Please forgive me if I parody an old song by saying, "What a Summer it has been". At the time of writing (early September), only two of the twenty six matches have been interrupted by rain. More about these later. Club evenings, although sometimes sparsely attended, have been sunny and warm.

The ‘A’ team had a disastrous start to the season. The opening match, which was played on a dull and wet evening, was lost to Woodlands Park by 4 rubbers to nil. This adverse result put a question mark against them retaining the Division 1 Championship. Since then they have regained their true form by winning the next four matches with maximum points. Should they achieve similar results in their last two fixtures, and Woodlands Park lose a few points, the Championship will be a close run thing.

The 'B' team has finished second in Division 3; with 4 wins from 6 matches, and 17 points. This will mean Holly-Quinton, who have a tally of 18 points, and ourselves will be playing in Division 2 next season.

The ‘C’ team, playing in Division 5 for the first time, has had a draw from 6 outings. If analysed coldly this does not seem very inspiring, but then it should be remembered that the ‘B' team performed only slightly better in their first season. Normally it takes a couple of years for a team to make its mark. Should the ‘C' team follow this pattern they could be challenging for promotion in twelve months’ time.

Various Cup tournaments have been entered, with mixed results. The Bank, representing Birmingham Corporation, played in a men’s doubles knockout organised by NALGO. In the first round we were drawn against Solihull, whose team consisted of three useful Club players, and one who had played for Derbyshire. After 2 hours play, Solihull were leading by 2 rubbers to nil, with the remaining two rubbers one set each. At which point, as Solihull could not be overhauled, we decided to concede the match. Our participation in the Oakland Shield was a disappointment, losing in the first round to Beaufort Allendale, by 3 rubbers to nil. Our team, on their own admission, played badly, but then I am sure they will do better next time. The Club, by reaching the Junior Cup Final, has achieved a new landmark. It is the first time we have played in a final, and despite losing, on a rainy day, to Holly-Quinton by 3 rubbers to one, our team of Graham Capener & David Turner, John Ordish & Roger Garner need not feel too dispirited for last year we reached the semi-final before losing to the eventual winners. Next year it could be our name that will be engraved on the trophy.

Two tickets were obtained for the Davis Cup Match between Great Britain and Italy. They were allocated by ballot to Stephen Griffin and Graham Capener. These lucky winners tell me, although seeing Great Britain lose the opening Singles, they had an excellent day at Wimbledon.

The Club had its usual tournaments, with Graham Capener having taken the first step towards doing the Club's grand slam. Partnered by David Turner, he has won the Doubles Knockout title by beating the holders and No. 1 seeds, John Ordish and John Britten by 2 sets to 1. He has also reached the Singles Knockout final and will have unseeded Michael Jones as his opponent. The third part of the grand slam is the Singles League in which he has played and won 3 of his 6 matches. But he cannot afford to become complacent, for unlike last year, in those 3 matches he has been made to surrender two sets.

Peter Aston

CONTACT: Christmas 1976

I shouldn't have done it, you know, mention the weather, that is. For, and at the risk of mixing a few metaphors, no sooner had my words tumbled hot from the press, than the rain came down, and almost gummed up the works. The onset of the monsoon season meant the final Division 1 match, against Castle Bromwich, had to be re-arranged three times before it was played. The delay had two effects, it acted to the detriment of Castle Bromwich by blunting their enthusiasm, while at the same time it sharpened our determination to win. For our team of Graham Capener & Dave Turner, John Britten & Ken Prentice, by inflicting a whitewash victory of four rubbers to nil, did a demolition job in about two hours. This put pressure on Woodlands Park, who if they were to clinch the Division 1 title, needed a result from their last match against Holly-Quinton. They managed it, but not without a hiccup or two. The match was also vital to Holly-Quinton because if they produced a bad performance it could doom them to relegation. The final outcome was a draw, which did little for Holly-Quinton, but ensured Woodlands Park of the title with 25 points, just two more than ourselves. Division 1 has been a two horse race all season, for, with the exception of Woodlands Northfield with 16 points, no other team has achieved double figures.

The Club's Singles League was another victim of the rain. By early September most of the twenty eight players had completed two or three of their six matches. With the intervention of the foul weather, and the putting back of the clocks at the end of October the majority of players, as was shown in a recent newsletter, have still got matches outstanding.

Can I ask if they could finish their fixtures promptly, as medals for the winners and runners-up in each Division have still to be won, and relegation situations to be resolved.

In the last edition of Contact I spoke of how Graham Capener had completed the first part of the grand slam. Since then he has retained the Singles League title, but not without difficulty. Unlike last year, when he won all of his six matches by two sets to love, this year he has been made to surrender a set by John Ordish, Malcolm Glenn, Philip Jackson and Michael Jones. The third part of the grand slam is the Knockout Singles. Graham has once again reached the final and will have Michael Jones as his opponent. They have attempted to play the match once but the court was found - because of a heavy overnight frost - to be in a treacherous condition. Because of this and in view of the importance of the match they decided (and I fully endorse this) to postpone the match until a later date.

