Dear UK Showdown
It is with a great deal of regret that we find it necessary to set out our concerns in such an open and public way. Regardless of age, culture or previous involvement with other sports, many of us (the wider Showdown community in England) were immediately drawn to Showdown by the accessibility, the fun and creativity of the sport, and most especially the community of genuine and helpful players, referees and coaches that has blossomed around it.
We cannot begin to imagine the plethora of logistical and financial difficulties which UK Showdown faced as it desperately tried to introduce and popularise a new VI sport in a country that had never heard of it, and we will always be grateful for their efforts in this regard.
However, in 2026, the national championships were attended by 11 clubs, fielding 44 players from across the length and breadth of England. This does not even begin to cover the number of players who did not participate, or the clubs who (for various reasons) were not ready or able to take part. Such exponential growth inevitably brings with it new governance and logistical challenges. In light of recent events, we have become convinced that UK Showdown, as it is currently constituted, is either unwilling or unable to meet those challenges.
Our concerns:
Transparency
The continued growth of Showdown in the UK means that it is becoming increasingly important that all clubs, wherever they are, are kept informed of significant developments as they happen. Currently, the only platform on which these announcements are shared is a WhatsApp group. This is made even more precarious due to the fact that the group doesn’t have a representative from each established team.
Even on this group, announcements are sporadic, and responses to relevant questions are often not forthcoming. There have been instances of emails from within the wider Showdown community that have also gone unanswered.
This inability to communicate is most clearly demonstrated when it comes to sharing information regarding open international tournaments or opportunities to play abroad. These occasions represent a fantastic way for players at all levels to gain experience and make connections. UK Showdown doesn’t inform the community of such tournaments ahead of time, thus preventing players from expressing interest or signing up. Due to this inaction, we all miss out.
Ranked competitions, in which the UK participates, are often announced shortly before the entry deadlines. When players are selected to represent the UK, the criteria used to make these decisions are not shared with the community. This means that players who are interested in being considered for future opportunities do not know how to progress in order to make the cut.
We understand that UK Showdown is currently in the process of obtaining registered charity status, and that certain other structural changes are also in contemplation. However, this has been intimated for an extended period, and no concrete information has been provided. Equally, the community has been given no opportunity to feed into any discussions regarding how UK Showdown can best serve it or its interests. Simply put, we do not know how we will fit into the organisation’s roadmap.
Player Development
With only two national tournaments a year, and the inability for every existing club to send players to participate, the opportunities for progression are limited.
There are also clubs who are, for a multitude of reasons, unable to field the teams for league fixtures. This doesn’t only impact them and the development of their players, but affords other teams in their division less opportunities to play on a wide variety of tables, meet new players and experience stricter playing conditions. These league matches have formed an essential stepping stone for clubs who would like to send more players to the national tournaments as mentioned above.
Additionally, new clubs are not given structured support or checked in with regularly, meaning that any support they receive is provided by the willingness of existing players to travel and train, at their own expense. There is a clear need for more structured training sessions similar to the “girl’s days”, which have been so well received.
The need for support doesn’t only affect new clubs though. There is a clear imbalance between the opportunities afforded to players in the south of England, and northern teams are left largely to fend for themselves. Given the drastic increase in Showdown in that region over the last 18 months, this lack of support is particularly egregious.
Accountability
It is widely understood that any reference made to UK Showdown refers exclusively to two or three individuals, all from a single club. The decisions it makes have a profound impact on the experiences of clubs and players around the country, and it is clear that this autocratic style of governance is neither representative nor fair. It is also worth knowing that the transparency and development issues outlined above would also be somewhat improved if a more collaborative approach was encouraged.
In the past, important safeguarding concerns have barely been acknowledged. This is compounded by critical decisions made about players without informing them or the clubs they play for. In addition, players who raise concerns are directly or indirectly told that they are “complaining”, or given assurances that systems of governance will change.
The majority of the visually impaired community knows the feeling of being undermined by large organisations or governance structures. Far too often, our voices go unheard and the concerns we raise go unanswered. Sport has brought so many of us together who might never otherwise have met. It is discouraging to feel like this is just another example of overarching bodies making decisions for the collective. Nothing about us without us means nothing if those who are trying to suggest changes are ignored.
