News
16.01.12Margate Handicap Tournament
Saunday the 15th January saw the annual Margate Club Handicap tournament take place at Hartsdown. In what was a very strong field, the standard throughout the day was very high, with group games in the morning that could easily have been finals.
Having successfully navigated his way through his group, Ian Mileham faced a tricky quarter final tie with Trevor Kelly. With Mileham giving away a large start, Kelly was considered slight favourite, and that was justified as Kelly raced into a 17-2 lead in the first end in the race to 25. Mileham though was not done, and went on to win that end and the match, in what was a brutal performance from the champion.
In the other quarter finals, Simon Hillier was given the one tie he didn't want, but the one that everyone else wanted to happen, a match up with Becki Stevens. It was a lose lose situation for Hillier, who was either going to be out of the tournament, or in the dog house. With Ian Mileham waiting in the semi final for the winner, Hillier went for it, and just squeaked past Stevens in a tight 2-1 win. A lonely afternoon and evening was to come....
Elsewhere, Andy Roberts got the better of Dave Stevens to book his place in the semi. Stevens had several game points on Roberts, but failed to convert, as Roberts powerful forehand proved just too much.
In the last quarter final, Danny Lansdown knocked out the evergreen Roy Lambert. Lambert had showed good form in the group, beating Trevor Kelly and Simon Kear. But Lansdown's recent form was far too much for Lambert, who couldn't find a way past the solid defense of the Margate A maestro.
Onto the semi's, and first up was Roberts and Lansdown. Roberts cruised to the first end, before Lansdown managed to get to grips with Roberts' forehand topspin, blocking back everything the Margate C man could throw at him. Lansdown sneaked the second end, and with Lansdown taking the lead in the decided, it looked all over for Roberts. However, with Lansdown going on the offensive, errors started to come into his game, and Roberts pounced on his mistakes, taking the third end to seal his place in the final.
Ian Mileham and Simon Hillier then took to the table for the right to face Roberts in the final. The game was a long and arduous one for both players, and the game went to a deciding set. With the scores locked at 17-17 a piece, the game would go to whoever could keep the topspin errors out of their game. With a couple of service return errors and blistering topsin winners from Mileham, he took the deciding game 25-23 to set up the finale between himself and Roberts.
With Mileham jumping straight back onto the table for the final after his battle in the semi, Roberts was considered slight favourite, having had a rest and with the handicap in his favour. But Mileham digged deep into his energy reserves, and pulled out what was probably his best performance of the day. Roberts' game was error strewn, and Mileham took full advantage, sealing the match 2-0 and retaining his title.
Report W/C 14th November
Odds A remain top this week having defeated bottom side Rebels B 9-1. It was plain sailing for Odds, who didn’t drop a single end until the last singles game of the night, where Ian Barker pulled out his best performance of the season to defeat Andy Cannon 3-1. Normal service was resumed for the doubles though, a three set winning giving Odds the win, giving them nine valuable points in their quest for the title.
Margate B sit second, and look a good bet to push Odds all the way for the title. Ron Rowley’s great form continued for the B side, as they beat Odds C 8-2. It was another comfortable hat-trick for Rowley, but a different story for team-mates Denis Cannon and John Ferguson. Cannon fell to the consistency of Mick Eames, with Ferguson being undone by the consistent pushing and blocking of the in-form Sharon Clark. With eight points in the bag, Margate sit just two points behind Keith Clark’s Odds A.
In third place are Margate C, but their position in the top three looks perilous after a 5-5 draw with Rebels A, and with their blank week looming. It was a great night for “Wall” Ursell who, having lost his bat, went on to win all three against Andy Roberts, Simon Kear and Simon Hillier using his son’s! With Rob Biagolowicz absent, Alan Radford stepped up and picked up a win against Simon Kear. For Margate, there were two wins a piece for Roberts and Hillier, both defeating James Llewellyn Jones and Radford, with Kear sneaking past Llewellyn Jones in five to claim the valuable fifth point. The doubles went the way of Rebels to seal them five points, but with no game for Margate next week, they look set to be overtaken in third.
Invicta A’s perfect record in Division Two was almost undone by Sandwich A, but they had just enough to get past the evergreen Sandwich side, mainly due to the form of Mick Palmer. He won his three, dropping just one end in the process. But, Lee Featherbe’s perfect record has gone, as he lost to Andy Smith in five close ends. A 6-4 win for Invicta keeps them top, but with Barnstonworth bearing down on them, next week’s showdown between the two will be key.
