How the 2024 Veterans League could/should look

Veterans League

Time to look ahead and take a look at what the make up of the 2024 Veterans League could look like. The League doesn't have a great recent record for being proactive in balancing out the 10-Man League divisions to avoid having blank weeks for teams or being fair to teams in the lower divisions. That approach hit a new low at the end of the 2022 season when it was widely known that one team that would have been relegated under a reorganisation at that time offered the League a continuation of a £400 sponsorship deal in return for not being relegated. That team didn't get relegated and the obviously needed shake-up of the divisions didn't go ahead and that £400 sponsorship was honoured (if that is a word you can use in this context). However, the Management Committee did make a written promise to conduct a rebalancing exercise of the five divisions at the end of the 2023 season.

That shake-up is long overdue and because of the self-inflicted delay has to be more wide-reaching than would otherwise have been required. However the League has stated that they will undertake a 'rebalancing exercise' to even out the divisions for the 2024 season. Time to take a look at what that could/should look like.

The number of teams in the League could vary depending on new applications or withdrawals and until this final number is known no further work can be undertaken on the actual composition of the divisions. Clubs have until the 2nd Monday in January (the 8th) to apply or withdraw teams for the 2024 season.

Another 2024 season deadline date that all Veterans' League clubs need to be aware of.is the last date for transferring bowlers from one club to another is the last day of March 2024. After that deadline, bowler transfers can only happen with the written approval of the Management Committee and you have to have a good reason for that to be considered. Bowlers new to the League can be registered at any time throughout the season.

There are three assumptions made in compiling this look ahead to the potential format of the 2024 season and they are:

1. The same 60 teams in the League at the end of the 2023 season remain in the League for the 2024 season and there are no new team applying to join.

2. The League goes ahead with its written promise to rebalance the divisions;

3. The League observes its own rules about relegation and promotion of teams

This could all change of course if there are any new teams admitted to the League or team(s) withdraw but assuming the three things above apply then this is how we expect things to be set up for the 2024 season. This will result in five divisions with 12 teams in each of those divisions. Everything is based on the final positions of every team in the League at the end of the 2023 season.