Our Solutions
Ultimately, it is not our intention to completely upend the foundation on which Showdown in the UK is played. There is, however, a clear need for reform.
The concerns we have raised demonstrate that the UK Showdown community would be best served by a democratic system. The Governing Body would include a representative from each club, and future elections would ensure that decisions are always taken with everyone’s best interests at heart.
We would also recommend that official communications and newsletters be distributed through a more accessible, formalised communication channels such as email, which any interested party could subscribe to.
With respect to tournaments, the selection for ranked competitions must be publicly disclosed and consistently applied. Any changes to these criteria must be voted upon, and communicated to the community once agreed.
In the case of open tournaments or international friendlies, final decisions regarding who may attend and on what basis must always be left in the hands of the relevant club. While it is strongly encouraged to communicate these decisions to UK Showdown, this is exclusively for informational purposes.
Conclusion
We deserve a fairer, more democratic future, built on trust and mutual respect. We cannot be taken seriously as a competitive nation if our players do not have faith in the National Governing Body that represents them.
Currently, our interests are not being represented or respected.
This needs to change.
Yours sincerely
We the undersigned
Dear all,
On Monday 21 September, we received a response to our open letter from UK Showdown. We append this response below.
We thank those of you who have signed. Whilst we know that there were a number of people from different clubs who did not feel able to put their name to this letter, we thank you for your support as well. Change is comprised of many different voices, all as valid as each other.
Dear Members of the Showdown Community,
Thank you for taking the time to set out your concerns and suggestions regarding the development and governance of Showdown in the UK. We welcome feedback from players and clubs and appreciate the passion that everyone involved brings to the sport.
We share your view that Showdown has grown significantly in recent years, and we are proud of the progress that has been achieved through the collective efforts of players, coaches, officials, volunteers and clubs across the country. As participation continues to increase, it is natural that expectations regarding communication, governance and player development also evolve.
We would like to respond to several of the points raised in your letter and provide clarification where we believe it is required.
Communication and Transparency
We recognise the importance of effective communication with all clubs and players. However, we would like to clarify that significant announcements have primarily been shared through the existing WhatsApp communication network because it was considered the most immediate and accessible method for many participants. We acknowledge that this system is not perfect.
While responses may not always be immediate, questions raised by clubs and players are answered. There may however sometimes be delays due to the voluntary nature of much of the work undertaken on behalf of the sport.
With regard to international tournaments, information about sanctioned events is publicly available through the IBSA website and related international channels. UK Showdown generally publicises those events for which we are coordinating entries or selecting players. Players invited to represent the UK are identified based on player standards, current rankings, knowledge, form and potential, yes some of this is subjective and therefore eligible players are informed directly and then announced on our social media channels etc. It is not the case that players are being prevented from participating because information is being deliberately withheld.
Organisational Development
The process of establishing UK Showdown as a registered charity has been underway for approximately eighteen months. As many will appreciate, obtaining charitable status requires significant administrative work and compliance with regulatory requirements. While progress may appear slower than some would wish, considerable work has been taking place behind the scenes, and we are hopeful of reaching a successful conclusion in the near future. Clubs, players and volunteers continue to play a vital role in the development of the sport, and their contributions remain highly valued.
Player and Club Development
We agree that supporting a rapidly growing sport presents challenges. However, we do not recognise the suggestion that clubs, particularly those in the north of England, have been left without support.
Every new club receives introductory training and ongoing access to guidance and assistance. Over the last twelve months, UK Showdown has delivered more than sixteen training days across different regions of the country. In addition, online coach education programmes have been introduced to allow coaches nationwide to develop their skills regardless of location. Further training opportunities and advanced coaching programmes are already being planned.
We acknowledge that increasing participation places pressure on existing competition structures and resources. This remains an area of ongoing development, and we are committed to exploring ways to provide additional opportunities for players at all levels.
Governance and Accountability
We were disappointed by the characterisation of UK Showdown’s governance as “autocratic”. Such a description does not reflect the reality of how decisions are made.
