CONTACT: Spring 1979
In 1979 the Club will have all its usual activities, Club evenings, the basis on which everything is built,
will be held on Tuesdays. They will commence at Stechford Hall Park on Tuesday, 1st May at 6.00p.m. The park is situated near the
Fox & Goose public house, Washwood Heath, and can be reached by travelling on the following 'bus routes: 11, 14, 28, 55, 93, 94,
161, 168 and 171. The park has three all-weather courts, dressing rooms, and a car park. The most convenient entrance is on the right
in Coleshill Road, opposite the Metropolitan Sports Ground.
Knockout Tournaments for Men's Singles & Doubles, and the Singles League (which is open to both men and women) will be held. It will be appreciated if participants will show a greater determination to complete the matches this year. Being mindful of this, certain decisions were made at the A.G.M. Firstly, entry will be restricted to those members who have paid their annual subscription. Secondly, those contestants named first in the Knockout tournaments will be made responsible to arrange the matches and inform Graham Capener of the results. Finally, dates by when the rounds have to be played will be rigidly adhered to.
The Club is always looking for new members, and especially from the young ladies on the staff. Ladies may contact our treasurer, Carol Beamish, at Sheldon branch to get an insight into the Club before attending any of the evenings. Anyone wanting to become a member of the Club should credit A/c No. 01-185439-68 with the £1.00 annual subscription and send the counterfoil to Sheldon branch, for the attention of the treasurer. What could be simpler or cheaper than that?
Three teams will once again play in the Men's section of the Birmingham Metropolitan Lawn Tennis League. On 7th May the 'A' team starts its second season in the Premier Division with a home match against Sutton United. In 1978 Graham Capener, David Turner, John Britten and John Ordish, with some invaluable help from Malcolm Glenn, finished as Joint Champions. This season, with the inclusion of a new team, M & B, they will play eight matches with the best kept until the last. 30th July is the date when Beaufort-Allendale are to be entertained in the crunch match which should decide where the 1979 title will go.
The ‘B’ team, after suffering the indignity of relegation, will be playing in Division 3. This can only be viewed as a stutter in their progress to the top, as it is expected they will bounce back at the first attempt. In this endeavour, Malcolm Glenn and Ken Prentice will be looked upon to give the necessary leadership to those members such as Larry Sharrard, Stephen Griffin, David Skett, Paul Bumford, Stephen Barnsley and Peter Aston who will spear-head the return to Division 2.
The 'C' team, by finishing equal fourth in Division 5, had their best season yet, and with a little more effort and luck could be promoted by the end of July.
Peter Aston,
Hon. Secretary.
CONTACT: Autumn 1979
After finishing as joint champions in 1978, 1979 was going to be Act 2 of the Beaufort-Allendale/T.S.B. show. But with Beaufort-Allendale victorious in all matches except one - by four rubbers to nil – this was not to be. The exception was against ourselves when, after some good play by Graham Capener and David Turner, they were forced to surrender a rubber.
The big disappointment of the season was the sudden, and unexpected, loss of form of John Ordish and John Britten. This is all the more so when the manner in which they have dominated the Club is remembered - both as a duo and individually - for a number of years. The selectors (Ken Prentice, David Turner and Peter Aston) felt the situation lent itself to experimentation. This involved giving Malcolm Glenn and Ken Prentice a game in the Premier Division, while asking the two Johns to turn out for the second team. In the circumstances, everything turned out reasonably well. For although Malcolm Glenn and Ken Prentice were given a baptism of fire against Beaufort-Allendale, the other two regained some of their confidence, and composure, in a rain affected match against Monyhull Hospital, by taking one rubber, and drawing one set each in the other.
The second team's fixtures have been ill-fated. Although a whitewash was registered against Cincinnati, two matches were cancelled when Birmingham Poly. and Woodlands Park withdrew from the League. The remaining fixture against Douglas Sports was lost with Paul Bumford, David Skett, Chris Riordan and Stephen Griffin only mustering 12 of the 60 games played.
The third team fared a little bit better with one game cancelled, a draw, and two losses of three rubbers to one. So that with only four points from a maximum of twelve, they could be relegated to Division Six.
The Club tournaments have progressed well. The Singles Knockout Final will be contested by the first and second seeds, Graham Capener and David Turner. The Doubles Knockout has reached the Semi-Final Stage. The first seeds, and holders, Graham Capener and David Turner will be faced by Jim Allkins and Peter Aston. The second seeds, John Ordish and John Britten, have to play David Skett and Gary Grainger.