Barnstonworth themselves had a very impressive win this week, defeating Rebels C 8-2. Darren Jones and Jeff Stephenson both recorded hat-tricks, with Bob Malins the only man to drop a point to Trevor Cornock. Rebels did win the doubles to regain some pride, but the damage was done, and Barnstonworth’s march towards the summit continues.
Rebels E have risen to third, after thumping bottom side Invicta B 8-2. Ron Knight was the only man to register and glory for the whipping boys of the second division, with wins over Derek Mills and Albert Fuggles. Rod Hall was again in fine form, winning his three fairly comfortably to guide his side to another big win.
Rebels D notched up their third win on the spin, but were made to work hard by Margate E. Roy Lambert won his three without dropping an end, and with the support of Denise Whalen who defeated Dennahy, they looked set to claim only their third win of the season. It wasn’t to be however, as Peter Burton and Clive Beerling staged the comeback, winning two of their three, and with Dennahy defeating Chris Davies, a double win would grab them an unlikely victory. Rebels held firm, winning the doubles in straight sets to win the game 6-4.
Sandwich B beat Margate F 8-2, and moved themselves away from the foot of the table in the process. Rob Smith won his three in comfortable fashion, but Ed Matthews and Derek Bailey both fell to the ever improving Becki Stevens, the only player to register any points for Margate. Dave Stevens fell in five to Bailey, and stand in Sheena failed to make an impact on her far too early return from injury.
In Division Three, Rebels F have opened a gap at the top of the league after thrashing Invicta D 10-0. Aaron Samme won his three in next to no time, but Charmane Fitch and Mark Pemble were both taken to five at some point during the night, but held firm to take maximum points home.
Rebels H have missed the chance to shut the gap on Rebels at the top, after they were held to a 5-5 draw by Invicta E. The star of the show for Invicta was Liam Hazelton, who claimed a hat-trick over the pre season title favourites. Hazelton was well supported by Dad, Richard, and Robin Hawkins, who both defeated Eric Davies. A doubles win would have secured them victory, but it wasn’t to be, as the strong partnership of Tony Mills and Mark Stephens proved to be too much for the Hazelton duo.
Rebels G secured their mid-table position, thanks to another hat-trick from Trevor Mason. He won his three comfortably; even taking out last year’s Division Three champion Tony Morgan in straight sets. Tracey Barnett also impressed, beating Roy Byford and Billy Summers, and just losing out to Morgan in five sets. A win for Martyn Newton over Summers saw Rebels home, and with a comfortable doubles victory also recorded, Rebels stormed to a 7-3 win to climb above their opponents.
Arguably the game with the biggest rivalry this week was between Thanet Juniors A and B. With both club and school rivalries on show, there was a lot riding on the game, as both teams look to move away from the bottom of the league. It was the A side though that prevailed, with Yumeng Li the star of the show. She defeated Aston Church and James Wright in straight sets, before meeting the in-form Kallum Marlow in the last game of the singles. Marlow pushed her all the way to five, but Yumeng’s hard hitting saw her through, taking out the 5th end to seal the all important 5th point for her side. A doubles win for the A side saw them take the game 6-4, and saw them close the gap between them and the B side at the bottom to seven.
Report Week 3
Odds A still lead Division One, despite not playing this week. It did, however, give their rivals a chance to close the gap at the top. Margate A had the opportunity to move above Odds and take control of the division, and with Odds C their opponents, they looked set to do enough to move into top spot. However, they couldn’t have been more wrong. With Mick Eames absent, Peter Roberts returned to Thanet to claim an impressive hat-trick, with only Trevor Kelly troubling him. But the story of the night was without doubt the performance of Sharon Clark, who pulled out one of her greatest performances to date. Danny Lansdown was swept aside, Trevor Kelly dispatched, before the biggest win of her Table Tennis career over Ian Mileham, a victory that will live long in the memory. With Roberts’ hat-trick already sealed, Clark added her maximum to the tally, and with John Walker’s win over Lansdown, Odds lead a bewildered Margate 7-2. A doubles win for Margate would put them level on points with the leaders, but with Clark and Roberts taking to the table again, they proved to be far too much for the experienced doubles pairing of Lansdown and Kelly. An incredible result that has seen Odds rocket up the table, and Margate stutter into second.
