Indoor Bowlers Must Re-Register Teams & Players

Bowlers planning to re-join the six-rink Stamford Indoor Bowls Club in Exeter Gardens in September are being asked to re-register teams and players for the next winter league season by July 18.

The club's management committee, which is embarking on a major recruitment drive, endorsed the move at a meeting, held virtually on Thursday

To avoid confusion and to make a fresh start, representation will not be carried over from Winter 2020 nor from the reduced, interim season, staged at the end of last year, under Covid restrictions.

From Sunday morning open pairs to Friday evening men's triples, hopefully 13 domestic leagues will be staged during each week between September 2021 and April 2022 and potential captains will have less than seven weeks to register their teams and players with league secretary John Holroyd.

Entry and player registration forms can be downloaded and printed from the club's website (see Club Leagues) or collected from the club when it is open during the summer months on Monday morning and evening, Tuesday (10-3pm) Wednesday and Thursday morning and Friday evening. It is also open for coaching on Saturday morning.

Each team entry should include a £5 registration fee. Bowlers have until September 30 to join or restore their £50 annual membership which remains the same.

Says Holroyd: "This decision to re-register teams and players provides for bowlers to enter teams or express an interest in joining one. It also introduces a concept of a maximum number of teams per league/division to avoid the problem we have experienced of too many teams per single session (for example, the Wednesday evening triples league). "To counteract the possibility of over-subscription, we have introduced an 8.30pm Wednesday session," he says

Furthermore, he adds, the club has had to abandon the idea of rolling over teams from one season to the next so it requires ALL teams wanting to play, to register or re-register on a first come, first served basis until a league or division is full.

Captains will have to act quickly to contact their players to encourage them to re-join the club or risk losing a place in league competition. They are also responsible for ensuring all players have fully subscribed as club members before taking part in any matches.

FOOTNOTE: The club is in desperate need of volunteers to man reception for the coming winter season. Training in the BOWLR and card-reader payment systems is available. If you can spare some time to serve in these important roles, please contact club secretary Carol Warters (01780 721411). Without further help from members, sessions cannot proceed.