Forecast your Division 8 winners & losers

Winter League

Today we are resuming our pre-season look at each of the 10 Divisions in the Winter League with a look at Division 8 teams to see who the main title contenders are and which teams are going to be fighting off relegation into Division 9 next season. Then we allow you to pick your favourite teams to go up and down. Its all a bit of fun although I will be keeping records of all of your selections and publishing them at different times throughout the 2026-27 season.

Division 8 Preview

Let's start with looking at last year's final Division 8 table and the 2026-27 line-up.

The Pts Column shows the number of points won last season

Lockwood Con C finished the 2025-26 season in the second promotion place and as a host club took the option to decline promotion for which they incurred a minus 15-point penalty. As things developed, Lockwood Con withdrew from being a host club but the Management Committee decided that the decline promotion commitment should be honoured and the 15-point penalty withdrawn. This was mainly to minimise any further disruption in other divisions. So Lockwood Con C remain in Division 8 and with a second-place finish behind them will clearly be a strong contender for another promotion place finish even if they are no longer playing on their own green.

Three teams that played in Division 8 last season reappear there again this coming season. Mirfield B, Golcar C&BC and Broad Oak B were all well adrift of the promotion places although Golcar C&BC were carrying a minus 20-point penalty for declining promotion the previous season. That penalty was for one season only so if you add that in to last season's total they would have finished third and that makes them look a serious contender this year.

There are two Broad Oak teams in the Division 8 structure this season with the A team dropping down from Division 7 after a dismal season when they lost 13 of their 14 matches, drawing the other one, so were well short of Division 7 survival. It is difficult to make a case for them to figure in an immediate return to Division 7 and a mid-table slot may be the best they can hope for this season. That may also be the B team's outcome although derby matches can bring out the competitive element in any team where a win can sow the seeds of better times ahead. New Mill C also drop down a division after losing 10 of their 14 Division 7 fixtures last term and they will do well to avoid being engaged in a relegation fight again this term.

A first season in the League for the new Hemplow B team will be a big introduction with some new bowlers in the team to counter the home knowledge factor and they will do well to survive retaining their Division 8 status for another year. The biggest challenge for the promotion places may come from the two promoted teams, Kirkheaton C&BC C and Greenhead Park. The Kirkheaton team were the best team in Division 9 last year and could mount a real challenge for a second successive promotion and Greenhead Park may benefit more from a typical green rather than the unique Paddock platform

If there are sufficient entries in the forcasting game I will put them into a table with periodical publications on the HuddWeb website. You get 3 points if your top selection is top of the Division table: 1 point if they are in 2nd place. Same for your selected bottom of the table team: 3 points if your selection is in the bottom place and 1 point if they are 2nd to bottom. Just for fun this year but maybe we will attract some sponsorship to dish out some prizes next year. Up to you if you want to play.

In case you missed the previous entry forms you can still find them online along with the pre-season look at each team's chances. Follow these links. Division 9 Division 10

Coming Next: Division 7 Preview & Forecast Game

Entries are open until the day before the Division 8 opening round of fixtures are scheduled. Entries are only welcome from bowlers in the Winter League.

My two tips for the Division 8 title and to be relegated have already been entered using the form below.

So what are your top and bottom selections? ENTER NOW

Submit your best guess for both top and bottom and then Click on 'see previous responses' to see all the previous best guesses submitted so far.

If you hit any problems using this entry form then try this link direct to the online option