Bowling Structure Chart

Bowling News

Last week, when reviewing the challenge to the BCGBA by the three breakaway County bodies, I asked the question 'Who is in charge of Crown Green Bowling?' I then asked that question to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent, Gemini, without a lot of success. I promised to go away and try and produce a structure chart which shows where the BCGBA sits in relationship with many other bodies with an interest in bowling. This is what I found out and how I used that to produce a structure chart. At the top of that structure and the link with the Government and access to funding, sits Sport England so that is my starting point.

SPORT ENGLAND

Is an arms-length body of government responsible for growing and developing grassroots sports and getting more people active across England. It recognises and oversees over 200 National Governing Bodies (NGB) including eight that cover bowling. They being:

• Bowls England (Lawn Bowls)

• British Crown Green Bowling Association (BCGBA)

• British Isles Bowls Council

• British Isles Indoor Bowls Council

• English Bowling Federation

• English Indoor Bowling Association

• English Short Mat Bowling Association

• English Women's Bowling Federation

So that is pretty straightforward but below the BCGBA things become a lot more complex. I counted four organisations that are responsible directly to the BCGBA and they are:

• BCGBA Board (responsible for strategic decisions}

• Executive Committee (that handles the day-to-day tasks and various sub-committees focused on areas such as competitions, safeguarding, and development).

• Referees' Society As well as organising and providing all the Referees for the BCGBA Primary Competitions, the Referees Society is responsible for the ‘Laws of the Game.'

• Regions (five regions covering 1-North-West England, 2-Isle of Man, Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire, 3-Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Yorkshire, 4-East and Central Midlands, 5-Mid-West, South-West and South England)

Each of the five Regions has a prime representative who reports directly to the BCGB Board. The lead representative for Region 4 - Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Yorkshire is Steve Cochrane the Yorkshire CCGBA Chief Executive Officer (CEO). There are (I think) 11 Districts reporting to Yorkshire CCGBA and they are:

• Airedale & Wharfedale

• Bradford

• Castleford

• East Coast

• Halifax

• Huddersfield

• Leeds

• Skipton

• Harrogate

• Wakefield.

• West Riding

The Clubs and Leagues come under the Districts. These are supposedly to provide communication channels, up and down, with the County organisation as well as organising local competitions. Despite being involved in organising League affairs for over 13 years (6 years at Veterans League and 7 years with Winter League) I have never had any communication with the Huddersfield District over that time. Any information I do acquire from Yorkshire CCGBA usually comes through the Halifax District teams route, where communications are clearly much better.

There are also three other bodies that are linked with the BCGBA.

• The Bowling Development Association (BDA) The BDA is independent but has links to both the BCGBA and Bowls England.

• The National Advisory Council

  The National Advisory Council is an independent think tank from the wider bowling community and is the vehicle for the County Associations to discuss issues in the game and come together to advise either the Executive or the Board. The National Advisory council sits 5 times a year and can request any salaried officers to attend their meetings.

• Trustees The Association has 5 Trustees who are charged with administering the reserve funds of the BCGBA (Trustee Funds).