Roger Garner has reluctantly, for reasons I am unable to divulge, decided to retire temporarily from team tennis. He will be sorely missed as his talents - coupled with those of Philip Jackson, Malcolm Glenn and Ken Prentice - enabled the 'B' team to gain promotion to Division 2. He will not be completely lost to the Club as it is his intention to play in the Singles Knockout, and return to team tennis when he can at some future date.

Peter Aston.

CONTACT: Spring 1977

1977 Preview: All the usual domestic tournaments will be held, Singles and Doubles Knockout for Gentlemen, and the Singles League. The latter, with Women’s lib in mind, has been thrown open. When the final date for entries was reached 22 entered the Singles Knockout, 14 pairs the Doubles Knockout, and 23, including Carol Beamish, the Singles League.

Carol, who will be in Division 3, realises she has to play on level terms with, and expects no favours from, her opponents. This brings me to my evergreen enquiry of, where have all the girls gone? The section has always been adequately supplied with men, (that does not mean we cannot find room for more) but never with women. If more were to show interest, Knockout tournaments would be organised for them. Should the standard warrant it consideration would be given for a team to play in the Ladies Division of the B.M.L.T.L.

So to gauge the potential of the lady players it is intended to have a Mixed Doubles American tournament at a convenient time during the season.

Three teams will play in Divisions 1, 2 and 5, of the B.M.L.T.L. The ‘A’ team, who last season finished runners up in Division 1, is determined to go one better by regaining the title they won for the first in time in 1975. In 1976 the ‘B’ team came second in Division 3. Just one point behind Holly-Quinton, and will play in Division 2 for the first time. Their goal is to consolidate this position with the object of creating a spring-board for further promotion in 1978. The ‘C’ team’s task for 1977 can be summed up in one word, PROMOTION. They entered the League last year playing in Division 5. This invaluable experience should have equipped them to take it by storm at the second attempt.

The B.M.L.T.L., at its A.G.M., decided a tie-break system will operate in League matches when the score reaches six games all in any set except the third when an ordinary advantage shall be played. The tie-break will be played as follows:-

1)    The pair which first wins seven points wins both the game and the set provided they lead by a margin of two points. If the score reaches six points all the game shall be extended until this margin has been achieved. Numerical scoring shall be used throughout the tie-break.

2)    The player whose turn it is to serve shall be the server for the first point. Thereafter, each player shall serve in rotation for two points, in the same order as previously in that set, until the winners of the game and set have been decided.

3)    From the first point, each service shall be delivered alternately from the left and right courts, beginning from the right court.

4)   Players shall change ends after every six points and at the conclusion of the tie-break game.

Rotation of Service

The pair serving first in the tie-break game shall receive service in the first game of the following set.

No other tie-break scoring system is permitted.

In addition to the League matches, team knockout and friendlies will be arranged.

Club evenings will once again be held on Tuesdays commencing at 6.00p.m. on 26th April 1977 at Stechford Hall Park.

Peter Aston.

CONTACT: Summer 1977

1977 Mid-Term Report: The 'A' team lead Division 1 with 16 points from four wins and a draw. The two outstanding fixtures against Holly-Quinton and Woodlands Park should bring the season to an end with a bang.

A possible pointer to the outcome of the match against Woodlands Park - who with ourselves have dominated Division 1 since 1975 - could be taken from this year's Junior Cup. We were drawn together in the First Round and they had a whitewash of four rubbers to nil inflicted upon them. A similar result in the League could clinch the title for us.

Two further whitewashes, against Castle Bromwich and Roundabout, have been recorded. In both cases the margin of victory was by four rubbers to nil, and eight sets to nil, with the combined games total 99-29 in our favour.

The 'B' team, by starting their first season in Division 2 with 8 points from two wins and a draw, have done enough to dispel any thoughts of relegation. Should comparable results be produced in the second half of the season then they could be in contention for the Division 2 championship.

The 'C' team, by losing their three opening fixtures – two by three rubbers to one and the other four rubbers to nil - found the going a bit tough at the start. However, 12th July 1977, by beating Cannings in an away match was the date when the 'C team came good. The winning margin of four rubbers to nil, eight sets to nil and forty nine games to eighteen was achieved by Stephen Griffin and Stephen Barnsley, Alf Young and Pat Murray. If a similar result is achieved in their final match against B.I.B.S. on the 1st August then promotion is also within the ‘C' team's grasp.

The Club's own tournaments have been coming along very well with the Semi-Final stage having been reached.

The attendance at Club evenings has been a little disappointing, but with the coming of better weather and when the holidays are completed this situation should improve.

Peter Aston,

Hon. Secretary.

CONTACT: Christmas 1977