Management Committee any other business

Winter League

This week we have reported on the decisions made at the League's Management Committee meeting on Wednesday. These covered the result of bids from 5 teams not to be promoted or relegated and then a series of proposed rule changes. Today we cover the other matters raised at that meeting.

Swapping Divisions and Greens

This was just suggested as a topic for discussion following some lobbying from teams in the League. It is right for the Management Committee to be aware of such movements and to make decisions on the validity of the suggestions and take them further if they wish.

This one suggested that a move to rotate the Divisions and Host Greens would freshen up the competition, dilute the advantage that some teams have from playing on one green for the last 5 years and set new challenges for those same bowlers.

A number of logistical difficulties were put forward including from host clubs with catering and admin teams being relocated to greens where they could not provide the services they have done over the years. A vote was taken and there was no support for taking the suggestion any further at this time.

Sponsorship of the Winter Cup and the Pairs KO competitions

Discussion turned to the reduced number of entries to the 2025 Winter Cup. This year there had been 124 entries as compared to 154 entries the previous season despite the League having an additional 10 teams this year and an extra division. The feeling being that a number of bowlers had not entered due to no prize money being presented to the winners. There had also been 81 entries (162 bowlers) to the Pairs KO in its first year of competition.

There was a suggestion that the host clubs could each contribute towards a prize fund which would be shared between the Winter Cup and the Pairs KO. The thinking being that the host clubs would benefit financially on catering and bar services from an increased number of entries. It was noted that with the Pairs KO now being played exclusively at Thorpe Green there would be no return on this outlay for the other 8 host clubs.

Members were concerned that with the incentive of prize money that bowlers in the lower divisions would be put off entering the competition. The 2025 list of entries had been the highest in some of the lowest divisions. A vote was taken on the principle of prize money being offered to these competition winners and there were no votes in favour of such a move.

Further work on attracting outside sponsorship would be undertaken as well as looking at the split of funding and prize money between the two competitions. An alternative to counter the feeling that some lower division bowlers would be put off entering either competitions could be offset by offering prize money for the winner of each division’s qualifying competition. Again more work is required on this before being brought back to the Management Committee for further consideration.

End-of-Season Parties

The Secretary reported that tickets sold for the two venues currently stood at 70 for the Netherton Cons event and 94 for Lindley Lib. News is expected soon on the entertainment booked for both events.

Winter Cup Finals Day

The Round of the Last 16 for the Winter Cup is Sunday 30 March at Netherton Con with Finals Day featuring the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Final will be held the following Sunday 6 April. Ray Tunnacliffe is booked to referee the ultimate stage and the scoreboards will be in use once again and it was also agreed to continue using the coloured armbands to assist spectators in following the matches.