Winter League AGM

Winter League

This Friday is the Annual General Meeting of the Huddersfield Winter League as matters of the 2024-25 season are wound up and plans shared for the upcoming 2025-26 and 6th season of the Winter League.

All teams are invited to be represented at this meeting and the agenda and papers have been circulated to the nominated representatives. Only teams that have paid their 2025-26 League Fees are entitled to vote at the meeting. Teams are reminded that each team has one vote on any matter to be voted upon.

Team members with a view on any of these matters are invited to share them with their team representatives prior to the meeting.

All the agenda and papers are included below as the League continues to be totally transparent in all its business.

Please note that all the League Officials and members of the Management Committee are putting themselves forward for re-election for the 2025-26 season. Any further nominations for any of the roles can be proposed at the meeting.

Please note that in addition, each of the Host Clubs has one representative on the League's Management Committee as selected by those host clubs.

The end-of-season Balance Sheet shows a 12-month turnover of less than £2,000 leaving a balance of £838 to carry forward to 2025-26.

The League tries not to introduce a range of rules to govern League business but some are required to ensure that the spirit of the League is maintained. This year the Management Committee are proposing to delete three existing rules, introduce two new ones and amend one other.

HUDDERSFIELD WINTER LEAGUE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2025

PROPOSED RULE CHANGES

All rule changes listed below are proposed by the Management Committee

a) Match Play Rule 3  Except with the permission of the Management Committee a bowler for a club in a Winter League team must have played at least one match for that club in the previous Summer League season unless they have just become age-qualified to play in the Winter League. The only exception to this is a single guest bowler allowed under Match Play Rule 4

The proposal being to delete this rule.

b) Match Play Rule 4  A maximum of one guest bowler who has joined a Winter League Club from another Winter League club or from a club that does not have a team in the Winter League will be allowed to play in any one match. More than one such bowler can be registered by a club.All bowlers including guest bowlers, must be members of the club they represent. All participating clubs must be registered with the BCGBA. Clubs must identify their guest bowlers when submitting information for registration purposes so that all guest bowlers can be identified on BowlsNet. 

The proposal being to delete this rule and replace with All bowlers must be members of the club they represent and all participating clubs must be registered with the BCGBA’.  c) General Rule 15 

A host green team cannot be relegated from the division it plays in unless it opts to do so. In addition any team can elect not to be promoted but all its players will begin their games on minus 2 points in the following season. Should they again win promotion the following season then the handicap will be doubled to minus 4 points in each game and doubled each subsequent season.

The proposal being to delete this rule d) General Rule 14  Proposed rule amendment (changes marked in red)

The League to consist of the number of Divisions determined by the Management Committee. The number and make-up of teams in each division to be determined by the Management Committee. In the event of a points tie the season’s ‘Aggregate For’ scores will determine the outcome. In the event of teams still being level then the ‘Aggregate Difference’ (i.e. ‘Aggregate For’ minus ‘Aggregate Against’) will determine the positions. 

e) New Match Play Rule 14  New rule proposed In the event of any bowler not being available to bowl by 12noon on matchdays (or one hour after the appointed start time of the fixture) then the opposing team can be granted the points for that game with a 21-0 score to be recorded to the team score but no score to be recorded towards the winning bowlers Average scores. This is Guidance Only for the benefit of teams but it is hoped that such matters can be managed amicably between the teams rather than resorting to hard and fast rules.