Ellis hits out at hierarchy

GARY ELLIS

Bowls: NIMBLE Nook and Tonge star Gary Ellis has taken a swipe at the British Crown Green Association.

After attending the annual meeting, the three-times Waterloo champion is alarmed that proposals he believed would take the game forward had little chance of being carried.

A member of the Bowls Development Group tasked to produce ideas to rejuvenate an ailing sport, Ellis believes the current voting set-up at the annual meeting is to blame.

A proposal to replace the voting system to a simple majority, instead of the two thirds needed at present, was voted down.

And Ellis admitted: “The reality is that there is no chance of getting through any major changes to the game.

“I fear for the future of crown green bowls, absolutely. It is at an impasse. But the

majority of people who regularly attend these meetings seem to think that the game is OK as it is.

“The 30 or so hours I have spent on a sub-committee in the past year have been a waste of time.

“The feeling within the BCGBA, I think, is that our committee is structuring proposals for their own personal gain — which really annoys me.”

The most contentious proposals were among the many which were defeated, including the £1 levy on each member of a club per season.