Acle Indoor Bowls Club are gearing up ready for the coming winter season, and domestic league captains may now collect their fixtures from the club on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.

Due to late withdrawals there is one vacancy in the Thursday Evening Mixed Fours League and in the Thursday Morning Mixed Pairs League.

Anyone interested in filling these vacancies should contact the club secretary without delay.

The Men’s County League captains have met and all three squads have been strengthened with either new signings or promotions.

The Ladies’ County League section have gone one better and they have entered a whole new team in that league.

The new squad have been undertaking extra training sessions during the summer to prepare them for their first taste of action at that level.

Club manager Denis Goodley said: “I expect this new team of players to do really well, they are extremely competitive and we all look forward to watching their progress in the league.”

The equivalent of �15,000 of new IT equipment has been provided during the summer.

It has been installed at a fraction of the cost, thanks in the main to the generosity of new presidents Ron and Gill Taylor and the volunteer labour force.

Other improvements include new underlay, improvements to the run of the green, improved changing facilities, electronic notice boards and new lighting.

A full programme of leagues starts on Monday, September 12 and roll-ups can be booked the week before in the evenings only.

The date for the Acle Open, which a number of the world’s top players enter, has been fixed for Saturday/Sunday, January 7 and 8, with over �1,200 in prize money available.

The weekend before that the Acle Junior Open will take place.