Margate C also moved themselves up to within two points of the leaders after a 9-1 win over Margate D. There were hat-tricks for Simon Kear and Simon Hillier, and in a week of surprise results, Rob Pugh pulled out a very impressive display of pushing and blocking to beat Andy Roberts to gain his first win of the season.
Margate B also continue to challenge at the top of table, mainly due to the impressive form of Ron Rowley, who has only dropped one game so far this season. They swept aside Rebels A, with Rowley winning his three in comfortable fashion. He was backed up by two wins apiece from Mike Chapman and Denis Cannon, who were pushed much harder by the Rebels trio of Paul Ursell, Rob Biagolowicz and James Llewellyn-Jones.
Rebels B were gifted three points by Odds B who only turned up with two, meaning they managed to open a gap between themselves and Margate D at the bottom. However, they were unable to make that gap any wider, as they were unable to get past the Odds duo of Derek Brown and Lee Edgington.
In Division Two, Invicta A are starting to open a gap at the top of the league. Lee Featherbe and Mick Palmer are still unbeaten this season, and if they carry on that form, they will win the league by a country mile. They continued their run this week against Alan Dennahy’s Rebels D. Along with the help of Peter Limond, they managed to get an 8-2 win to keep them well clear at the top of the division.
Margate F slipped to defeat against Barnstonworth. Derek Walker claimed himself a hat-trick for Margate, but other than that, it was a barren night for Margate, as Barnstonworth picked up a 7-3 win. Due to Margate’s great start to the season, the defeat won’t have done too much to dampen spirits in the Stevens camp.
Invicta B’s surprisingly poor start to the season continues, having been thumped 9-1 by Rebels C. Only Ron Knight managed any sort of success, beating Trevor Cornock. Other than that, it was another lacklustre showing from Invicta. Wayne Osborne and Terry Osborne both picked up hat-tricks to push Rebels up to second.
Sandwich A hammered Margate E 8-2 to secure their mid-table position. Derek East bagged himself another hat-trick, and Bill Laslett and Andy Smith both picked up two wins against the Margate duo of Roy Lambert and Denise Whalen.
Sandwich B will want to push the league sooner rather than later, as they slow start to the season continued. They were beaten 9-1 by Rebels E, but the score line was perhaps slightly flattering. Four matches went to five ends, with the just the one going in the favour of Sandwich. The result could have been very different, but the result pushes Rebels into the upper echelons of the second division. Sandwich though, sit perilously close to the bottom of Division Two.
Rebels F still lead the third division having dispatched Rebels G. The key game of the night was between two unbeaten players, Aaron Samme and Trevor Mason. Something had to give, and it was the youngster Samme who came out on top in five ends, in what was his toughest encounter of the season so far. That proved to be the catalyst for the F side to claim a 6-4 win.
Margate G’s push towards the top end of the league was boosted with a 7-3 win over Thanet Juniors A. Roy Byford, Billy Summers and Roger Munden played well in the absence of talisman Tony Morgan to see them edge closer to the big teams in the Division. For the Juniors, Kallum Marlow won two, and Aston Church one, as their development in the game continues.
The battle of two ex-second division teams saw BT beat Rebels H 6-4. Both teams came down from Division Two last season, and both will want to make an immediate challenge for promotion. Trevor Goldsmith, Den McIntosh and Israel Awonusi all won two each to secure victory for BT.
Invicta C slumped to defeat against their E side. Liam Hazelton and Robin Hawkins played the supporting roles for the E side, but Richard Hazelton was the star of the show, winning his three in style.
Week 2
Week two saw Odds A cruise to the top of the Division 1, with a 10-0 win over Margate D. Clark, Harris and Cannon were too strong for the Margate trio, of Rob Pugh, Harry Walton and Darren McCulloch Smith. There was plenty of effort from Margate, but little reward, with plenty of deuce games going in the favour of the Odds side. They will look to get off the mark next week when they take on Rebels A.
