CENTRAL LANCASHIRE MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE Affiliated to Central Lancashire & Pennines C G B A President Chairman Vice-Chairman Sec/Treasurer Match Secretary Eddie Melvin Allan Dewhurst Tom Belfield Ian Halliday Allen Buckley Ian Halliday 42 Oak Avenue Royton Oldham OL2 6TD Tel 07857 631813 11th April 2015 Dear Colleague, CONSTRUCTION OF THE LEAGUE – E DIVISION The Committee have asked me to write to you to advise you of a decision they have taken following further discussion of the League construction. Committee members concluded that the current five Division structure has been necessary due to there being a total of 41 teams signed up to play this season. No formula in which those 41 teams were divided into four Divisions would be workable, so in effect one team more than the ideal number is resulting in the need for a fifth Division, and with it an excessive but unavoidable number of open dates across most Divisions through the season. This fifth Division also has a financial impact. The £80 received in League fees from that one team is far outweighed by the £560 that is required to be paid out in prize money. Although this is partially offset by sponsorship at £200, the net impact on the League’s finances is a considerable £280. As a result, and in order to ensure that we do not arrive at the start of next season with a similar situation, the Committee has agreed to implement that, at the end of the 2015 season, the team finishing bottom of E Division will be relegated from the League and not included in the structure for 2016. This measure will not be implemented, however, if the Committee is otherwise advised of the resignation of another team from any Division. The benefits of forty teams being grouped into four Divisions are twofold: i) financial savings and potential redistribution of prize money, and ii) no open dates in any Division, with four more games for A Division and eight more for what would be B, C and D. The Committee appreciates that, for the club whose team finishes bottom of E Division this season, there may be a period of uncertainty as to whether or not they (and their players) will have a place in the League, while other teams confirm their intentions. To aim to alleviate this, it is our intention to i) request that clubs inform us by the October meeting if there is any likelihood of them withdrawing any teams, and ii) propose in the Notices of Motion that intentions to compete in 2016 are confirmed, and the 2016 League Fees paid, on the conclusion of the AGM in January. I hope that you will appreciate the reasons behind the Committee’s decision, which has only been taken after considerable thought and discussion. If you do, however, have any queries or representations you wish to make to the Committee about it, please contact either Allen Buckley or myself. Thank you for your continuing support and co-operation Yours sincerely IAN