21/07/2009 - John Haigh - Replies to Derek Shemmings

I welcome the comments made by Derek Shemmings a member of the Miraflores club on the Costa del Sol.  However, are his comments accurate and if they are presumably the comments of Tony Winterton to put it kindly are misleading.

Tony Winterton´s comments:

“As an example no tournament, championship, league, etc. involving two or more clubs can be carried on without their SPECIFIC CONSENT... Obviously we have obtained this consent for the National Championship and other Federated events but why have there been no repercussions for the many other events?”

“There is no specific penalty for a breach of the law. Obviously, it did not occur to the legislators. That some organisers would be prepared to forgo the funding.”

If Tony Winteron´s comments are correct any league or competition currently organized in any area unless it has the specific consent of the respective Federation it is illegal? Anyone competing in these competitions without being affiliated (federated) are doing so illegally and age or whether you only bowl in Spain during the winter months or if there are no repercussions are quite frankly irrelevant.

Derek Shemming`s comments:

From the content of his letter is appears that Derek is content to bowl against Touring sides and not compete in organizing leagues and competitions between clubs within his district, I presume he his referring to the Costa del Sol as being his “district”   If he his competing in an organised league and competitions between clubs he apparently is quite happy to do this illegally without consent from the Federation which is the governing body for lawn bowls in Spain.  Perhaps this obsession to carry out activities without due regard to Spanish legal requirements is an “expat thing” or an “age thing”. 

“For those who wish to compete with bowlers outside their district, which we are told requires Affiliation? They already have the opportunity to join the Federation which has the organization and the vehicle to satisfy all their needs, and of course the opportunity to play inter-provincially and internationally”   Perhaps Derek is being deliberately mischievous in substituting the reference to club in Tony Winterton´s submission and using district and as we all know there is a massive difference between district and club.

Additionally, if anyone without being affiliated can enter the summer and winter championships on the Costa del Sol (federated) as intimated by Derek are the championships legal?   In addition, if he his correct that you need not be affiliated (federated) to enter why is all this fuss being made by the NEC of the need for bowlers to become federated?

Finally: 

Who is correct Tony Winterton or Derek Shemmings?  I pose this question to the people who organise and administer the leagues and competitions within the Alicante area. 

“Are they legal? Or illegal?”  The fact there may be no repercussions from the authorities does not give us “expats” living in Spain the right to cock two fingers at the Spanish legal requirements.  If the main reason for joining the Federation is the ability to request external funding for these leagues and competitions and the bowlers on both the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are happy to continue without external funding what is all the fuss about! 

John Fyles Haigh