Margate A sit second having overcome Margate C 6-4. A good team performance saw the A side home, with the wins being shared around. Without talisman Ian Mileham, Ron Rowley was called up to fill the void, and he did exactly that. The match also saw a Margate C debut for Ray Jordan, and despite some initial rust, he notched up three wins, just. The game of the night was Rowley vs Jordan, and with Rowley 6-1 in the fifth end, he looked home and dry. But Jordan wasn’t finished, and he surged back to take the game 13-11 to start his campaign off with a win. His night wasn’t over yet though, as Trevor Kelly also forced him into a 5th end, this time claiming it 11-5. The other win came from Simon Hillier, who took out Danny Lansdown 3-1.
Odds C recovered from their opening day defeat to claim a 9-1 win over new boys Rebels B. Sharon Clark and Mick Eames claimed hat-tricks, with Rebels only success coming from Ian Barker, who produced a peach of a performance to beat John Walker 3-0. Again, it wasn’t through a lack of trying for the Rebels side, with James Barker and Alan Radford both putting in the effort that probably deserved more, but Eames and Clark proved too strong for the three of them, and Odds now sit third in the top division.
Margate F remain top of the second division with another impressive win. This week, they took out Margate E, a team who are looking to compete at the top end of the table. Derek Walker again was the hero, taking out Roy Lambert, Denise Whalen and Chris Davies. Becki Stevens and Dave Stevens both weighed in with a win apiece over Whalen, and a doubles win saw Margate home and back to the summit.
Rebels D are still snapping at Margate’s heals having beaten Barnstonworth 6-4. Mark Stephens again stepped up a division in the absence of Alan Dennahy, and coped well, taking two wins home with him. Peter Burton secured himself a hat-trick, beating the Barnstonworth trio of Colin Tyman, Jeff Stephenson and Bob Malins. Stephenson just missed out on his hat-trick having lost to Burton, but it seems as though he will be the man who will steer his team away from the danger zone at the bottom.
Sandwich A remain in the top half of the division after they consigned Invicta B to their second defeat of the season. Ron Knight did all he could to try and rescue the game for Invicta, winning his three, but lacked support from Mick Bowden and Doug Meer, as they slipped to a 6-4 defeat. For Sandwich, Derek East and Graham Watson both won two, with Bill Laslett backing them up with a victory of his own. Title contenders Invicta surprisingly now find themselves propping up the second division.
In Division Three, Margate G and BT fought out a 5-5 draw. Tony Morgan was in top form for Margate, and did all he could to try and grab his side a win, winning his three in style. Roger Munden also picked up a win for Margate, as he defeated Tony Dannell, and a doubles win ensured that Margate took the draw that Morgan’s performance most certainly deserved.
Invicta C dropped what could prove to be a valuable two points against newcomers Thanet Juniors B. An 8-2 defeat will not be seen as a bad result for the Juniors against Invicta, who were last year’s winners. Kallum Marlow was the start of the show for the Juniors, winning two of his three games against Karl Allen and John Crofts. Steve Tebbett though, once again, proved to be too strong, as he cantered to a hat-trick to steer his stuttering team-mates home.
Rebels H were also given a tougher time than expected against Thanet Juniors A. Yumeng Li was the Juniors leading light, defeating Mark Stephens and Eric Davies, with team-mates James Turrell and Dean Fitch unfortunate not to push their opponents further than they did. Tony Mills though proved to be too good for the Juniors, using all his experience to win his games without dropping an end.
Another title favourite Rebels F claimed another win, beating Invicta E 6-4. Aaron Samme continued his impressive form, taking out the Invicta trio of Hazelton Snr, Hazelton Jnr, and Robin Hawkins without dropping an end. Mark Pemble also claimed two wins, with Charmane Fitch picking up one to add to the tally.
Week 1
Margate B are the early pace-setters in Division 1, after a 10-0 thumping of Margate D. Ron Rowley and Denis Cannon eased their way into the season, losing just one end between them, but it was a slightly different story for Chris Hearn, who was taken to a 5th end in all three of his games, but came out on top to seal a perfect start for the B side. Rob Pugh, Darren McCulloch Smith and Harry Walton will all have taken positives from their performances though, and will look forward to rest of the season with promise.
Odds A sit second having beaten their B side 9-1. A depleted Odds B turned up with just Derek Brown and Lee Edgington, so a positive result was always a very tall order. Keith Clark and Dean Harris started their season with maximums, while Derek Brown was the only player to register a point for the B side, taking out Andy Cannon in 4 ends.
