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Chadstone 'All The Bowling Ladies' Lose Fight To Save Their Club

But this battle is far from over.
'All The Bowling Ladies' will fight on to save their club.
Chadstone Bowling Club
'All The Bowling Ladies' will fight on to save their club.

No amount of bowls or Beyonce could save the Chadstone 'Chaddy' Bowls Club in south east Melbourne from destruction.

Stonnington Council voted at a council meeting on Monday night to demolish the club to make room for a netball and basketball stadium.

The decision was made following the club's viral Facebook video, featuring three of their members dancing to Beyonce's 'Single Ladies'.

'All The Bowling Ladies' aimed to attract some attention to the campaign to save Chaddy Bowls and attention was certainly what it got -- the video has amassed 1.3 million views since it was uploaded in July.

"It's much more than just a bowling green. It's their social interaction and their connection with the community," video organiser Denise Wallish told HuffPost Australia back in July.

"We're not against netballers or basketballers but I know with my own kids, basketball is one of many things in their lives -- but for the bowlers it is the [only] thing in their lives.

"For some of the elderly men, it's the reason why they get up in the morning."

On Monday evening, over 200 people crammed into the Malvern Town Hall to learn the fate of the club. The Age reports some people were holding yellow balloons to support the Chaddy Bowls campaign and that cries of protest could be heard across the room as the final decision was handed down.

Alan Jolly, president of Chadstone Recreation and Civic Club told Fairfax Media that the decision is disappointing, but the fight to save the Club is not over.

"We're in shock and we're feeling flat but we will continue to fight this on a number of fronts," Mr Jolly said.

"We have said this from the start, we have no issues with the need for new sporting courts but don't throw out one sports club in preference for another. Don't measure the needs of young women at the expense of old people and old girls, it's ageist and it's wrong."

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