Bowls punishment 'didn't fit crime'
Calverhall were today celebrating a dramatic conclusion to the 'Great Shropshire Bowling Controversy' - with British officials ruling the punishment didn't fit the crime. Calverhall were today celebrating a dramatic conclusion to the 'Great Shropshire Bowling Controversy' - with British officials ruling the punishment didn't fit the crime. The 12-month suspension from all competitive action given to Calverhall chairman Alan Ratcliffe by county chiefs has been overturned by the British Crown Green Bowling Association - while the club's £250 fine has been reduced to just £25. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
The 12-month suspension from all competitive action given to Calverhall chairman Alan Ratcliffe by county chiefs has been overturned by the British Crown Green Bowling Association - while the club's £250 fine has been reduced to just £25.
Shropshire Crown Green Bowling Association handed out the sentence after Calverhall ran an open doubles competition on the day Shropshire defeated Yorkshire to become national champions and lift the Crosfield Cup.
Under SCGBA by-laws, no open competition can be staged without permission from the county association - and Calverhall were refused it more than once.
The event was run in conjunction with the village's annual fun day - and a BCGBA appeals panel yesterday found the punishments to be "excessive" at a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at Winnington Park in Northwich.
"I'm very relieved because bowling has been a big part of my life since I moved to Calverhall in 2002," said Ratcliffe, who headed straight to Manchester after the appeal to celebrate the 101st birthday of his mother Hilda.
"My first reaction when the punishments were given was that they were rather high-handed and I think commonsense has prevailed now.
"The support I have received has been incredible."
It means Ratcliffe is eligible to play throughout 2010, while the threat of a suspension to Calverhall - which would have been triggered had the north Shropshire club breached the rules again - has been lifted.
But Ratcliffe also believes someone should pay the price in Shropshire, calling for the resignation of a leading official who was part of the decision-making in giving the initial punishment.
"I think somebody should accept they are not doing the right thing," he added.
SCGBA chairman Barry Jennings insisted he accepted the ruling of the British body.
"As a county, we have been proved right that Calverhall have breached the rules and we abide by the decision of the governing body," he said.
"We made the judgement we made on the belief that Calverhall had broken SCGBA by-laws.
'That has not changed and has been proven."
By JAMES GARRISON