Margate C are third, having claimed a 7-3 win over Odds C. Simon Kear, Andy Roberts and Simon Hillier all picked up two wins each, defeating Sharon Clark and John Walker, but Mick Eames turned in an inspired performance for the C side, winning all his three in 4 ends.
Margate A complete the top half, having beaten Rebels A 7-3. Ian Mileham looked in imperious form, dropping just one end all night. Trevor Kelly also picked up three wins to start his season off well, and Danny Lansdown also secured himself a win. Paul Ursell and Rob Biagolowicz both picked up wins over Lansdown, along with a doubles win to give Rebels a respectable start.
Margate F are the surprise leaders of Division 2 after a 7-3 win over the vastly experienced Invicta B. Derek Walker secured an invaluable hat-trick on his return to Thanet, with Dave Stevens winning two, and Becki Stevens one. Knight, Bowden and Meer will be hoping for better in the coming weeks.
Barnstonworth and just in behind Margate after their 6-4 win over Rebels E. There were wins for Jeff Stephenson, Bob Malins and Darren Jones for the home side, with Albert Fuggles and Derek Mills putting some points on the board for the Rebels side.
Alan Dennahy led his Rebels D side to 3rd place this week with a 6-4 win over Sandwich A. Dennahy eased his way to a hat-trick, with good support coming from Peter Burton and Mark Stephens. Derek East led the way for Sandwich, winning two, but it wasn’t enough, as Rebels started their campaign with a win.
Sandwich B and Rebels C played out the season’s first draw, a result which will probably please Sandwich more than it does Rebels. Rob Smith and Ed Matthews were Sandwich heroes, both picking up two wins over Wayne Osborne and Dave Rolfe. It was Trevor Cornock who had to play the hero role for Rebels, winning his three in comfortable fashion to see Rebels sneak home with a draw.
Division 3’s early pace-setters are Rebels F, who trounced newcomers Thanet Juniors B 9-1. Only Charmane Fitch dropped a game, with Mark Pemble and Aaron Samme both recording hat-tricks. Aston Church was the man to take Juniors’ only point, and will be looking to build on his early success in the coming weeks.
Margate G are level on points with the leaders having beaten Invicta D by the same scoreline. Tony Morgan once again weighed in with a hat-trick, but it was the performance of Roger Munden that will take the headlines. He took his first hat-trick for the first time since the 2009/10 season, as he beat Richard and Jose Llewellyn Jones and Tom Bowling. Billy Summers also excelled himself, winning two of his three against both the Llewellyn Jones’.
BT were given an uncomfortable time on their return to Division 3, but they just managed to sneak a victory over Invicta E. Invicta have been strengthened by the signing of Liam Hazelton, and he acquitted himself well against one of the stronger sides in the division. Both Liam and Richard Hazelton secured themselves two wins apiece, and could have snatched a draw in the doubles, but the experienced pair of McIntosh and Goldsmith steered BT home. For BT, McIntosh claimed his first hat-trick of the season, but was pushed to 5 ends by both Hazelton’s. BT will know they will need to improve if they are to challenge at the top this season, but the season looks promising for Invicta on this evidence.
Thanet Juniors will be satisfied with their opening result, picking up a draw against Rebels G. Yumeng Li guided her team well, picking up two wins to start her campaign well, but the surprise packages were her team mates, Dean Fitch and Max Yu. Fitch’s season last time round could have been described as “close, but yet so far”, but this season has started well, with two wins over Charles Church and Tracey Barnett. Max Yu, in his first ever competitive game, also beat Church to show he has the potential to win games at this level. For Rebels, another newcomer Trevor Mason showed he will be no pushover, as he won his three, dropping just two ends in a 5 set marathon with Yumeng Li.
Season Preview
The summer has gone, the transfer window has slammed shut, and Roy Lambert is pining after his women again. This can only mean one thing. Table Tennis is back.
Division One looks more competitive than ever. Everyone who remembers John Ferguson playing will be delighted to see him pick up a bat again this season. If he can regain his top form, he will be a match for anyone in the division. He joins an already strong team, with Dennis Cannon, Ron Rowley and Chris Hearn completing the line up. A top three finish is a distinct possibility.
Margate C also look strong with a new look side. Simon Hillier is joined by Simon Kear, Andy Roberts, and Ray Jordan. Again, a top three finish is a possibility.
