NEWSLETTER - April 2019
CLUB CLOSURE EASTER WEEKEND + Club sessions will NOT take place on Good Friday 19th April or Easter Saturday 20th April. The Saturday session the following week, Saturday 27th April, is also cancelled as it now coincides with the Annual Closed Tournament at the Torbay Leisure Centre. The Friday night session, Friday 26th April, is unaffected and will run as normal.
NO SESSION – GOOD FRIDAY 19TH APRIL, EASTER SATURDAY 20TH APRIL AND SATURDAY 27TH APRIL
CRAIG BRYANT COACHING SESSION – This opportunity for all Newton Abbot TTC members takes place on Saturday 30th March, 9:00-12:00. If you have not already booked your place please let Tony know if you would like to attend – Adults £7.50, Juniors £5.00. There should be a couple of tables available for normal practice if you don’t want to be involved.
https://www.topedgetabletennis.co.uk/
SOUTH DEVON AND TORBAY CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS
As mentioned above the Annual Closed Championships take place at Torbay Leisure Centre on Saturday 27th April 2019. This is an all-day event with plenty of table tennis to be played. We would like to see a good contingent of players from the club taking part in this event, which is organised by Tony Halse. There are competitions for different age groups and Divisions, as well as the major events where you can get a chance to play against the top local players. For more info speak to Tony. While the tournament is primarily for League players there are some Junior events free to enter and open to all players in those age categories, whether League players or not. Link to an Entry Forms below or from Tony.
FINALS AND PRESENTATION OF TROPHIES NIGHT – NEWTON ABBOT RACECOURSE TUESDAY 30TH APRIL
For many years I have been advocating a finals night where anyone can come along and see our top players in action as they battle for the various titles in our Closed Tournament. The committee has agreed to trial it this season, so I hope you will all do your best to support it. This event, which will include the presentation of all the season’s awards, is taking place at Newton Abbot Racecourse on Tuesday 30th April, 7-10pm. The semi-finals and final of the Men’s singles and several finals – Ladies, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles etc will be held back from the Saturday afternoon to be completed on the following Tuesday at the Finals Night. A spacious, comfortable, excellent setting with refreshments available, so bring along your family and friends, sit back and enjoy some top local Table Tennis
SOUTH DEVON AND TORBAY TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE
In the top Division, NA Batmen are in line for the runners-up spot as, realistically, no-one is likely to catch the formidable Torbay Academy 1 team at the top. NA Buzzards look set to finish in third place with the Condors in fifth. Herbie Sage, Kevin Nicholls, Shaun & Dennis Gibbs all feature in the top 8 of the averages with over 70%.
Another good year for NA Eagles in the second division, but they too are going to be runners-up, trailing behind Torbay Academy 2. NA Falcons should finish a credible fourth in a very tough division. Jim McIvor, Andy Tyrrell and Ed Crawford feature in the top six of the averages all with over 70%
NA Falcons – Jeremy Broad, Chris Baron, Chris Jacob
NA Hawks fine season has tailed off a bit towards the end of the campaign, looking to challenge for the title a month or so ago they have faltered in recent weeks and look like finishing third. Player availability has hit the Kestrels who have also struggled recently and will probably have to accept a 7th place finish.
In the fourth Division our Owls and Kites are hoping to finish 3rd & 4th but face a bit of competition yet to ensure that. In their first season away from the lowest division both teams have done really well and there has been considerable progress particularly from our juniors. Rowan Bayliss with 71% and Josh Redfern both feature in the top eight of the averages.
NA Kites – Richard Salt, Josh Redfern , Lewis Short
Our beginners and juniors in the fifth division have enjoyed an excellent season gaining experience and improving all the time. Our Ospreys will finish runners-up, the Vultures are battling for a third place finish while the Merlins will probably finish sixth. Rob Ferguson is second in the averages with 97%, Andy Guy, Henry Greet and Benj Pead also make the top eight.
