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League numbers down 10%

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The early signs from local leagues are that the number of teams for the 2021 season is 10% lower than they were from the last season that records are available. The unknown impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to materialise and it isn't looking good at all.


Our listing of 16 local leagues below records the number of teams for the last 8 years and compares the 2021 league numbers against the last known years recorded on Bowlsnet. With 5 leagues 2021 fixtures now on Bowlsnet we can see a 10% reduction in the number of teams to date. Those 5 leagues have lost a total of 26 teams between them and they now have a total number of 236 teams as opposed to a previous last recorded total of 262.


The Mirfield League losing 7 teams which have withdrawn as compared against the 2019 total with the biggest loser to date being the Huddersfield Ladies League who have lost 10 of their 2020 total of 60 teams which is a 16.7% loss. The ladies leagues being the worst hit with the Ladies Works League also having a 17.6% reduction. Add to those the Veterans League (-5.2%), Mirfield League (-9.5%) and the Heavy Woollen Parks League (-12.5%) and the picture begins to look very black indeed.


We will keep updating this table as the leagues continue to issue their 2021 fixture programmes but a decline that has been apparent for a number of years now seems to be in freefall with the pandemic seemingly the cause of the acceleration. Currently we are only seeing a reduction in the number of teams but how long will it be before we begin to see a reduction in the number of clubs?


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Martin Holt
Martin Holt
Apr 06, 2021

PS the Bradford league is mixed.

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Martin Holt
Martin Holt
Apr 06, 2021

Slightly further afield the Bradford Sat league looks like a 25% drop in teams for this year. In 2019 there was 72 teams 2021 looks like 54. That could mean anywhere between 144 & 180 less players each round of fixtures.

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paw4647
paw4647
Apr 06, 2021

All leagues which have notified the number of teams are all showing a reduction. This gives no optimism for the remaining leagues to even have the same number of teams. I’ll be interested in the number for the top league, the Huddersfield League, which had a significant reduction of 20 % in the last 4 years.


Perhaps, even without the effects of Covid, we shouldn’t be surprised at the reduction in the number of teams as crown green bowls has been declining year on year for some time.

Most Clubs find it difficult to attract new bowlers with the main source being friends of bowlers and people coming up to retirement age. Hence we are basically attracting the older populati…

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