No Body wants to play Friendlies

[Bigbear]

Friendlies

Why is it that no Body will put their name up for Friendlies, its the same every year and then you hear people moaning about not getting enough Bowling
Got two games arranged this week and not enough names I shall have to ring another club to see if I can get players to stand in.

Whats wrong with People

[Blondie]

Hi Bigbear,

The Members of our Club are just the same you get the people who will play every Friendly,

And yet we are always short and could do with a few good bowlers our best players seem to give these games a wide birth

Last year I was forever getting last min phone calls asking me to stand in, :roll::roll:

[Sam]

Your better so called players usually don't want to play in friendlies because they are too busy with all the Competitions they enter
But they forget it these friendlies that keep a club going and they are great fun :D

[Crabie]

Wish we had friendlies to play in, cant remember the last time if ever we had a touring team,

[peter]

I always tell Selection that if needed I will play in friendlies when needed, but because I get more than enough games with league Competitions

etc, I feel Friendlies should be available for those who get less Bowling

With the Credit Crunch we only have a few touring teams but the Clubs are getting together and playing more local Games,:D

[Sam]

Did I say friendleys are good fun, played today in Ladies Triples and my number three was a nightmare
She started off acussing her opposite number about a measure, then she wouldent give the Skip any instructions or tell her how many we were holding
I got so frustrated I was holding my fingers up telling her how many we were holding, not the done thing for a lead
Whats worrying me is this number three is playing Skip for our Ladies league

God help us if this carries on right throught the summer we will be hammered ever game:confused:

Should I have a word with our Captain

Will be in trouble if I do and trouble if I dont ?????

[kiwi bowler]

Hi Sam, why don't you just have a word with your number three?

[Sam]

Did think about it Kiwi Bowler, but she can be a bit difficult I think she was just being awkward because she thought she should have been skipping
Have seen this happen before, don't think I could keep quiet for the whole of the Summer:roll:

[Angel]

Hi Sam its amazing how many Lady Bowlers think they should be skipping, I have never understood it,

Its usually the Bossy ones and they cant bowl for toffee, ask them to draw to get second wood (no chance,)

You need to do at least two years as lead and work your way up got to be able to draw to be a good Bowler

Thats what I think wouldn't dare say any of this in the Club I keep quiet :roll::roll: Angel

[kiwi bowler]

yes, have to agree with you, I myself prefer to play 2 although this last season I found I was skipping a lot. I can draw well, but I am only getting about a third of my drives if that in some games.
Sometimes I think it's better to draw than drive. Anyway now that I have my new bowls I'm going to practise upshots more and see how they go.

[Surfer]

yes, have to agree with you, I myself prefer to play 2 although this last season I found I was skipping a lot. I can draw well, but I am only getting about a third of my drives if that in some games.
Sometimes I think it's better to draw than drive. Anyway now that I have my new bowls I'm going to practice upshots more and see how they go.

Hi Kiwi Bowler When you talk about (Up Shots) this is what we call Firing over here
Nothing worse than a front end putting up short woods, would rather have a back wood any day
Sometimes you have to fire to clear it you got no choice, its a practiced shot which I have been trying to get for a long time mine are hit and miss need more practice

Surfer:cool:

[kiwi bowler]

Hi Surfer, when I talk about upshots, I'm talking more about a yard-on shot than a drive.:wink:

[mary]

Putting a pound of weight on is the most difficult thing, know a lot of Skips who start to fire and miss everything,

Have been practicing but I either end up short or go that dreaded yard through

Been playing today came home and could have cheerfully thrown my wood away, our greens are so heavy after all the rain

And if you forget to swing your arm they end up ridiculous short, felt a Right fool:(:(

[John]

Hi,

Do know what you mean, I always think the yard on shot is one of the hardest to play, also hard to practice, nearly the only time you can play is during a game when you are against it and trying to change the head!

Still a bit of luck comes into it as well,

John:p

[kiwi bowler]

Yes John agree with you about the luck :grin:

[Howie54]

My club only has about 50-60 playing members but we always manage to get names.If we didn't play friendlies we would be finished as a club as this is our main source of income.
As regards to playing in friendlies- You know that you won't be playing alongside or against the best players in the club (usually far from it) so you have to learn to make allowances.I usually play these games as a practice game and as a bit of fun.If you start taking them too seriously it will eventually do your head in.I have the same attitude to Hat nights.There are times to be serious about your bowls and times to lighten up a bit.:)

[snapper]

The number of friendlies we have played in our Club has gone down dramatically, last year it was something like 23, this year we are having to play more locally, its all down to the cost a long weekend away in Cornwall cost nearly as much as a week in Spain,
We really do depend on touring teams for revenue, just to keep our Club going, and the bar revenue is crucial
when we have Local Clubs Playing they come in cars so the bar profits suffer,
There is only so much subs we can charge and the water rates electric etc keep gong up,
Small Village Clubs are only keeping their heads above water next year is going to be harder still,

Snapper

[snapper]

Hi Howie54

Got to agree with you, do put my name down for friendlies and really do enjoy some of them,
But the standard of Bowling sometimes makes me cringe, I look on it as a nice day out, and have a drink and a chat at the bar afterwords,
Occasionally you meet the chaps who are on a mission, win at all costs, so nice when your team gets into groove and you beat them solid,
Takes them by surprise don't expect it from a small Club


Makes it all worthwhile Snapper

[Blondie]

We get the usual grumbles some people think they should play in every friendly

If you put your name down they grumble that you get enough Bowling because you do the Competitions,

If you don't put your name down they complain that you are not supporting your Club



You cant win ????

