Numbers game at meeting for bowls league

The Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League’s annual meeting is at Wellington’s Sir John Bayley Club (7pm start) but delegates won’t need to bring their calculators with them.

What they have to consider is how the league accommodates the number of teams applying to join it for the 2024 season, the huge number of rule change proposals on the agenda and the reaction to a £183 loss on 2023.

There’s also how the Telford-based league copes with Horsehay’s successful application to join the Shropshire Premier League after a retaken vote at its AGM last week.

“Our fixture secretary John Palmer will report on how we respond to that but, in terms of applications to join the league, it is very encouraging at this early stage,” said secretary Malcolm Fletcher.

“And while it’s not the sexiest thing in sport to debate potential rule changes, the officers have carried out the most comprehensive review of them since I became general secretary 13 years ago, including a complete revamp of those for all the competitions.”

Two brand new comps and the launch of new Afternoon Division were part of a successful 2023 campaign – and the league hopes to relaunch its Saturday Division this year.

All officers are standing for re-election and they are already looking forward to the formal nomination of Brenda Slingo to serve as County President for 2024 early next month.