Page 11 - Autumn 2017

Page 11:Layout 1 15-Oct-17 3:56 PM Page 1

UNOFFICIAL SHORT MAT BODIES 11
UNOFFICIAL SHORT MAT BODIES
Sadly, unlike many other sports, Short Mat bowls is an
unregulated sport and no-one seems to think that the sport
should oversee anyone who sets up an organisation and or-
ganises Short Mat events. I have asked but effectively I got
a shrug of the shoulders.
I find it difficult to understand this approach as good
sports control or at least oversee who does what to prevent
clubs and players being taken advantage of. I have no prob-
lem having my Short Mat holidays covered under a licensing
system but the ESMBA have apparently abandoned their li-
censing system, which was very badly run anyway.
I wondered when people would realise the potential of Short Mat Bowls and jump on the
bandwagon. I have recently been contacted by “The Union of Short Mat Bowling Associations”,
with alleged contacts in 5 different Countries, including someone listed who was/is a County Rep-
resentative in the ESMBA. No doubt the English contact (assuming he agreed to have his name
included), will claim that he “is doing it for the good of the game”, which I regard as a load of BS!
as I’ve heard it all before.
The two original letters I received had no address on them, no phone number and no email
details, in fact nothing that would enable me to reply or contact them in any way. A subsequent
third letter was exactly the same. I was asked for publicity in the magazine but unless this body is
recognised by the World Council they will not get any and I would advise everyone to ignore them
unless they are officially recognised. Sadly, the World Council does not seem bothered in the
least.
The only body outside the various National Associations is the Short Mat Players Tour. This
too is an unrecognised body. They organise events in Europe and laughingly call them “World
Pairs” etc. and have boasted that their events are better than the British Isles and Official World
Championships. My reply to that is far too strong to put in print. However, they are tolerated and
players who can afford it are free to enter, so generally no problem there and they do work hard
presenting their events. However, I would certainly be against yet another body who simply sets
up and ignores the National Associations and the World Council.
The World Council basically does nothing other than “allow” the various National Associations
to run a World Championships every two years and do nothing at all to promote the sport BUT I
would stress that all the National Associations are part of the World Council. I have emailed the
three biggest National Associations about the USMBA and as expected I got no reaction whatso-
ever, no replies and no comments, so nothing new there.
Since writing the above, I have had a fourth letter but again with no return address or contact
details. The ESMBA contact is listed as Roger Green. A very fed up Roger wishes it to
be known he has nothing to do with the USMBA, knows nothing about them
and so far has had far more letters than I have.
From his tone I would say he is totally p***ed of
with the author and the non-existent USMBA.

They don’t bother me in the least and one letter refers to
one of the recipients named as having visited North Korea!
I have had letters from New Zealand and Cambodia. I was
in the latter a few years ago exploring the wonderful tem-
ples in the Jungle at Angkor and beyond, I would love to go
back but everywhere is now overrun with tourists. This is
the first and last I will say on the subject of the USMBA.
Bobbyweaf