Grimsby Table Tennis January 2012 - Transition Time

(Picture Credit - Kotaku)

Last season (20011-12) was one to forget for me. After half a season struggling in Division One, The Ashwells kindly persuaded the league to transfer me to Brian Lomas’s short-handed team in division three. Brian had shockingly lost the cheery Eric Williams, who had passed away around Christmas time.

In Division One I won just one match, beating Norman Hames, who later got his revenge. I did take games off Sean Ward, Jonathan Corry and other top players: good but no cigar. Captain Ryan Wadham and his team finished second from bottom but were spared relegation.

In Division Three I won most of my games, but only just. I could now relax as we settled in mid-table.

This season Dennis Burgoyne joined Brian Lomas and myself in D3 to form “Nemesis” (my name-suggestion). Dennis had not played for many years, so he made quite a gamble. Colin Tyas left us and joined Don Ellis’s team in D4.

Dennis loves to throw up a succession of high, swirling lobs. Every now and then he dashes in to play a blazing forehand kill. Dennis has a fine orthodox backhand but prefers to use that lob. He is quite a character and loves a can of Coke between games!   

Captain Brian Lomas is a good, solid, all-round attacking player who would do fine in D2. Like me he plays with an economy of movement and a flashing backhand.

Most of the season we have been second in D3 behind “Urban Juice”: Leo Tsang, Billy Wong and Dave Hanks. In the New Year we were top by one point but they had two games in hand. In fact I only saw them twice fail to win 8-2 or better. We held them to 7-3. They look certainties to become champions. Their high energy attacking play is too much for most players at this level. (Ed - They Won It!).

Actually I “friended” Leo and Billy on Facebook this week. Happily most of the top Grimsby League players are my Facebook friends. Of these, Sean Ward is now the current Men’s Singles Champion. Sean and some other younger players have made a respectable debut this season in the National League. As Lincoln veteran Andy Wignall says, a useful “reality check” for some of our youngsters.

You can only progress as a player by matching yourself against superior opposition.  For Sean and Jonathan that simply means taking on opponents from outside Grimsby. My former team-mate Jack Blyth looks well established in D1 now, with one of the leading sides.

Talking of ex team-mates: great to see my old buddy John Holmes is now regularly winning in D4. There was a time when he couldn’t buy a win, but he has completely turned the corner. People like John are what the game is all about.

Paul Butters

My Career in the Grimsby Table Tennis League 1882 - 1990 (The "Early Years")

My career in the Grimsby, England (U.K.) Table Tennis League spans 34 years. Most matches are now played at Clee Sports Hall, which usually runs about 6 or 7 fixtures per night. There were over 20 venues back in the day.

When I first joined the league in autumn 1982 (having moved here from Doncaster), we had four man\woman teams arranged in eight divisions plus a “Premier Division”. The league had in fact been cut by a division. There were 2 Schools Divisions and a Girl’s Division. Plus a 2 division summer league. No venues were listed then, but the following year there were twenty two! Matches were divided into two “draws”, so you only played half of the opposing team as an individual.

The NALGO club played at 76 a Pasture Street, an old run-down building later converted into flats. For the record, our then office manager Don Newton invited me to play for NALGO D in Division 6. Our squad: Roy (Captain) and Maureen Lincoln, Dave Gregory (deceased), reserve Diane Lord (Roy’s daughter) and others. We finished 4^th so Dave and I were promoted to a new NALGO D in Division 5. 

At that time Dave Skerratt (from Scunthorpe) had won the Grimsby Men’s Singles twice in a row and G Sharpe was long reigning Ladies’ Champion having depose Connie Moran in  c. 1979. (Pete Taylor won the Men’s in 1978).

For 83-84, the late Don Keightley (father of Ian) was captain and we added Roy Lee. We went undefeated and won the title. Connie Moran took back her Ladies’ title and kept it for many years. Matt Sheader took the Men’s and again monopolised it most years for a very long time. Brian Allison won it now and then I recall. As for the doubles.... Need I say?

The following year (84-85) I became captain of NALGO D as NALGO moved to the former Yarra Road Post Office, Cleethorpes. Terry Reddington (a Job Centre boss) was added. Then youngsters Andy Bruford and Will Jenner joined. We finished 5^th in division 4. Yarra Road was quite spacious if ancient.

85-86: we became NALGO B in Division 3. We added Mike Braithwaite and used Ian Keightley but finished 8^th. Andy and Will decided their priorities lay elsewhere.

Suddenly things happened fast. Clee Council joined the NALGO fold, and I effectively joined Clee Council. Richard Wilson was captain and Dave Wagstaff their star player. (He’ll love me saying that!). 

For 1986-87 the league adopted 3 player teams. We were called NALGO B and we finished 3^rd in Division 3, narrowly missing promotion. The Yarra was still our home.

87-88: most of NALGO were called “Longchamps” and played at the now Littlefield Lane Club. We were “NALGO Longchamps A”, stayed at The Yarra and we won Division 3.

88-89: I became captain of NALGO A as the whole of NALGO occupied The Yarra. We finished 3^rd in Division 2. Another promotion “close miss”.

89-90: NALGO club moved to Grimsby Tennis Club on College Street, we remained NALGO A but moved to Knoll Street, Cleethorpes. Suffice to say Knoll Street was called “The Goldfish Bowl”! The league still had 20 venues incidentally. We won Division 2 for the first time.

Actually this article is longer than I expected. Have dredged up shoals of facts. Richard, Dave and I won a number of titles until about 2002 when first Dave, then Richard retired. But that’s another story.

(C) Paul Butters 26\10\2010. Edited\Amended 1\1\2016.