50 Redundant Huddersfield greens

Memories

It is the time of year when lots of bowling clubs hold their Annual General Meetings and the reality of the future of some of those clubs comes under increasing scrutiny. It is easy to assume that all will be right at the end of the day but if some people wont open their eyes they are going to miss the warning signs that threaten their club's existence.

It is also a time when lots of stories circulate about the financial situations of their clubs. I have heard a number of such stories such as Slaithwaite C&BC declaring on their Facebook pages to announce that they need £15,000 for a new boiler and failure to raise that amount could see the club closing down. They say....

Without a functioning boiler, the club’s ability to operate is at serious risk. Heating and hot water are essential for our facilities, and without them we cannot properly support the hundreds of members who rely on the club week in, week out.

Their words, their warning. There are more.

It is always worth looking back to dig up memories of some greens that you may have bowled at over the years. This list should act as a deterrent to today's bowlers of how easy it is to lose the very thing that enables our sport to thrive and survive. Club members have a responsibility to ensure that their club is well run, stable and prospering so that the next generation of bowlers has the basics available to them passed on by the bowlers of today.

How many of these greens have you bowled on and how many more are we going to add to this list in 2026?