HAMPSHIRE'S indoor clubs have turned down a sponsorship deal for the county league that could have been worth £3,000.

The agreement with Bowls Marketing, promoted by Bournemouth bowler and former Hampshire outdoor singles champion Chris Dowding, would have earned the association £1,000 in its first season and a further £2,000 for the year after that.

The crux of the scheme was for clubs to display an advertising board measuring 4ftx3ft in a prominent position at their greens.

In return, clubs would have received scorecards and coloured stickers for woods with mementoes for the winners of Division 1 and Division 2.

For the plan to go ahead ten of the county's 12 clubs needed to give the thumbs up but Atherley, East Dorset and New Milton were not in favour, it was revealed during the county's annual meeting at Atherley.

Atherley and East Dorset already have sponsors and they felt the Bowls Marketing idea might jeopardise their existing arrangements, while New Milton's double-rinker is so small they could not accommodate a board "in a prominent position".

Retiring president and secretary, David Spence, felt that if there had been plenty of enthusiasm from the remaining nine, a deal could still have been struck. But he was disappointed that although three clubs were fully behind the scheme, the other six were merely sitting on the fence.

Spence said: "I am sympathetic with those two clubs who did not want to prejudice their current arrangements, but I am disappointed with the attitude among several other clubs.

"Had this gone ahead it could well have saved future rises in costs and capitation fees, but there is a lot of apathy in bowls and I fear for the game's future," he said.

Spence's 12 years with the association were rewarded when the Banister Park member was made a life vice-president of the county - only the third person in Hampshire's indoor history to be given this honour following Jack Etheridge (Atherley) and Stan Wild (Victory).

Though he has stepped down from two roles, Spence will still be prominent in Hampshire as a standard-bearer and sponsor of youth bowls alongside county coach Tony Grant.

Spence was responsible for the first inter-county junior league this past winter and hopes for the 2003-04 campaign to organise youth matches away to Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.