Cannock Bowls League

Important Dates:

Latest information:

Tue Apr 13th 2021

The following e-mail has gone out to the contacts we have for all clubs - responses by end of April to helenpskidmore@btinternet.com

This is being sent to every club using either captain and/or secretary contact details.

Hope you are all keeping well. Please read to the bottom as there are a couple of actions for the individual teams.

Thanks to everyone who responded to the questions, we have pulled together your responses and looked at the BCGBA guidelines and have come up with the following plan for the Cannock League 2021.

Firstly we are conscious that although the guidance allows for league bowling to resume now some clubs won't be able to open toilets for a while, we aren't allowed spectators yet and we are all still supposed to stay local and in the Cannock League we do travel quite a distance.

In regards to teams

We have one new team request - Hagley

We have lost one team - which is doubtful it will rejoin next year - Lichfield Crown Green

We have six teams not playing in 2021 - who hope to play again next year - Bloxwich, Hatherton, Lichfield BC (A&B), Whittington (C&D)

We have one team who as yet haven't made a decision as to whether they are playing - Willenhall Trinity, though Lichfield BC may be able to change their minds.

Last year we should have had 43 teams - across 4 divisions

So this year we should have 37 possibly plus between 1 and 3.

The following are the plans for this year (2021) only - obviously if BCGBA guidelines change then this will be reviewed:

We are proposing a shorter 'fun' season.

A fun season means that we won't charge subs (those who paid last year will have subs carried forward to 2022), but we won't pay out prizes and there will be no promotion/relegation.

2022 will start basically as 2020 would have done.

If we do end up in another lockdown or tighter restrictions which mean we can't play then we can just 'not worry' about trying to catch up on missed games to get the league finished.

We plan to split the league into 5 divisions, of 7 or 8 teams. This will require 14 weeks so means that we can plan to start on 27th May and finish on 26th August. If required this could slip a couple of weeks but we didn't want to plan to go too far into September due to the number of clubs which don't have lights. The 27th May puts us past the provisional date for Step 3 so allows some indoor access for clubs etc.

The majority of teams are hopeful of having a full squad though some can't and a few are concerned regarding numbers therefore we are, again for this year only, allowing teams to play players twice. We understand the concerns of those who are against this but what we didn't want was for the teams with full squads to loose players because people weren't getting enough games. This year is just to let everyone play.

At this point we do not plan to hold any competitions this year.

Very few questions were raised in regard to the league - one which was was the suggestion that the league moves from 2 points for a match win to 1 point per game. This is a discussion that the league has every now and then, but as we can't hold a physical AGM at the moment we don't think that it is a suitable year to discuss such a significant proposal . Therefore we will move this forward for review at next year's AGM providing that is held as a physical meeting.

As the league will not be holding a formal AGM this year, accounts will be produced in 2022 to cover the two year period. Last year we received income but minimal expenditure went out - County Fees, Insurance and we will pay the Honorariums due to the amount of work that was required even though the league did not run. The league has enough savings to cover these costs again for 2021 in the proposed format and to maintain us going forward without any significant income in 2022.

We do need you to vote for the committee posts, the current committee are all happy to stay for the coming year:

Chairman - Graham Holyoak

Treasurer - Stuart Hickson

Competitions - Dave Christopher

Secretary - Helen Skidmore

So what do you need to do:

We will assume that all those teams who have already said yes to playing will do so, you need to let the league secretary know by end of April if your decision has changed and if you were one of the teams who weren't sure whether or not you will be playing.

Your individual club must have produced a Risk Assessment, which will be reviewed as we move through the steps, you need to familiarise yourself with this when it is available for Step 3 and let the league and other teams know if there are any restrictions that impact visiting teams.

Please reply to indicate whether or not your club is happy for the current committee to stay in post for 2021.

As always if you have any questions please let me know.

Regards

Thu Mar 4th 2021

The following e-mail has gone out to all club contacts this morning, just in case we haven't got the correct contact for your club posting it here as well.

We have asked for responses to helenpskidmore@btinternet.com by Monday 8th March.

Dear All

I hope that you are keeping well, you are being sent this as the 2020 contact for your club's Cannock Bowls League team(s). If this is no longer you then please pass the information to the new contact. If your club/green puts in two teams please make sure that the other captain has the information - up to you as a club whether you want to reply once or twice I don't mind which but please make it clear which.

If anyone knows who has taken over at Lea Hall can you let me know.

Given the circumstances it won't be possible to hold a physical AGM meeting this year, as such we will do a written statement and option to vote for the committee members to tide us over until next year, when hopefully we will be able to meet again on mass.

At this point it looks hopeful that some sort of league bowling will be possible this summer as such we would like each club to provide us with the responses to the following questions, by Monday 8th March so that we can look into what options we have.

Any plans that we make will adhere to BCGBA guidelines.

1. Please provide the name of your club, and the venue being used this year.
2. Please provide contact details for the club secretary and the team captain(s).
3. Is your club/green opening for league games?
4a. Will your club be able to open the toilet facilities? What part of the release from lockdown plan will opening these be reliant on?
5. Does your club still want to submit a team/teams for the 2021 season?
6. If the answer to 5 is No, is this just a withdrawal for this year, or do you wish to withdraw completely?
7. Will your team be able to provide a full team of 10 players each week?
8. If the answer to 7 is No, how many do you believe that you will have?
9. If a number of club's can't put in a full team which of the following options would you prefer (this would be a change for 2021 only)?
9a. To reduce the number of games played in the evening.
9b. To allow players to play more than once - to allow for the players in the teams that can put a full team in all to get a game.
9c. A mixture of 9a and 9b.
10. The committee has already be advised of a new team wishing to join the league, do you wish to submit another team this year?
11. If bowling is allowed but for a limited season would you be happy with a restructuring of the league to reduce the number of teams in each division to reduce the number of weeks needed (again this would only be for 2021)?