Stephen Griffin has already reached the Extra Singles Knockout Final, but has to wait patiently for his opponent from Roger Garner, Chris Riordan or David Skett to appear.
The Singles League is in an interesting position. Division 1 is led by Graham Capener, the defending champion, but he cannot rest secure until obtaining a victory against David Turner. Ken Prentice and Stephen Griffin, each without a win from three matches have got relegation staring them in the face, but Malcolm Glenn - with only one victory - cannot consider himself safe.
In Division 2, John Britten, with four wins, is already assured of returning to Division 1, and should be accompanied by Chris Riordan. Chris, with convincing wins against Larry Sharrard, Paul Bumford and Peter Aston has been the surprise of the season. Peter Aston, having played all his matches, is doomed to relegation, with the other place being filled by Larry Sharrard, Robert Grinham or Paul Bumford.
Roger Garner, by winning four matches, will be promoted from Division 3 as champion. The only doubt is the identity of the person to be promoted with him. Although David Skett lies second, Nigel Bearcroft could push him into third place by beating Chris Bowcott and Nigel Evans, thus depriving him of being runner-up with the medal that goes with it.
The Club evenings, despite some atrocious weather during July and August, have been quite well attended. It was pleasing to see some new faces- especially amongst the ladies. With a few more, which may come from the ranks of the enlarged bank, the Clubs' future must be assured.
I would like to put on record my thanks to Ken Prentice and Graham Capener, for shouldering on two occasions each the responsibility of running the Club evenings. Also, spare a thought for the selectors, who sometimes have a thankless task.
Peter Aston.
CONTACT: Christmas 1979
For, the benefit of those members who staffed the former TSB of the Midlands (with the object of attracting some of them
to join), may I give a short history of the Club.
Since its inception in 1962 a weekly Club evening has been held from May to
September every season. These Club evenings take place on a Tuesday at Stechford Hall Park, Coleshill Road, Ward End, Birmingham from
6.00p.m. until dusk.
In 1963 a team of four players obtained a place in Division 2 of the now defunct Birmingham Corporation Evening Tennis League. Much to everyone’s surprise they finished top, gaining promotion to Division 1. Over the next seven years the Club went from strength to strength. After finishing as runners-up for three years, a run as league champions began. During this time the playing strength had become sufficient to launch a second team, which eventually also gained promotion to Division 1. Subsequently this team became the only team able to provide any kind of challenge to the first team's supremacy.
In 1971, both teams transferred to the Birmingham Metropolitan Lawn Tennis League - a third team joining then a few years later. The first team took the Division 3 championship by a convincing margin at the first attempt. The next year Division 2 was won, but with four teams at the top covered by 2 points it was the cliff-hanger to end all cliff-hangers. Over the next few years we finished 4th, 2nd and champions of Division 1 twice. The B.M.L.T.L. in 1973 asked us, because of our reasonably successful record, to fill a vacancy in its Premier Division. The Club gratefully accepted and finished as joint champions at the first attempt. In 1979 the Club won the Junior Cup, by beating the holders, Holly-Quinton, by three rubbers to nil in the final at the M&B Sports Ground.
In addition to all the league matches the Club also holds numerous internal tournaments. These include both a Singles and Doubles Knockout tournament for men and a Singles League which is open to everyone.
Despite all this success there is one aspect of the Club which causes me some concern, being our inability to attract more than a handful of lady members. This is unfortunate for I am sure if more were to take an interest the Club would be able to arrange tournaments for them with the object of finding a team to play in the Ladies Section of the B.M.L.T.L.
The Club's Annual General Meeting has always been held at Broad Street, Birmingham in February or March. At this meeting the state of the Club past, present and future is fully discussed with amongst other things the committee being elected.
The present committee is:
President: Mr J W Hoccom Chairman: Mr N Alsop Secretary: Mr P H Aston Treasurer: Mr S Barnsley Selectors: Messrs Prentice, Turner
and Aston
Finally, I would like to put on record the Club's appreciation (and mine) of its immediate past Treasurer, Mrs Carol Beamish. She decided to leave the staff of the B.M.T.S.B. in the autumn of 1979 because of a growing event. Come back soon, Carol, we will be pleased to see you.
Peter Aston,
Secretary.