News & Views from the Colchester Table Tennis League
with Press Officer Martyn Green

26th February 2008
COLE SET FOR REPEAT OF LAST SEASON’S ‘DOUBLE’

Dave Cole (H20 Rowhedge A) is odds on favourite to repeat his feat of winning both the Men’s Singles and Veterans (Over 40) titles at this coming weekend’s Colchester & District Table Tennis League annual Closed Tournament at the Rowhedge Table Tennis Centre. Cole is number one seed in both events and is unbeaten in twenty-four league games this season. Queuing up to challenge him is a plethora of evenly matched challengers including number two seed Gary Young (St Mary’s), Kevin Gowlett (H20 Rowhedge A), Michael Andrews (H20 Rowhedge B), Mike Wright (Dedham A), Antony Greenwood (H20 Rowhedge B), last years runner-up Dave Moss (H20 Rowhedge C) and Colin Stallwood (Walton A). Stallwood is the man in form and following a long layoff has returned to the Colchester fold that last saw him take title honours some eighteen years ago in the Junior Singles. It is hard to see any of these challengers threaten eight times former champion Cole, however, he struggled in the recent Chelmsford closed, going out in the Men’s quarter-finals and lost out to old Colchester rival Rik James in three straight sets in the ‘Vets’ final.

Twenty-one times previous Ladies Singles champion Sue Welham (St Mary’s A) will be defending her title and will be up against 1998 winner Janet Faiers (Gt Horkesley B) and refreshingly two up and coming junior county players Holly Stubbings (H20 Rowhedge B) and Sian Cook (Lawford A). This season’s ladies entry of eight sees two qualifying groups which should make for a fascinating competition with Welham seeded one, she will have her work cut out to win.

The Junior Boys singles appears the most competitive of all the singles events with nothing to separate three accomplished rising stars of the Division One. Greg Green (H20 Rowhedge A) is seeded one on league form, Andrew McEwan (Rayne) seeded two and defending Champion Mike Shore (H20 Rowhedge B) three. Green has never won a Junior or Cadet singles title and this will be his last chance and with McEwan in prime form and Shore a tournament specialist it’s impossible to predict a winner.

Holly Stubbings will face stiff competition from Sian Cook in the Junior Girls Singles along with Jemima Killick (Gt Horkesley D) in a ‘round-robin’ event which sees her going for a hat-trick of Colchester Junior titles.

With nine entries in the Cadet Singles (Under 14) Mark Smith (H20 Rowhedge H) should face team mate and reigning champion Andrew Harvey in the final. Smith is the son of Clacton ace Phil and has had a fantastic season in Division Four averaging over 94% and Harvey will be hard pressed to defend his crown.

The Men’s Doubles promises to be a fantastic tournament in itself with at least eight pairings capable of winning with Gary Young and Mike Wright the number one seeds as is Young again, paired with Sue Welham in defending their Mixed Doubles title and may face the youngest pairing in many years of Greg Green and Holly Stubbings who are seeded two. Green and Andrew McEwan should take the Junior Doubles event in a straight final against Daryl Lott and Dale Young where Green will be playing in his seventh consecutive final.

In the Veteran’s events Cole is favourite to take the Over 40’s, Kevin James (Walton A) the Over 50’s and a welcome return to Dave Binns (Walton A) in the Over 60’s but the latter two could go to a number of canny players including H20 Rowhedge’s Alan Burgess and Rayne’s Ian Whiteside.

The Tournament starts with the Handicap and Junior Boys events on Saturday and the Closed Championships and Divisional singles on Sunday with the Finals and presentations by the Mayor starting at 7.00pm on the Sunday evening. Any former players or spectators wishing to come along to the Rowhedge village hall are welcome for what promises to be an excellent weekend of table tennis!