There is a ray of hope for Huddersfield’s indoor bowlers.
But it has come in unlikely form - from their Red Rose rivals.
The successful Yorkshire bowlers, who feared for their future after the closure of Huddersfield Sports Centre and the fruitless search for a new venue, have a possible lifeline in the shape of Oldham Council.
They have a new £11m leisure centre with four bowling rinks and have offered it to the Huddersfield bowlers.
Now the Huddersfield contingent are to look at the possiblity of going “over the tops”.
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Damien Talbot, secretary of the Huddersfield Indoor Bowling Ckub, said: “We have been offered the opportunity to keep the club going with an offer from Oldham, to use their new four-rink facility in their £11m sports centre.
“The offer has come following Kirklees Council failing to provide a facility despite promises to do so.
“It is an opportunity that we are exploring. It is sad that we are having to look at other towns/councils to keep playing, however, we are determined to explore every option to keep Huddersfield on the bowling map, with or without the help of Kirklees Council.
“If we don’t get anyway it won’t be for a lack of trying.”
The Huddersfield team have spent the current season bowling at the Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre in Cleckheaton and play their last game at the end of this month.
But that centre, too, faces demolition later this year.
There were hopes of a new bowling centre at the Huddersfield YMCA complex at Laund Hill but funding proved a major obstacle.
Kirklees Council had originally promised bowling facilities would be included in the new Huddersfield Leisure Centre but then changed the plans.
Mr Talbot added: “Any move to an out of area facility will need to be sanctioned by the sport’s governing body and Yorkshire Indoor Bowling Association. Hopefully they will support us too.”
Oldham’s Leisure Centre has a bowls hall offering four state of the art rinks that are precisely levelled for accuracy. The bowls hall uses special lighting that is glare free.
