'Playing strengths' on agenda at Whitchurch Bowls League AGM
The numbers game will be the key talking point at tonight’s AGM of Shropshire’s biggest bowls league.
Fixtures in the top divisions of the SPS Whitchurch League have always been 12-a-side – but that could change at the annual meeting, being held virtually via the Zoom conferencing platform from 7.30pm.
Various proposals about playing strengths are due to be voted on, including one from reigning champions Adderley and another from Cheswardine that would introduce 10-a-side matches across the whole league as it recovers from two Covid hit years.
Numbers also count in a management proposal that would mean a change from the usual league tables based purely on aggregates to the top divisions playing for one point per individual game, plus two points from a home win on agg or three for an away win.
“This was tried successfully in 2021 for Division One, making matches more competitive,” said a league spokesperson. “Fixtures will not be out until mid March, once we know what teams are available and the make-up of the divisions for this year.
“We shall be reverting back to the format of the divisions at the start of 2020 when there were 87 teams – 14 in Divisions One and Two and 12 teams in Divisions Three to Seven, except for Division Five that had 11.”
Other potential rule changes to be discussed tonight include raising match fees, continuing to allow bowlers to play more than once in a fixture if a team is short of players and extending the deadline for clubs to withdraw teams by a month to March 14. The league, with county chairman Phil Scott at the helm and Juliette Swire as secretary, also needs to find a new competition secretary to replace Jamie Brookes.