[Sam]

Hi Blondie

Getting to that time of year where everyone is getting tired and tetchy, something quite trivial will trigger it off,
And someone goes home in tears the usual end of Season Rows, I keep a low profile at this time of year, and let them get on with it,
Its usually a storm in a tea cup


Sam short for Samantha

[The Duck]

We have this problem all year, I dont know what is happening we have a nice Club but the number of members who are rumoured to be leaving next year is frightening,
I am not sure if we will be able to put out league teams, feel there is a few troblemakers stirring things behind the scenes,

THE Duck :(

[E T]

Hi All Bowlers,

Know what you mean!! my club is well run with statesman like mature officials. The danger in some clubs where you don't have good management is the moaner, the type that keeps quiet then drags up something from weeks ago and depresses people around them.
Even in good clubs like mine we do have 1 like this, the secret is either ignore or challenge in the beginning and say 'don't be disrupted'.
You will always find that this type do not stand for any position within the club just destructive from the sidelines!!
Of course this is a human trite so just does not just apply to bowling clubs!!!!!

Sorry a bit long & serious but thats how I see it!!

E T (just for a game of bowls)!!!:D

[Surfer]

Our Club has had the same problem you will get one person stirring it and talking others round to his way of thinking,
The bottom line is he wants his own way with team selection or to settle old scores, these people need to be challenged and things sorted before they do serious damage to the Club,
Why people have to whisper and mutter in groups, if something needs to be said they should stand up and say what they think,

Surfer from a Sunny Cornwall or not so Sunny after I have aired my views, can see dark cloud on the horizon.

[E T]

Hi All,
I think the long term secret is to stay out of the gossip & enjoy the bowls go home & think well I enjoyed that not the club politics, have seen it really upset some good bowlers careers by getting involved with things & nothing changes!!!;)

[crackerjack]

I have to admit I have stopped playing friendlies, the game that put me off was a game where we played against a Police touring team, we played up and then back down and everyone disappeared into the Bower for a drink, and you can imagine that this continued every other end until the end of the game which took as you can imagine some time to complete, and all the police team were rat-arsed.
so I decided that I wouldn't play another friendly, and I wasn't the only one the put-off by this game.

[IrishBowls]

I am the opposite to 'No Body Wants To Play Friendlies'

We call them Social Bowls and that is all I play; I have my name down as as Spare for Pennant but I really prefer Social Bowls.

Cheers

[wrong bias]

I have to admit I have stopped playing friendlies, the game that put me off was a game where we played against a Police touring team, we played up and then back down and everyone disappeared into the Bower for a drink, and you can imagine that this continued every other end until the end of the game which took as you can imagine some time to complete, and all the police team were rat-arsed.
so I decided that I wouldn't play another friendly, and I wasn't the only one the put-off by this game.thats what we do.its scottish tradition,but the president has to go first,then after the second end ,the second takes the drink order and gets the drinks up for his rink.great stuff

[Sam]

Had a Welsh Team down on Tour a few years back never seen anyone drink so much when playing a game,
Didn't do the Bowling much good but the bar takings went into overdrive, could see our Treasure Smiling all day,
Great Singers couldn't help enjoying the day made a difference form playing with people who moan all the time,

[Frankie]

Know what you all mean although I have guilt feelings about friendlies.

When I started bowling 20+ years ago Friendlies were my bread & butter and throughly enjoyed them!! Now at times my Club struggles to get enough members to represent the Club in friendlies.
I'm always busy and find the often don't care if I win or lose attitude difficult to cope with and 2 foot from the jack is more often or not the winning wood!!!! (thats close for me:wink:)
Above they don't do my bowling any good but are the training ground for future bowlers!!!

[Surfer]

I find Beginning of the Summer everyone puts their names down for friendlies to get the practice, later on its left to me to phone round other

Clubs trying to get enough players to fill the rinks,

The Better so Called Bowlers wont play in the Club Friendlies for love or money they think its beneath them, what they forget its these rank and

file members who run and support the Club

Without them they wouldn't have a Club to Bowl In,


Surfer from a Sunny Cornwall:cool:

[kiwi bowler]

Hi Surfer

It's the same here, I never see our clubs so called top players untill the Champs are on.

[keith]

Same here, the so called good bowlers support the 'Club' until they are knocked out of their own National/County competitions then you don't see them for dust!!!!!

Trouble is recently the Indoor club was trying to put out a Saturday team and you guessed it not on of the A team bowlers would give any support, understrength team went out and did O.K. but lost, committee have now taken the decision to withdraw from these minor comps next year!!

awful feeling this is the start of winding down indoor bowling, those who get the most out of it have themselves to blame!!!:(

[Devon Bowler]

I can see Indoor Bowling finishing completely in a few years, in my Club people don't want to play in Competitions anymore, all they are prepared to do is friendlies.
Cant go on much longer

[Frankie]

Good to hear from you again, Devon Bowler, have always said its the problem with selection!!

That have the brief to pick the 'Best ' available, it creates premadonas, know of several clubs that you get bowlers only using the club to play their championship games, will play in the Clubs, national fixtures until they get knocked out, then you never see them again for the season.
The Club then relies on the Muppet's to stand in travel and support the club.

When this happens soon the 'Muppet's' stop supporting the club in these games and the down ward spiral begins.

No easy answer but would only pick the bowlers who supported the Club!!!

[snapper]

Heard one wife make the comment yesterday that her Husband had been asked to stand in for the Saturday league game, she said if he wasn't good enough to have been picked in the first place he wasn't going to put him self out standing in when other people couldn't play,
(Fair Comment) about time selection gave other good players a chance instead of the Old Guard ,

Snapper from Cornwall:rolleyes: