Tier 4 would mean Stay At Home - no bowling

Winter League

The threat of West Yorkshire moving into Tier 4 from Boxing Day looms which would be devastating to our Winter League programme. The current guidance indicates that the main Tier 4 message is 'Stay At Home'. This would effectively immediately halt our fixture programme.

Just to stress that currently Kirklees remains in Tier 3 which permits organised outdoor sports but the Government has indicated that there will be new Tier 4 restrictions introduced in some areas from Boxing Day and that could include Kirklees.

In preparation for any such move we have looked at the rules for Tier 4 areas which includes the current Tier 4 extracts to be adhered to.

Stay At Home if you live in a Tier 4 area, you must follow the rules. This means that you cannot leave or be outside of the place you are living unless you have a reasonable excuse. You cannot meet other people indoors, including over the Christmas and New Year period, unless you live with them, or they are part of your support bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. These rules will not be relaxed for Christmas for Tier 4 – you cannot form a Christmas bubble in Tier 4.

Sports and physical activity

Indoor gyms and sports facilities will close. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges, riding centres and playgrounds can remain open for individual exercise, and for people to use with others within your household, support bubble, or with one person from another household. Organised outdoor sport for under 18s and disabled people will be allowed.

I have contacted Yorkshire CCGBA for confirmation of the guidance so that we are prepared to respond accordingly should we get the news of any move to a Tier 4 status over the holiday period but bowlers should prepare for the worst possible news. Formal guidance is promised from them within 48 hours, informal guidance available now indicates that they read the rules similarly and no competitive bowling would be allowed.

Whether that guidance would bring a premature end to our inaugural season remains to be seen but you can be assured that we will not succumb without making every effort to complete the fixture programme.