Please let me know if you have any points that you want added to the AGM statement. The current committee members are all prepared to stand for another year, but if you know of anyone who would like to be put forward for one of the roles or to join the committee then please send their details to me by the Monday 8th March.

Best wishes to everyone
Helen, on behalf of the Committee

Sat Dec 5th

I have been asked to pass on the news that Ron Neville of Hazelwood and Chase Terrace BC passed away last Monday.

On behalf of the committee and the league I would like to pass on our sympathy to his family and friends.

Mon Sep 7th

It is with great sadness that the committee learnt of the death of George Tweddle on Saturday 5^th September 2020.

Until his resignation this spring, due to his failing health, George was one of the main stalwarts of the Cannock League, not only as a player but working in one or more roles on the committee for longer than most of us can remember.

He will be greatly missed, not just for all the years of work he did, but for the character he was on and around the green.

Wed Jul 1st

The following e-mail has been sent out to all club contacts.

I hope that you are keeping well. I don't think it will come as much of a surprise to anyone that following a recent committee meeting we have decided to formally cancel the Cannock League for this season.

I did get in touch with you earlier in the year about the repayment of subs. Apologies for not providing an update sooner but we have had problems sorting out a new cheque book and the change in mandate due to the change in committee at the AGM. We are still not yet in a position where we can issue cheques, although we are hopeful we now have everything in place to get this sorted.

As such we are proposing to change the plan and carry over the subs paid to date and use them for next season.

If your club needs a refund this year can you please reply to me and we will sort this out as soon as we can.

I'm sending this e-mail to the team contacts can you pass the information onto your club's treasurer please.

Stay safe and hopefully see you on a bowling green soon.

Regards

Helen

on behalf of the Cannock League Committee

Thu Apr 23rd

Les from Chadsmoor asked me to pass on to everyone the news that Alf Preece passed away last Saturday. Alf, who was 88, passed away one week after his wife of 60+ years. Neither is thought to have been coronavirus related. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this very sad time.

Thu Apr 2nd

Alan Winters from Oak Park has asked me to pass on the sad news that three of their members have recently passed away.

Cheriann Slade, Edwin Brookhouse and Eddie Dwyer will all be sadly missed. The causes for all are not related to Coronavirus.

On behalf of the committee and the league I would like to pass on our sympathy to their family and friends.

Mon Mar 16th

To County Secretaries, Management and Officers.

Following the Government announcement this afternoon it is with great sadness that we now have to suspend all bowling for the foreseeable future.

Based on the advice announced we need to avoid all mass gatherings and sporting event as these will no longer be supported by the emergency services.

If anyone within your household has symptoms then the whole family need to isolate for 14 days.

Limit social contact wherever possible and encourage working from home.

At risk groups - those over 70 and those with medical conditions need to take additional care.

All BCGBA meetings should now be postponed as un-necessary travel should be avoided. Contact in Pubs, Clubs and restaurants to be avoided.

Taking this all into account all leagues should now suspend matches until such time as we are given an all clear to resume competition.

All BCGBA and BCGLCC Competitions are now suspended until further notice this should include all qualifier events.

As a Bowls community we need to look after our members and I encourage you to follow the advice being given and support those we are able to at this very difficult time.

I will add links onto the website / face-book as these are updated.

Please take care of yourself and stay safe.

On behalf of the Management Committee BCGBA

Chris Hasselby (BCGBA Chairman)

Mark Bircumshaw (CEO)

Mon Mar 9th

Hi All

The fixtures (with the exception of the Knock out cup details) for 2020 are now live on the system. Fingers crossed there arent any errors but if you spot any problems can you let me know asap please.

Im now working through the contact details and as I update each team I will send out a pdf of the fixtures sheet for your division. Hope to have this finished by the end of next weekend.

I will be organising the draw for the knock out cup asap and will get those on when it has been done.

If I havent yet had your teams contact details then please you e-mail to helenpskidmore@btinternet.com the following information for your team or teams.

If possible the following details for 2 contacts for each team@

Name, Team Role, E-mail, Contact Number

Please note that the details for at least one if not both of the teams representatives will be displayed on the website in order to provide contact details for the committee and other clubs. By providing these details you are giving permission for the League to use the details in this way.

Regards

Helen

Sat Nov 16th 2019

It is sad to record the death of Ron Hames of Hammerwich Bowls club.

The funeral will take place on Friday 29th November, 10.15 at Christ Church Burntwood followed by a cremation at Fradley then back to St Mathews Burntwood

Family flower only, but any donations to Cancer Research UK and Dementia UK can be forwarded to Joh Shorts Chasetown.

Our condolences are with the family at this sad time

President	Chairman	Treasurer
Dave Williams	Graham Holyoak	Stuart Hickson

Secretary/Safeguarding Officer	Safeguarding Officer	Competitions
Helen Skidmore	Julie Wigley	Dave Christopher
helenpskidmore@btinternet.com	juliewigley@yahoo.co.uk	christopherd1@sky.com
Tel - 07864370477	Tel - 07969 407984	Tel - 07956 561990

Cannock Bowls League 2020

Important Dates:

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