Archive | Committee Meetings

Earlier this week our Chairman, Reg Couch decided to stand down after 4 years in the role. Reg took over as Chairman back in 2019 and before that had held the role of Vice Chairman.

We thank Reg for his past service to the Association in his various capacities. Reg has also  been one of our longest serving players, playing most recently for The Fox at Denchworth in what has been very much a family affair with his wife and son playing alongside him, together with their good friends, Vic and Pauline Pratt.

Unfortunately it looks like Fox B are not going to have sufficient players to form a side this coming season so Reg may be available for “transfer”, at this stage I don’t know whether a fee will be required! No doubt sides based around Grove and Wantage looking for more players could be interested!

Reg’s resignation leaves a gap on the Committee so if anyone is interested and is willing to be co-opted please make contact with any of the Committee formally or informally. It’s not too onerous a job half a dozen or so  Committee meetings over 12 months, support for the Competition days (2), and being present on Finals night and  the Annual Presentation Awards Night at the end of the season.

No money is involved, all Committee roles are entirely voluntary and all decisions made by the Committee are intended to be non controversial and in the best interests of all members of the league and all of  the people who play our game.

As a result of Reg’s resignation Paul Stone has been asked, by the Committee,  to take the Chair for 2023. Paul has accepted that role and we are confident that having Paul back on the Committee and now taking on the role of Chairman will be a real plus for the League going forward.

Once again on behalf of the League our  thanks and best wishes to Reg and a warm welcome to the Chair Paul!

For those who couldn’t make the recent 2023 Annual general Meeting here is a summary of all of the key points discussed and agreed at the very well attended meeting held at the Croft bar on Monday 23rd January.

• League entrance fees will increase for 2023 from £40 to £45 per team with up to 15 players registered per team. ( This effectively represents the same cost as pre Covid years when the team registration was £30 plus £1 per registered player)
• The existing Committee were re-elected with the very welcome additions of  Paul Stone and Anton Wooloff both agreeing to return to the Committee. They are very welcome!!
• A new (re-instated) position of Honorary President was proposed and agreed of and a suitable incumbent will be nominated and appointed by the Committee
• The discussion over start times for matches was interesting but the proposal to compromise on our long established start time of 8.30 and the 2022 amended  start time of 8 pm led to an agreement that the 2023 preferred start time will be 8.15 pm 
• Competitions other than the 8’s will again be held on Sundays as in 2022, but with the 3’s, 4’s and 5’s to be held on one day and the Pairs, Singles, Captains and Secretaries being held on a later date. full details and dates to follow.
• The season will kick off on Wednesday 3rd of May with the first round of the 8’s and the league proper will start on the following Wednesday, the 10th.
• The online registration of match cards which worked very well in 2022 will be retained.
• The option (in the lower section/s) of playing with a minimum of 6 players per side will be retained as an option for 2023 season
• Registration Night will take place on Monday March 20th at Abingdon Conservative Club for both the league and the Team 8’s Competition. Details will be on the website with registration forms soon 
• The entry date and for the remaining Competition’s will be agreed and confirmed later.
•  An effort will be made to recruit and attract more teams and players of all ages and gender for 2023 to enable us to increase our numbers above the 48 teams entered in 2022. We need  to  focus on both former and new pubs and clubs throughout the area and the benefits of having 16+ people spending money in  their bar every Wednesday or every other Wednesday for 18 weeks of the Summer.
• Thames Cables have kindly agreed to continue as League sponsors for 2023 and have asked that their sponsorship should include some increased  focus (and benefits) on the lower sections.
• It was proposed that we seek to build on the history of our Association first documented by our founder the late Basil Collins who documented the first 30 years of the Association. So we are seeking a volunteer(s) 

I think that’s about it. It was a very well attended (19 teams represented) meeting with good discussion on a range of topics that impact our game and all of  the teams and people who play it. 

The 2023 AGM will be held on MONDAY JANUARY 23rd not as I mistakenly previously posted JANUARY 29th which is, in fact, a Sunday not a Monday as previously stated! I was obviously suffering with the excesses of Christmas and New Year when posting the date last week!

There is however a change of venue as Abingdon United can’t host us on a Monday as they have both Darts and Boxing every week utilising both bars at United.

The meeting will now take place at The Croft Bar in Peachcroft commencing at 8pm. There’s plenty of car parking adjacent to the Croft.

Any items to be raised at the AGM either for discussion or to  propose changes to the rules will be discussed at the meeting and every club/team registered for the 2022 season is entitled to 1 vote each in the event of any voting necessary on the day.

I would remind everyone that through 2022 we had only 4 serving Committee members and that’s just not enough resources  to maintain the league to the standard needed. So any volunteers will be welcomed with open arms, but will be subject to both a nomination and election process on the night.

Full details of the Agenda will be sent to Secretaries and Captains early next week and we really want all 48 teams entered last year to have the opportunity of making their contribution to the way the league is organised and administered going forward.