In defence of the BCGBA

Bowling News

I've been critical in these pages about the lack of guidance or even a timetable for guidance coming from the BCGBA over the past 10 days since the release of the Road Map. Maybe it is not all down to them.

A posting on a bowling discussion board includes a statement from someone called Mike Holden who says that he is making an 'Official' statement about the release of BCGBA guidance. I don't know Mike Holden so I've asked him in what capacity he is making 'Official' statements and await a response.

A Google search shows that a Mike Holden is the County Secretary for Greater Manchester CCGBA so there may be reason to take heed of the posting. If it is 'Official' then why it appears on a public discussion board rather than the BCGBA website takes some working out.

If the posting is correct then it indicates that Sport England and the BCGBA are still waiting for formal guidance from the Cabinet Office before they can start to adapt it to fit bowling needs. Very strange that this comes through an online discussion forum rather than the National Governing Bodies themselves but in the absence of any formal indication of what is happening inevitably people will stand up and fill that vacuum with their own interpretation of things. That posting was made yesterday and is below:

Update on guidance for return to play Official

We have today received an update from Sport England on the easing of restrictions on organised grassroot outdoor sports in England, scheduled to resume on March 29th. They are still waiting for the overarching guidance from the Cabinet Office and the sport specific guidance that is likely to be released ahead of 29th March. Unfortunately, they do not expect a more specific sport/activity related guidance to be released for a couple of weeks.

In the interim period, all social distancing rules should remain with the rule of 6 and/or the two family group guidelines to be followed, as was documented in the government’s guidelines.

Whilst we appreciate that this may not be ideal, please be assured that we will signpost any relevant government information and guidance as soon we receive it.

So I don't know what credibility to give to this information. The silence from the BCGBA just adds to the uncertainty and the lack of communications is typical of them. At the end of the day we may be a little wiser as to why there is a delay but nothing about when we can expect the guidance on when and how we can reopen our greens and return to bowling. We need clarity and leadership, not this confusion.