Veterans League
The Veterans League 50% rule has made a mockery of the 6-Man League's only team knockout competition, the Julie Fuller Trophy. This rule prevents any 10-Man League Division 1 or 2 teams allowing any of their bowlers that have played 50% of the total teams fixtures for that season from playing in their lower division team or in the 6-Man League or KO competitions.
Both Semi-Final ties in the Julie Fuller Trophy were devalued by this ruling yesterday. Entirely due to this ruling Slaithwaite were unable to field a full team of six bowlers that met the 50% rule. Only fielding four bowlers led to the inevitable defeat as they went down 40-60 to Lockwood Con. That left a sour taste as the holders of the title were eliminated at the penultimate stage of the competition not through their bowling ability but through a technicality.
In the other tie, one of the teams fielded a bowler who has played 14 Division 1 matches this season which is more than 50% of the total 24 matches to be played. I don't think that the League is aware of this breach of their own rules, they are now.
Earlier in the season six clubs put a written request to the League for a Special General Meeting to be called to vote on deleting this rule from the League's rule book before it could impact on teams this season. The League refused to call that meeting, despite the rule book stating that they must, so the debacle that has materialised is entirely down to the League's Management Committee's mismanagement of the situation.
This all takes the focus away from what should have been an important day in the 6-Man League's competition calendar. The record books will show that Lockwood Con beat Slaithwaite 60-40 and that Clayton West beat Golcar C&BC 62-55 but that is only half the story but will it be the half that people remember?
Looking at the teams that have qualified for the Final will confirm that a number of bowlers that got their teams to the Final cannot now play in that Final - what a debacle!! Could the Final be 4-a-side to complete the farcical situation that was so avoidable? For a fine competition with a long and proud history of epic encounters this is a real low point.
I have said this before and I will say it again - any rule that stops bowlers bowling at a time when clubs are struggling to attract new bowlers is a stupid rule and needs abolishing before it does any more damage to our sport. This was a disaster waiting to happen - the clubs knew that and tried to address it but the Management Committee couldn't see it coming and that has resulted in this shameful and shambolic treatment of the 6-Man League teams and the competition sponsor.
Julie Fuller Trophy Semi-Finals Clayton West 62-55 Golcar C&BC Lockwood Con 60-40 Slaithwaite
The Final of Clayton West v Lockwood Con will be played at Hemplow on 12 August.
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All knew rule before season started but its another useless theoretical rod to beat the Hudds Vets Assoc with. Pathetic article YET AGAIN!!
The other side of the coin is a6 man div 1 team as 4 players who have played more than 14
games for a 10 man div 2 team still playing in the 6 man league guest capt
Qualification for the Julie Fuller Trophy is further complicated by the rule that requires 2 games to be played before the first round, this year the 9th of May. After this date (5 games in) it was impossible to qualify without special discretion of the competition secretary.
I can find no such ruling for the 10 man equivalent.
The article above states that "a number of bowlers that got their teams to the final cannot now play in that final". I can find no evidence of this, since Clayton West have used only 8 players & Lockwood 7 - all 15 players met the criterion above and are under the 50% threshold.
When all said and done though, you can…
Is it likely that the team who played an ineligible player be disqualified?
Bill
Will any the teams that are effected by this ruling propose and second a rule change at the next AGM? Has the time also finally come to have 1 set of rules covering both the 6 and 10 man leagues?