Just one week to wait now until the 2022 MSBL season springs into life with the first fixtures in the Dennis Lewis Thursday Division.
But there won’t be the seven fixtures for a full house of 14 teams as planned and hoped for . . .
That’s because Bowring have informed the League that they have had to withdraw, a club spokesperson saying: “This is due to players telling us they want to play, but having since dropped out. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
So that means Newport will have to wait another week to open their programme as Bowring’s fixtures now become a bye.
The two Covid hit years have cost the League a total of 10 teams from across the divisions, with only 4 new additions.
But the League and its clubs now needs to strive even harder to make sure that we draw a line in the sand in 2022 and then start to grow back to at least pre-pandemic levels – both in terms of the number of teams and the number of people playing.
That will be the message at a League executive meeting on Tuesday 5th April, which will open with a tribute to Sinclair legend Ken Pritchard, who has sadly passed away, as part of In Memoria.
On a happier note, there will be a big announcement at the meeting regarding the League’s 90th anniversary party on Saturday 4th June . . .