UK Showdown has always sought to act collaboratively and in the best interests of the sport as a whole. Those involved have dedicated substantial personal time and effort to establishing and developing Showdown throughout the UK. While we recognise that not every decision will be universally supported, decisions are made with the objective of benefiting the wider Showdown community rather than any individual club or group.
We also reject the suggestion that safeguarding concerns have not been taken seriously. Any safeguarding matters brought to UK Showdown’s attention have been addressed promptly and appropriately. We urge anyone who feels that a safeguarding concern has not been dealt with to urgently contact us directly. Constructive feedback is welcomed and remains an important part of improving the sport.
Future Governance Structure
We share the ambition for open, accountable and representative governance. However, the proposal that every club should directly form part of the governing body is not feasible nor compatible with the responsibilities required of a national governing organisation.
The role of a governing body’s board is to ensure that the organisation operates effectively, legally and in the best interests of the sport. Governance arrangements should be determined through appropriate constitutional processes, with elections and votes taking place at Annual General Meetings and other designated forums.
That said, we remain committed to ensuring that clubs and players have meaningful opportunities to contribute their views and influence the future direction of Showdown.
Areas of Agreement
We welcome the suggestion that communication should be strengthened through additional formal channels. While WhatsApp has provided an effective means of rapid communication, we agree that regular email updates and newsletters would help ensure wider accessibility and consistency of information. We will therefore explore implementing a communication system that combines both methods.
We also agree that the rapid growth of showdown in the UK has strained the current governance structure and as such we will be looking to expand our current committee over the coming months through a stringent recruitment process.
Moving Forward
We are keen to ensure that the future of Showdown is one built on trust and transparency. While we may not agree with all the assertions contained within the letter, we fully support the principle that the future success of Showdown depends on openness, mutual respect and constructive communication.
The growth of our sport has been achieved through the commitment and cooperation of clubs, regions, players and volunteers. We would like to highlight that UK Showdown is made up entirely of volunteers, who balance our commitment to the sport alongside employment and other responsibilities. Our time and dedication are given because we care deeply about the sport and its future.
We welcome constructive feedback and practical suggestions, and we encourage members to raise concerns directly with those involved so that they can be discussed openly and, wherever possible, resolved collaboratively. We would urge that any future concerns are brought to UK Showdown directly rather than publicly airing them as this can make constructive dialogue more difficult and does not support the positive, respectful environment we all want for Showdown. Additionally, negative connotations can be associated with the sport as a result, thus making it harder to achieve future funding which, of course, would impact everyone involved. In light of this we would ask that the open Letter is removed from the open social media channels it has been posted on as we feel that posting the open letter in this way will further damage the image of the sport in the ways outlined above.
Going forward, we are committed to strengthening and developing the Showdown committee and will shortly be recruiting new members to create a more robust governance base from which to grow the sport. We will be seeking expertise and knowledge in key areas including safeguarding, finance, fundraising and grassroots sport development.
In the interests of equality and fair practice, we will advertise the new roles across our membership as well as through open recruitment. We would encourage members with the appropriate skills and experience to apply.
We are committed to equal opportunities and a fair and transparent recruitment process. As part of this, applications will be anonymised at the initial shortlisting stage, with identifying information removed so that applicants are assessed on their skills, experience and suitability for the role.
Similarly, UK Showdown will invite BBS to participate as an independent organisation on the recruitment panel. Further information regarding recruitment of new committee members and the recruitment process will be available soon.
We hope we have been able to provide a fair and balanced response to the queries raised in the open letter along with demonstrating the steps we are taking to respond to concerns and outline our plans.
Thank you again for sharing your views and for your ongoing commitment to the sport.
We can assure you that the interests of our members and the growth our sport always remains our priority.
Kind regards,
UK Showdown
While we do not agree with every point raised in this response, we appreciate the time and thought put into it. We hope that, in the months ahead, the promised developments will come to fruition.
We are entirely committed to transparency and open communication. Going forward, we will continue to uphold these values so that our community can be represented and informed in the way that it deserves. This letter and its responses will remain in the public record and we hope that, even for our disagreements, this can be a stepping stone towards greater collaboration.
We await substantive change and look forward to ongoing discussions with UK Showdown.
We remain,
The undersigned