Just to answer a couple of things mentioned in this post.
Moonah's Foul Lights
I do agree with Paul Lucock on the question of foul lights there.
I think those lights are jinxed unfortunately
They haven't worked since about 1993 - I remember about four years ago helping Norm Green and Shane Caulfield late one night (when I was bored) trying to rig up the foul lights again properly for the Special Olympics that was held at Moonah.
We did in fact manage to get them going for a while, amid much trial and error and swearing - from Shane and I - not Norm
:wink:
I was working on the Special Olympics during that week - helping wheeling the wheelchair bound players up on to the approaches with those racks they use to roll the balls down - a couple of times I accidently sat the racks
over the line before they bowled and it never set them off.
A great effort was made by the mechanics at Moonah to get them going again a few months ago - unfortunately I saw a bowler bowl on one particular lane and set a foul light off about three lanes across :lol: :lol: :lol:
It maybe that they might have to rip the whole lot up and start from scratch because I know the Techs down the back have worked on them before - numerous times - but they just don't seem to wanna go
Pricing
I really liked the post by Patrick Birtig from Bowlers World and that from BT about the current pricing structure.
My thought has, and always will be that you must always pitch to your strongest market - The Suburban Family.
The Mum and Dad and the two kids type scenario - $68 is way out of thier league.
Especially here in Tasmania where wages are much below what is being payed for the average worker in the Mainland states and Territories.
If you look after these guys they join leagues and practice to get better at the game - I must admit that I get very depressed when I see a good young bowler who has - if he works at his game - loads of potential, turn around and give the game away because of the cost - Unfortunately I'm hearing this story all too often these days.
I'm aware of AMF's perelous financial position at this point in time - my argument is that unless they can come up with new initiatives to arrest the current slide in League & Social bowlers the debt will only increase and the game will head into oblivion.
Drop the prices back and publicise the fact that it has been dropped - word of mouth is a very strong way of getting the public's backing.
Whilst, as an example, Moonah has a very loyal and good clientele of League & Social bowlers - this is fast diminishing by the year.
I see a game which could really thrive in this country if the prices were affordable to all - Not just your chic Townhouse yuppies.
The State of Bowling Centres
I have taken note of pictures in Totalbowling of the various centres that are used and note that they are all in very good condition - they mostly all look fantastic - which is good for the Sport of Bowling.
However, I also note the continuing disquiet from bowlers here when they pick up the AMF - What's the Score magazine and read and see pictures of "this new bowling centre opening, that new bowling centre opening up, this centre has had a $500,000 upgrade, that centre has had a major upgrade" - yet Moonah in Hobart (population 198,000) is still running equipment that is between 40 & 49-years old and simply cannot cope anymore.
The staff have virtually been "thrown to the wolves" - and do a great job generally under very trying circumstances - these people can only work with what they have been given - It is extremely tough on those guys.
These are just my thoughts, no offence to anyone intended. :wink:
