Winter League
The Winter League's Management Committee were scheduled to meet last Monday (6 January) but the snow put an end to that. That meeting has been rearranged for next Monday (13 January) with a 10.00am start time at Primrose Hill Liberal Club. The primary purpose of this meeting is to sort out the confusion created by the introduction of a new League rule last August.
At the Winter League's 2024 Annual General Meeting the Management Committee put forward a new rule for members to consider adopting for the 2024-25 season and the AGM supported the proposal after discussion. However it hasn't worked out as expected for a number of reasons. The rule under scrutiny is General Rule No.15.
This is the new General Rule 15 A host green team cannot be relegated from the division it plays in unless it opts to do so. In addition any team can elect not to be promoted but all its players will begin their games on minus 2 points in the following season. Should they again win promotion the following season then the handicap will be doubled to minus 4 points in each game and doubled each subsequent season.
Why hasn't it worked? The spirit of this new rule was mainly to support host green clubs in ensuring that their bowlers were available to provide hosting services rather than being committed to bowling in another division on the same day. The wording currently allows bids from non-hosting teams to be considered which may or not be the purpose of this rule. It is not clear enough. This lack of clarity may be as a result of two initial new rule changes being captured in one actual new rule.
We are aware that some teams are looking to avoid promotion for a wide range of reasons including that they like the food options at their current green. We cannot run a League on who does the best bacon sandwiches! Promotion is something to be revered not dismissed as an hindrance to a good lunch menu.
We are now concerned that we may end up with multiple refusals to be promoted. The new rule doesn't actually included a proviso of what happens if a team declines promotion. Should the third-placed team then get that stairway up or should it mean that only two team get relegated from the higher Division? What if the substitute promoted team also decline promotion does it get passed down the line? We are in danger of making higher divisions full of teams not capable of holding their own at this new level.This makes a mockery of all the match results so hard-earned over the winter months.
The inadequate wording in the rule allows an added interpretation. Does the option to avoid relegation apply to all of a host green's teams or just the one operating on the host's own green on matchdays? Some hosting clubs have a preference for their bowlers to bowl on another green during the week so they are available full-time on their hosting matchdays. Should a relegation take those bowlers to a division where matchdays clash with their own clubs days should they be allowed to refuse promotion?
We have also to decide if a team at the top of the table but declining promotion should be awarded the trophy associated with winning the division's title?
What are we going to do about it?
The rule in its current form is clearly not fit for purpose and needs reviewing. The League Officials have considered this problem and will be looking to add clarity to the wording at the 2025 AGM. We do not believe it would be right to change a rule mid-season.
Therefore a proposal of how to manage the situation in the interim will be put before a meeting of the Management Committee on Monday 13 January and hopefully a solution to manage the situation this season will be put in place. The proposed solution has already been circulated to Management Committee members prior to the 13 January meeting.
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Currently it is all a bit of a mess of our own making and it needs to be sorted out before teams reach the end of the season when all such matters become more important and hopefully the Management Committee will agree on a way forward. You will of course learn of the outcome of that meeting here shortly after that meeting date.
I for one opposed this rule at the meeting before the league started, I knew it wouldn't work. It would be a good idea if all the teams in question, agreed to get promoted or relegated at the end of the season. Its not only a headache for the committee, but could throw the whole league into chaos. Don't put a team in if you're not prepared to move up or down. Just my opinion.