The Bowl
Douglas, Isle Of Man, Isle Of Man
The Bowl, Douglas, Isle Of Man — opened Not confirmed, 4 rugby league games hosted, home of F.C. Isle of Man (football, current); no rugby league club has ever been based here.
Ground facts
| Opened | Not confirmed (Formally the King George V Bowl, on Peel Road, Douglas; no source gives an original construction date -- only a 2008-2011 redevelopment (approx. GBP 3.3m) ahead of the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games is well documented. Current capacity approx. 3,350-3,500 (sources vary slightly). Now primarily an association football ground, home to F.C. Isle of Man since 2020.) |
| Home club | F.C. Isle of Man (football, current); no rugby league club has ever been based here |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 4 |
| Top recorded crowd | 5,044 |
| Capacity | approx. 3,350-3,500 (post-2011 redevelopment) |
| Years used | 1985–1988 |
| Location | Douglas, Isle Of Man |
Name history
- The Bowl / King George V Bowl — unknown-present (sometimes referred to in this era by the sponsored name "Okells Bowl")
Rugby league history
The Bowl was, per Wikipedia, the most regularly used venue for the Rugby League Charity Shield (Great Britain) -- the sport's traditional pre-season fixture between the previous season's top trophy winners -- hosting it on four consecutive occasions: Wigan beat Hull Kingston Rovers 34-6 in 1985 (4,066), Halifax beat Castleford 9-8 in 1986 (3,276), Wigan beat Halifax 44-12 in 1987 (4,757), and Widnes beat Wigan 20-14 in 1988 (5,044, this ground's top crowd). All four matches and attendances are independently corroborated by Wikipedia's own Rugby League Charity Shield results table. After 1988 the Shield moved to mainland venues, ending the Isle of Man's four-year run as its host. No source explains why the Isle of Man was specifically chosen in this era.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
← Rugby League · Champions list · All-time records · Grand Final results · World Cup · All competitions · Teams · Players