Thank you to Lindley Lib

Winter League

It seems like an appropriate time to thank the Lindley Liberal Club for suggesting and supporting the idea of inviting 8 teams to stage an introductory 7-week mini-season to the Winter League.

This started out with four teams submitting applications to join the League after the 1 August deadline when we didn't have a host club and green to support a 10th division. Lindley Lib's idea of a mini-season became reality after a recruitment drive attracted four more new teams to join in the experiment.

That initiative was followed up by Netherton Con offering the Division 10 teams the option to play on their green for the second half of their season. So in effect, these teams will have played a full season and it will go down in the League's history as a full season of bowling for eight teams.

However three of those original eight teams were not expecting and were unable to fulfil a further seven fixtures. Not a problem, as three new teams emerged to pick up the playing records of the teams unable to complete the season, and the new Division 10 will continue to complete a full season of winter bowling.

The eight teams finishing the season will become full members of the League with promotion and relegation honoured as with all our Divisions. The three teams that had to withdraw at the halfway point are to be offered the first three places on the membership waiting list for the 2026-27 season when we expect to add a Division 11 to the League structure. That means we will need another two new host greens for next season. One for the current Division 10 and one for the new in 2026 Division 11. We are optimistic about attracting those two new host greens to meet the seemingly unending demand from bowlers to join the League and enjoy Winter bowling.

So on behalf of the League and the Division 10 teams thank you to Lindley Liberal Club for the idea and the support to implement the idea this season. We couldn't have done it without you.