£1 Bowler Levy scam update

Bowling News

Earlier this week I posted a report on letters that had been sent out to clubs asking them to forward fees due to cover a £1 bowler levy for every bowler in their club. The letter came from the Treasurer at Yorkshire CCGBA stating that he couldn't access the club records on the BCGBA membership system, Just Go. It went on to ask each club to submit the relevant sum to cover the bowlers in each club.

I tried to set up a BACS transfer using the details contained within the letter which stated that this is a Business Account. NatWest didn't like my attempt to register this account and warned me in writing that they had refused the access as they suspected it was a scam which 'could signal associated criminal activity'.

Since then a number of clubs have contacted me about their experiences in trying to sort out this mess. One club told me that they had contacted the YCCGBA Treasurer to tell him that they had tried to set up a BACS transfer using the details contained within the YCCGBA letter and got the same response that I got. This time it was the Nationwide Building Society refusing them connection rights as this could be a scam as the account details did not match the details provided by the YCCGBA.

Three other clubs told me that the bank account details provided by YCCGBA were identical to the ones used for the past 3 years for the receipt of all YCCGBA annual payments. This is in fact not a business account but a personal bank account in the name of an official of the Yorkshire CCGBA. That is the reason that NatWest and Nationwide BS have refused to accept payment instructions, as they are not consistent with the information provided by the YCCGBA.

Another two clubs have told me that they have tried to set up a BACS transfer but failed, so are submitting cheques instead.

I do not understand why the YCCGBA are providing false information to clubs about this account. The letter says that it is a business account but it is in the name of an individual. However they haven't offered the name of the account holder. Why not, when it is a requirement of any bank to match the account number with the name of the account holder before approving the transfer of any funds.

I also don't understand why the Yorkshire CCGBA cannot find the bowler numbers information on JustGo which is the BCGBA system and three clubs have told me that their information is up to date and visible to them so why can't Yorkshire CCGBA see these records? Yorkshire CCGBA have greater access rights to this system than any club has. I believe that they can see this information but can't be bothered to collate it for each club in Huddersfield. But that is why the BCGBA are paying them 5% of the total sum received. It is in their interests to submit a true total rather than ask clubs to make up a number and pay £1 for each one when some clubs will undoubtedly not declare all their bowlers.

What an absolute shambles! Not only is this exercise 6-months behind its own deadline when they could have done this in exactly the same manner 6 months ago. If it isn't going to be policed, it makes me wonder what other shortcuts they are taking in financial matters and using personal bank accounts is a long way from good financial practice and the standards that clubs would expect from a senior body within the bowling structure.

Can I ask clubs how many of you are using personal bank accounts to manage your club's financial business? Would you expect Yorkshire CCGBA, which is holding funds of over £200.000, to use personal banking accounts at all?