Sale and District Bowling League

League Recovery Programme

Estimates for how long activities like bowling may be suspended for range from a few weeks to a year or more. But there is still hope that we might be able to arrange something for this season. These notes set out some of the issues involved, and possible programmes.

As a night league (with several clubs not having lights) we are limited in how late in the year we can play matches. It gets difficult after the end of August, but I have taken 2 September as a latest feasible end to the season. The Pride of Sale team knock-out normally follows the league programme. As it is on neutral greens, we can make sure they have lights. Even so, the nights get colder from mid-September. The final has been played on a Saturday.

The season was originally planned around 15 league matches per team, spread over 18 weeks. This to be followed by three rounds of the knock-out competition on Wednesdays and one on Saturday. Two Wednesdays were reserved for the qualifying and final of the Merit. The Eric Dale pairs competition was scheduled for a Saturday during the season.

League programmes normally involve every team playing all the others twice. With 13 teams that would last 26 weeks. A “half-season” would last 13 weeks, giving each team 12 matches and one open date. We originally went for a compromise between these, to maximise the matches for each team.

Options for shortening the season include:

1. Playing a “half-season” where teams play the others only once. Some teams would have one more home matches than away; the others would have one more away match. There may be suspicions of injustice and some teams have to go the tricky greens and others don’t.
2. Restructuring the league into two or three divisions.
3. Dropping the team knock-out competition.
4. Dropping the Merit and/or Eric Dale. The latter doesn’t save any Wednesdays, but would make the season less congested. I have not formed an opinion on this.
5. Playing matches on another day as well as Wednesdays.

I don’t think we can go with no. 5. Teams and players have commitments on other days, and other leagues will also be trying to put something in place.

Table 1 shows what we could do starting at various dates. Table 2 shows how the league could be split into one (as now), two or three divisions.

Thirteen teams are awkward to sub-divide. For two divisions it would have to be 6 and 7 (I suggest the first division has 7). Both divisions would play a programme based on 8 teams, with open dates. This is to simplify the problem of synchronising the Bowling Green and Chorlton teams (in different divisions). It may also give us some flexibility for Nursery if the Premier league starts up.

Similar arguments apply to three divisions (one division of 5 and two of 4).

For splitting teams into divisions, I have used the order they finished last year. Urmston Mens are an unknown quantity: I have put them in the middle.

It turns out that there’s not much advantage in two divisions: the full season is about the length of a one-division half season, but with more open dates.

Finances

The BCGBA and Greater Manchester county seem determined that we should all pay fees to them in full. Apparently their costs are not reduced by cancelling events. I hope the league can be more considerate.

Cancelling events also reduces the payout in prizes. On the other hand, league prizes will have to be reviewed if we have more than one division.

Refunds would probably be in the form of rebates off 2021 fees.

Table 1 – Possible Programmes

Start date	Weeks available	League programme	Cup?	Merit?	E Dale?	Last league match
Wed 6 May	18	1 Div, as planned	N	N		Wed 2 Sep
Wed 13 May	17	1 Div, half	Y	Y		Wed 19 Aug
Wed 20 May	16	1 Div, half	Y	Y		Wed 19 Aug
Wed 27 May	15	1 Div, half	Y	N		Wed 19 Aug
Wed 3 Jun	14	1 Div, half	Y	N		Wed 26 Aug
Wed 10 Jun	13	1 Div, half	N	N		Wed 2 Sep
Wed 17 Jun	12	3 Divs, full	Y	N		Wed 19 Aug
Wed 24 Jun	11	3 Divs, full	Y	N		Wed 26 Aug
Wed 1 Jul	10	3 Divs, full	N	N		Wed 2 Sep
Wed 8 Jul	9	3 Divs, half	Y	Y		Wed 19 Aug
Wed 15 Jul	8	3 Divs, half	Y	Y		Wed 26 Aug
Wed 22 Jul	7	3 Divs, half	Y	N		Wed 26 Aug
Wed 29 Jul	6	3 Divs, half	N	N		Wed 26 Aug
Wed 5 Aug	5	3 Divs, half	N	N		Wed 2 Sep

Notes

1. For starts on 20 May or 22 July the Merit would have to be played in one evening (or also using a Saturday).
2. If we can’t start until after 5 August it’s probably not feasible to have a league programme, though we might be able to play a cup competition. In that case we could have a consolation competition to ensure every team gets at least two matches.

Table 2 – Division Composition

One division	Two divisions	Three divisions
Div 1	Div 1	Div 1
Beech House	Beech House	Beech House
Nursery	Nursery	Nursery
Sale Cons	Sale Cons	Sale Cons
Fallowfield	Fallowfield	Fallowfield
SW Manchester CC	SW Manchester CC	SW Manchester CC
Chorlton	Chorlton
Urmston Mens	Urmston Mens	Div 2
Trinity		Chorlton
United Services	Div 2	Urmston Mens
Legh Arms	Trinity	Trinity
Brooklands	United Services	United Services
Bowling Green	Legh Arms
Longford Park	Brooklands	Div 3
	Bowling Green	Legh Arms
	Longford Park	Brooklands
		Bowling Green
		Longford Park