Winter League
The Annual General Meeting of the Winter League on Wednesday heard that Thorpe Green had withdrawn their green as one of the six host greens to stage a nine-team division for the 2023-24 season. The League's Management Committee had already met to discuss a format of the divisions ready to be presented to the AGM for club approval. With this change it was explained to the meeting that a replacement host green would be required or an alternative format of the divisions agreed.
The working assumption is that an alternative host green will be identified in the next 4 weeks to take over the Division 3 fixture programme. It remains to be seen if that will provide an exact replacement with fixtures being played on a Monday or if it has to be changed to another day of the week.
The tabled format (copy below) was considered and supported by the teams who were also giving outline details of what the fallback format (Plan B) would look like but this was not discussed in detail with the sole emphasis being on finding an alternative sixth host green.
With a League of 52 teams the structure of the League will be four 9-team divisions and two divisions of 8 teams. The four 9-team divisions will have an 18-week season playing each other team twice and having two bye weeks. The two 8-team divisions will have a 14-week season playing every week over that period. All the promotion or relegation matters from last season will be honoured.
The full format of the 6 divisions is below in detail but a short summary is also provided here for each division.
Division 1 (9 teams at Milnsbridge BC on Wednesdays)
With the addition of two new teams from New Mill into Divisions 4 and 6 the New Millers will change their name to New Mill A.
Lowerhouses A and Lindley BC B are promoted from Division 2.
Golcar Lib are a new team to the League and on the basis of the playing record and list of bowlers to be registered have been added as the 9th team to this division.
Division 2 (9 teams at Springwood on Wednesdays)
Lindley Lib A and Lindley BC A are relegated from Division 1
Brockholes A and Huddersfield Recreation Club A are promoted from Division 3
Cowcliffe A are a new team to the League and on the basis of the playing record and list of bowlers to be registered have been added as the 9th team to this division.
Division 3 (8 teams at a green and day of the week to be determined)
Rastrick A are relegated from Division 2 but have withdrawn from the League
Rastrick B will lose the B tag as there is now only one Rastrick team in the League
Jackson Bridge have been relegated from Division 2 but will have problems raising a team to play on a Monday (the preferred day for Division 3 fixtures). Coupled with the known loss of bowlers the League have placed them in Division 5 to play at Netherton Con on Thursdays.
Lindley Lib B and Milnsbridge C are promoted from Division 4.
Hanging Heaton and Marsh United are new teams to the League and on the basis of the playing records and list of bowlers to be registered have been added to this division.
Division 4 (9 teams at Lindley Lib on a Monday)
Almondbury BC A and Springwood B are relegated from Division 3
Thorpe Green C and Milnsbridge C are promoted from Division 5
Name change as Marsh Lib become Lindley Lib C
New Mill B are a new team to the League and on the basis of the playing record and list of bowlers to be registered have been added as the 9th team to this division.
Division 5 (9 teams at Netherton Con on a Thursday)
Paddock I&C and Huddersfield Recreation Club B relegated from Division 4
Jackson Bridge relegated from Division 2 due to special circumstances
Slaithwaite and Outlane are new teams to the League and on the basis of the playing record and list of bowlers to be registered have been added to this division.
Division 6 (8 teams at Lockwood Park Rugby Club on a Thursday)
Golcar C&BC and Huddersfield RUBC relegated from Division 5
All the remaining 6 new teams have been added to this division
Below is the complete make up of the 6 divisions in the League with the working assumption that a 6th host green will come forward to take over the hosting of Division 3 matches previously provided by Thorpe Green. This format was accepted by teams at the AGM last Wednesday. Should there be a need to change this format at all before the start of the season then teams will be invited to meet and discuss and vote on their preferred format for the 2023-24 season.
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