TEAM HANDICAP CUP COMPETITIONS
NA Falcons have reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, and could face our Kites in the semi-final if they can see off the Hasbeens. The Buzzards and the Kestrels both lost out in the quarters. The Hawks and Buzzards are still fighting in the Dyment Doubles competition.
SPRING / SUMMER COMPETITIONS
When the League season finishes towards the middle of April, our regular sessions in the sports hall will continue as normal on Friday nights and Saturday mornings right through the summer (with the exceptions mentioned above) There will be some disruption while exams take place in the sports hall (end of May through June), however, I am hopeful we will again have access to the end of the Sports Hall, as well as the Dance Studio, so we should still have at least 10 tables available. Depending on the allocation of space during the exams, the below competitions have been provisionally booked for the following dates:
FRIDAY 17TH MAY - Newton Abbot TTC Singles Competition (new)
SATURDAY 18TH MAY – Don Blatchford Junior Challenge
FRIDAY 24TH MAY, FRIDAY 7TH JUNE, FRIDAY 21ST JUNE, FRIDAY 5TH JULY & FRIDAY 19TH JULY – Albany Florists Cup for Non League, Div 4 & Div 5 standard players
Don Blatchford trophy winners 2018
NEWTON ABBOT TTC IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
Kevin Nicholls, Jon Cheung and Dan Webster-Hall all represent Newton Abbot TTC along with Fraser Kent and Wim Faassen, in the British National League C-6. Playing up to four matches over four weekends during the season, they have just completed their fixtures finishing in a creditable 6th place in a very strong division. Always very enjoyable and competitive, well done.
NEWTON ABBOT TTC REPRESENTING DEVON VETS
Sonja Ryland & Kevin Nicholls have regularly represented Devon Vets in their very successful League campaign this season, finishing top of their division without losing a match. Supported by Mike Hugh & Paul Laverty, with our Dennis Gibbs helping out one weekend. A brilliant effort!
Devon Vets – Mike Hugh, Paul Laverty, Sonja Ryland, Kevin Nicholls
EXETER AND DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE
The Exeter League has again been dominated by Newton Abbot TTC players. Representing Coaver ‘A’ Dennis Gibbs, Kevin Nicholls, Jon Cheung and Dean Sully with a little help from Shaun Gibbs will again win the top division. Runners-up look likely to be Giles Tushingham, Yannick Tushingham and Rory Harries.
To properly celebrate our Kevin’s 50th birthday the Buzzards embarked on their most ambitious campaign yet, venturing to the skipper’s motherland! Tour guide, Mr Cheung, with impeccable organisation, had booked us into a central hotel next to Cologne Cathedral and organised many exciting activities based mainly around eating and drinking. Not sure what our strength and conditioning coach would have thought of the diet but we certainly enjoyed it! Visits included the city’s Ice bar, the zoo, the cathedral (including climbing the bell tower), chocolate factory/museummmm, Bonn castle and the Drachenfels. Add in to the above the biggest snowfall in Cologne for a number of years, the local Kolsch beer and an incredible selection of eateries, where the menus included not just the brackenwort sausage but also crocodile, camel, ostrich and kangaroo! and you had an amazing few days. Brilliant fun with a great group of people, roll on the next campaign!
2019-2020 SOUTH DEVON AND TORBAY LEAGUE SEASON
As the current season draws to a close it would be extremely helpful to know of folks wishes for next season. Particularly those who would like to get involved in league table tennis for the first time and any players from this season who may not wish to be involved next season.
SOUTH DEVON AND TORBAY TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE WEBSITE
Keep an eye on all things table tennis locally by logging on to the League’s website at: www.tabletennis365.com/southdevon
A link to this newsletter is sent to all those players who have attended our practice sessions at Teign School in the last few months. If you do not wish to be included on my circulation list please let me know. tonyhalse@hotmail.com
