Winter League
As previously announced the Winter League has received bids from 5 teams to either decline promotion or avoid relegation and these were all heard at yesterday's Management Committee meeting and decisions made on them all.
Members had received copies of all 5 bids prior to the meeting with Denby Dale's bid to decline promotion being the first to be heard.
Members heard in detail the problems about fielding a team should the team be forced to be promoted and playing on a different day of the week to the one they have bowled on for the last 5 years in the Winter League.
The club runs teams in other winter competitions in the Barnsley area and have done for more years than they have competed in the Huddersfield Winter League. Should they be moved to Tuesday bowling they would be unable to field a team and would have to withdraw from the League.
The Management Committee also heard that Lowerhouses B who finished in 3rd place in the Division 2 table had been approached about being promoted to Division 2 instead of Denby Dale. They said that they were quite prepared to take on such a promotion.
After due deliberation the Management Committee voted 8-1 to support Denby Dale's bid and to promote Lowerhouses B instead. They also decided that Denby Dale would incur some sort of points penalty to compensate the other teams in Division 3 for next season. A number of options are to be investigated further primarily about Bowlsnet's ability to be able to manage any proposed penalties.
The next two bids were heard together. Broad Oak A had submitted a bid to avoid relegation after finishing in 7th place in the final Division 7 table . A change of playing date from Thursdays to Tuesdays would mean there would be team-raising problems and that they would have to withdraw from the League.
The second bid was then heard which came from Golcar C&BC who were the Division 8 Champions at the end of the 2024-25 season. Again the problem is around bowler availability and the threat it would bring to fulfilling fixtures.
The Management Committee considered the two bids at the same time as by approving both it would solve the problems of both teams. So Broad Oak A are not to be relegated and remain in Division 7 playing on Thursdays and Golcar C&BC will not be promoted and retain their Division 8 status playing at Lockwood Con on Tuesdays. Once again the team declining promotion - Golcar C&BC - will incur some form of points penalty to compensate the other teams in Division 8 and this will be agreed before the start of the 2025-26 season.
The two remaining bids were from host greens who had concerns about the impact of relegation would have on their ongoing provision of a catering service on their hosting days. Both rely on members of their two relegated teams as members of their catering teams.
The situation regarding Netherton Con B is clear. They finished last season in 7th place in the Division 6 table and would normally expect to be relegated to Division 7 who also play on the same Thursday as they currently play in. This would mean that their team members, which includes their catering team, would be unavailable every Thursday. The Management Committee supported this bid and instead Huddersfield Recreation Club B, who finished the season in 6th position are to be relegated instead.
The Huddersfield Recreation Club had been asked if their were any circumstances which would stop them bowling on a Thursday at Lockwood Park. There were no strong reasons offered to stop them continuing to bowl in the League should they be relegated.
The final bid came from Lockwood Con B who finished bottom of Division 7 last season and would normally expect to be relegated. However this team is comprised of most of the catering team that serves the Division 8 teams at Lockwood Con every Tuesday during the season. This would present problems in providing a full catering service as they have done during the first year in that role.
However there is a potential remedy to this problem should a new Division 9 be introduced next season and that they play on any date other than Tuesdays. The Lockwood Con C finished in 7th place in Division 8 and should a new Division 9 appear then this C team would be relegated into it. With Lockwood Con B then in Division 8 it would be possible for the teams to swap their team members around so that the catering team would be in the Division 9 team not playing on a Tuesday. Still with me? This solution is then within the scope of the Lockwood Con teams and no action is required on behalf of the League. However if a new Division 9 is not introduced then further action will be required to ensure that Lockwood Con can fulfil their obligations as a host club.
All the decisions listed above are all subject to one other factor. With the number of new teams joining the League next season unknown and no new host green yet identified or on what day of the week they would bowl things could still change further. This means that all the decisions taken above are subject to further change should the unknown changes impact on any of the decisions in principle adopted at this meeting. It is hoped that no such further changes will be necessary but one thing about the Winter League is that it is never boring or predictable.
So once again the League has juggled its structure to help teams overcome limitations forced on them. Some people will say that this smacks of the 'tail wagging the dog' and indeed it is. But the option would be to ridgedly stick to a two-up two-down rule. With the unique format of the Winter League of playing on four different days of the week this is always going to be a problem.
Teams winning promotion or being relegated will inevitably always cause problems with a day of the week playing change forced on teams. Sticking with a forced two-up two-down rule this year would have seen the League lose four teams unnecessarily whilst the steps taken have resolved all the problems with minimal impact on other teams in the League and preserving winter bowling for 16 more bowlers every week who wouldn't have that option under a forced relegation rule.
The League is very proud of being very different to any other Leagues and once again using that difference in a positive way to benefit bowlers and teams.
Further news on other decisons taken at the Management Committee meeting of Wednesday 5 March will appear here shortly. These include a number of proposed rule changes, a decision on the suggestion of rotating Divisions around different greens as well as the outcome of a discussion about introducing cash prizes for the individual Winter Cup and Pairs KO competitions.
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