The Management Committee of the Chelmsford & District Table Tennis League were sad to learn of the passing of Frank Neill on Tuesday 18 June 2024. We are indebted to his friend, Francis Whitbread, for writing the following obituary about Frank.

FRANK NEILL

It is with much sadness that I write to advise of the death of Frank Neill, who played table tennis in the Chelmsford League for the best part of fifty years. As far as I am aware his first club was Rodings YC, which was around in the early 1970s, before moving to Moulsham Lodge, which was the team he was playing for when our paths first crossed, probably about 1990.

I got to know Frank well as an opponent over the next few years, and when my club, Highwood, decided to enter a team in the Brentwood League in 1994, he was a natural choice to ask to join our squad of players, and it was from that point that our friendship began, something that has continued ever since. I am sure Frank didn’t need much persuading to join us, as he loved his table tennis, and over the years played regularly in the Brentwood and Braintree Leagues as well as turning out virtually every week in Chelmsford. This was despite living in White Roding and the journey that entailed to both home and away fixtures.

Over the years, as clubs folded or changed identity, Frank played for Baddow Village, Chelmsford, Writtle and finally Highwood. It was a great pleasure for me to play a season or two with my dear friend at Highwood in the Chelmsford League after so many years opposing each other.  

Those of you reading this who also played with or against Frank will remember him as I do, as an ace defender. His powers of retrieval were remarkable, and many is the time he wore opponents down until they missed an attacking shot trying to end yet another long rally. Frank told me once that in his early days at Moulsham Lodge, when he played with the likes of Ken Maunder and Chris English (another very good friend who I met through table tennis), names some of you may remember, he was an all-out attacker, and only switched to the defending game when his reflexes began to slow. When I think of some of the shots I saw him get back over the years, I think his reflexes actually improved with age.

On the table, Frank was a great example of how to go about the business of playing table tennis, quiet, with very little talking between rallies, totally focused on the game and how he wanted to play it. In all the years I played with or against him, I never saw Frank lose his temper, engage in any histrionics or even raise his voice. Rather that kind of behaviour came from his opponents, frustrated at their failure to overcome his defensive game.

Away from the table, Frank had a lovely, quiet sense of humour and always had something interesting to say. I have lost a good and loyal friend and I know there are others in Chelmsford table tennis who will feel the same. Rest in peace Frank.