5 New teams for 2026-27 season

Winter League

We don't start the 2025-26 Winter League season until October when a new Division 9 will be in action at the new host green at Paddock I&C. That extension to the League came about after 9 new teams applied to join the League for the new season. But already we have a further 5 new team applications for the 2026-27 season which is over a year away. The demand for Winter bowling is insatiable and seems to be never-ending.

Five new teams came forward after the closing date for new team applications for the 2025-26 season and they are now on the waiting list for next year. Those five teams are Skel Windmill, New Mill D, Brockholes D, Outlane B and Lindley Lib D.

You will notice that 4 of these 5 teams are from clubs that have had teams in the League for a number of years. This is a trend that we are well aware of. We already know that once bowlers have tasted the irresistible cocktail that comes with bowling during the winter months, then the demand increases for more team places so that bowlers can bowl more frequently. This, in turn, sees existing clubs adding more teams to the League structure.

We are already formulating plans for the 2026-27 season when we estimate that the demand could be for up to 16 new teams which equates to two new divisions with eight teams in each. The only thing that can halt the expansion of the League is getting enough host greens to satisfy the demand. That means we will probably need a further two new host clubs to meet the expected demand for the 2026-27 season.

Any club that might be interested in learning more about hosting matches during the winter months from October 2026 onwards is invited to get in touch now and learn about all the benefits associated with becoming a Winter League host club. We have host clubs that are earning between £2,500 to £4,000 for a 14-week season, excluding bar sales. There are sound well well-proven financial benefits from becoming a host club but there are more benefits to add as well.

If you would like to learn more about the opportunities and benefits of becoming a host club, then please contact the League Secretary, Jeff Jacklin, for a no-obligation introduction to the role of a host club. The same contact is the way to get your team added to the waiting list for the 2026-27 season.