Odds B will also be a threat, with the new Thanet Champion Alan Taylor leading the line up. Derek Brown, Jack Brown and Lee Edgington will pose their regular threat, and a top three finish will be expected.
It’s not often Division One is mentioned without Odds A being the first team mentioned. However this year, their crown will come under serious threat. Keith Clark, Dean Harris and Andy Cannon will have some tough opposition this season, something that maybe hasn’t been the case over the past couple of years. They will need to be on top form throughout.
Another team usually mentioned with the front runners are Margate A. Ian Mileham, Trevor Kelly and Danny Lansdown will want to continue their top three finish tradition, but this year will be tougher than usual for the experienced trio.
We also welcome two very exciting talents to Division One this season, Harry Walton and James Barker. James will team up with father Ian, and Rebels stalwart Alan Radford, while Harry will need to be on his best behaviour throughout, playing with his teacher Rob Pugh and Darren McCulloch Smith.
Division Two again looks tough to call. With last season’s 2a and 2b format being scrapped, we have a single division again, which promises some very entertaining match-ups.
Invicta A will be the favourites, with Mick Palmer, Lee Featherbe and Peter Limond lining up for them. All three will be hopeful of successful seasons.
Pushing them close will be a number of teams. Rebels C, Wayne Osborne, Trevor Cornock, Terry Osborne and Dave Rolfe will look to for a successful season, as will Rebels D (Alan Dennahy, Peter Burton, Clive Beerling and Pam Mannings) and Rebels E (Derek Mills, Rod Hall, Albert Fuggles and Melissa Welch). Both will want to push Invicta all the way to end. Invicta B will also pose a threat. In Ron Knight, Mick Bowden and Doug Meer, they have the most experienced side in the league, and will have the know-how to win games at important times.
Margate F will want to also build on last season’s promising start to life in Division Two. Sheena, Dave and Becki will feel more confident going into this season, knowing they can compete with some of the best at this level.
Barnstonworth will also want to build on last season’s exploits. Colin Tyman will lead fellow troops Bob Malins, Darren Jones and Jeff Stevenson into battle as they look for a top four finish.
As with the other two divisions, Division Three also looks stronger than it has for many years. A winner is extremely hard to call, and it will almost certainly come down to just a couple of points. Aaron Samme will lead the favourites Rebels F, with team-mates Charmane Fitch and Mark Pemble looking to regain some form, and if they do, they will have to be considered favourites.
BT will also fancy themselves, with Trevor Goldsmith, Den McIntosh, Israel Awonusi and Tony Dannell now having experience of playing at a higher level having been relegated last season.
Rebels H will see themselves in a similar boat to BT, having also been relegated last season. They will want to bounce straight back, and with Tony Mills at the helm, they have a very good chance of doing just that.
Margate G went close to top spot last year, and they want to go one better this season. Tony Morgan, Roy Byford, Roger Munden and Billy Summers will want to push the big boys all the way, and with Morgan looking in good form, anything is possible.
Invicta C won last season’s Third Division, but elected to stay down, and will face a tough time regaining their crown. With this year’s division looking far stronger than last seasons, they will see this a big challenge, and will need to be on top form throughout.
Team Line-ups 2011/12
Please refer to Players & Profiles.
Winter Season
Following some team changes the new fixtures are now revised and available
ITTTA reports are by Simon Hillier
News/Events Archive:
Events
Event 15.01.12Margate Tournament
Margate Club registered player entries are invited for this event - fee £2.00.
Handicap Singles Tournament
Event commences at 9am. Entry fee is £2.50. Closing date for entries is 15th January. Organiser is Rob Smith (01304 612382)
Under 16's and Under 21's Tournament
Due to bad weather this will now be integrated into the Closed Championships on 12th Feb
Closed Championships 2012
This season's event is scheduled for Sunday 12th February at the Ramsgate Leisure Centre 9am
prompt. Entry forms must be submitted by 28th January
Finals Night - Closed Championships 2012
This is to be held for all competition categories at the Odd Fellows Hall Ramsgate on Friday 17th February commencing 7pm prompt.
Presentation Evening
The annual Presentation Evening will be held at The Odds, High Street, Ramsgate commencing 7.30 for 8pm. Tickets TBA.
