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-------------------------------SPEARWOOD FORFEIT 2007

April 9, 2007

One Blue North/South Last Saturday the Spearwood Bowling Club brought the debate surrounding the meaningless of finals for One Blue North/South to a head by their actions in forfeiting the preliminary final.

I am of the view that Spearwood’s actions are indefensible and that if they wanted to protest against a system that has been very unfair to their club (they have finished 2nd in the past two years) they should have forfeited from the outset of the finals.

However, I also believe that BowlsWA also has its fair share of blood on their hands over this issue. For two full pennant seasons now BowlsWA have been aware that they have created a monster by changing from a format that whilst brutal (in as much that 4 teams were relegated from 1st Division Gold) it was far more popular than the current farce we have now with the Blue North/South system.

My observation of BowlsWA management regarding this issue is that they have sat on their hands and done NOTHING. I am of the sincere belief that they believe that “lunatics” like myself will simply go away if they ignore a problem for long enough.

Contrary to popular belief, lawn bowls in this State is not an amateur sport. We have well paid administrators whose major task is to look after the interests of the sport. I am not convinced that we receive a good enough dividend on our investment in relation to the administration of the sport.

There have been some good additions to the paid administration over the past couple of years but it has not been enough to break the “management by avoidance” culture that has held the game back in this State for a very long time.

We have witnessed the loss of sponsors, a decline in pennant participation and falling numbers in State events. I have read that a counter argument to this in that corporate bowls is huge around the metropolitan area and I know it to be true. However, that popularity has been generated by the individual clubs themselves. I am not sure how BowlsWA take credit for the hard work of individual clubs.

I have to spell out that I am not criticising one single volunteer that assists at headquarters but direct this message to those who derive their incomes from the sport of lawn bowls.

Further, I would like to make the point that this letter is not about first division mania but it illustrates that frustration can cause people or in this case clubs (Spearwood) to make decisions (albeit poor) because they believed that only by such radical action would anything meaningful be done by the people who administer our game.

TIM MURRAY