Bowls International — November 2017

INBOX

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Bowls International Magazine,

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INBOX

Dear Bowls International,

I read with interest the recent article trying to get bowlers to enter

the PBA qualifiers and the recent push for the U25’s and women's

competitions and agree with the sentiments in that article.

However, I’m afraid the PBA needs to become professional as per

its name if it wants to grow rather than continue to lose members

and entries as it is at present. Let’s look at some recent and ongoing

issues.

Last year we had the fiasco of the PBA U25 Bromley qualifiers

clashing with the EIBA David Cornwall U25 club rink competition

and this year it clashes with the EIBA women's U25 qualifiers.

Does no one at the PBA know how to use a phone or email to

work with the EIBA to avoid these clashes?

As it happened once then surely you do not let it happen again?

Having paid to enter both U25’s competitions this year, not

knowing there was a clash until now, my daughter now has to

decide which competition to throw her hard earned money down

the drain on.

There were so many errors on the early PBA entry forms for the

Ladies /U25 competitions it took me two sets of feedback to the

PBA to get them corrected so my daughter could actually complete

them sensibly.

It is also worth looking at the timing of some of the qualifying

rounds. This I accept is probably very difficult to arrange with rink

availability issues etc.

However holding qualifiers in September when the quality

players are still playing outdoor club and county finals and country

representative games puts them off from entering as they try to

avoid playing indoor and outdoor at the same time.

One then has to look at the PBA website and compare against the

open singles and EIBA websites.

It is poorly maintained and stuck in a format that is ten years

out of date. To enter PBA competitions one has to pay both a

subscription and then an entry fee that is together a lot more than

entering a number of Open Singles Circuit competitions and what

does one get for that? Not even an acknowledgement from the PBA

of one’s membership let alone competition entry until the draw is

published.

Whilst draws might be published before the competition dates, in

a barely usable presentation, the results never are and out of date

information sits there for months.

In contrast as the entries build up for Open Singles competitions

entry names are listed and the Open Singles results are on the

website- at worst case an hour after a round is completed -in an

easy to read format. The website is very professionally maintained.

With regards to publicity, the PBA does no PR with clubs

themselves or in the media for the qualifiers.

Just ask your normal club bowler whether they know of the EIBA ,

Open Singles Circuit and the PBA. The first two are well recognised

but even bowlers of many a year still have not heard of the PBA.

I accept the PBA runs with volunteer personnel but so does

the OSC so is it time for the PBA to put a call to arms for more

volunteers who have the correct media and technology skill set to

help and a big revamp? Surely there are retired people in the bowls

world who have these skills and are looking to keep busy?

Come on PBA – you call yourselves the Professional Bowls

Association now learn to act professionally or lose more members

and more entries. It is no wonder the Open Singles Circuit is far

more popular with the quality club players than the PBA.

COLIN STATHAM

BASINGSTOKE

Dear Bowls International,

It should be no surprise that the media think

Bowls is 'genteel and quintessentially sedate'.

They think it is only played by geriatrics,

which we all know is completely wrong.

Anyone who has been to a Middleton

Cup game could give the lie to that. Our

players are as competitive, passionate and

committed as those in any other sport.

The media's awareness of our sport is

minimal and outdated. Witness about 120

under 18's competing in the Sutton Wilson

Trophy at Leamington- it would appear that

the 'spin doctors' need to put more effort

into promoting our sport as the sport for all

ages, which it is.

Apart from the competitions for senior

players, most successful players in the other

competitions at the Leamington finals are of

working age; with 'junior' players under 30

featuring widely.

I complained to the BBC Midlands TV local

news for not mentioning the National Finals

http://www.bowlsinternational.com November 2017 BOWLS INTERNATIONAL 51

in their bulletins. They replied that they

would have featured them if they had been

made aware of them!

I see they got a mention when the

Commonwealth Games Baton visited the

Finals, probably due to the Commonwealth

Games team.

Yes, any publicity is better than none but

accuracy would be preferred.

Clearly there is a lot more work to do to

accurately promote our sport.

JOHN RADFORD

LEAMINGTON

Dear Bowls International

Why can't we take a leaf out of the book

of the crown green code and get people

watching the games interested in them?

The atmosphere when Wayne Ditchfield

won the Waterloo was phenomenal- there

was genuine sheer delight in the stadium and

although the weather was not always great,

nobody looked miserable like they do often

at Leamington.

Same game but very different vibe.

I am also interested as to why this can be

broadcast on ITV4 but Bowls England cannot

even manage to live stream anything from

Leamington, let alone secure TV coverage.

For me it begs the question- what are the

priorities?

If we want bowls to be around in 20 years

time, maybe even ten, then someone has to

act.

Bowls England has enough money and

expertise to do far more than it currently is.

What will it take?

BARRY HYDE

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

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