Good news for Division 10 teams

Winter League

Some good news was shared with the Division 10 teams at their weekly matchday programme at Lindley Lib on Monday. The Division 10 season was scheduled to run for only 7-weeks with the 8 teams playing each other once on the Lindley Lib green on Mondays ending on 8 December. This offer was to retain interest in teams which had applied to join the League after the original closing date but the offer only applied to the half-way point of the full season.

However an offer from Netherton Con to host the second half of the season 7 fixtures has been agreed and presented to the 8 teams in the League. It is hoped that the majority of the teams will accept the offer to extend their playing season until 15 February. Teams have been asked to confer within their own clubs before confirming or not their continuing involvement by no later than next Monday 24 November. After that date other teams will be invited to join the League for the rest of the current season. It is hoped to attract a new host green for the 2026-27 season to support the Division 10 teams in situ at the end of the current full season..

There are side benefits for teams in agreeing to extend their season:

• Two promotion places will come into play so the top two teams at the end of the 2025-26 season will be promoted to Division 9 (or maybe even higher)

• Division 10 bowlers will be allowed to enter the Winter Cup and Pairs KO competitions

• Teams will not be asked to pay the annual £15 League fee this season

The original invitation to Division 10 teams offered to allow them to use bowlers for the first half of the season who could then revert to playing for any other of their club teams in the League after Christmas. That change is still permitted but teams could also continue to play bowlers that have played the first half of the season in Division 10 if they wish to do so.

Club bowlers that have already played for any team in any other Division will not be allowed to play for a Division 10 team after Christmas. But Division 10 bowlers will be able to revert to play for any other team.

After Christmas bowlers can only play for one team in the League. New bowlers can be registered to play for any team at any stage of the season as long as they comply with the criteria of being aged 60 or over.

As this offer deviates from the original invitation it is recognised that this offer may not be able to be taken up by all the teams. Should any of the 8 member teams not be able to field a team in the League after Christmas then a replacement team will be sought to fulfil the remaining 7 fixtures of that team.

The League is indebted to Netherton Cons for offering to fill the 7-week gap to allow the Division 10 teams to complete their season. We may even be looking at a model for the future where host greens provide League bowling on more than one day a week. Certainly looking at the pristine state of the Milnsbridge green where they have been supporting two days a week bowling for two different leagues for three years indicates that proper green management and Winter bowling can co-exist together.

This is really good news for the Division 10 teams who have enjoyed the hospitality and facilities of the Lindley Lib club and enjoyed the social aspects of Winter League bowling. To invite them to become full and permanent members of the League extends the League's reputation of doing things differently, which is becoming a trademark of the League.