the health keeps up, I’ll keep going until they decide that I’m too old and out I’ll go,” said Clough.

“And that needs to happen at some stage. There’s younger players at the club who need to be given an opportunity.”