Newspaper Article W/c 20^th April 2009.-

Oldham Table Tennis League Round Up

Saddleworth CC A, having tied with last years winners, Werneth A, in the semi- final before winning the replay by just 20 points went on to win the Division 1 Handicap Cup in an even closer encounter with BAE A by just 11 points. Armed with a 27 points start, the game was gradually swinging towards BAE A and, with three games remaining the scores were level.  Saddleworth’s Duncan Hadfield then gained a single point advantage over Tony Smith before Darren Lindley increased the lead to 4 points after his 3 points victory against Tony Bates. The final doubles settled the match with Saddleworth increasing their lead by 7 points. Darren Lindley (33) & Duncan Hadfield (1) made gains for Saddleworth whilst Tony Bates (35) & Tony Smith (5) replied similarly for BA E A.

In the Division 2 Final, Coldhurst A were convincing winners against Pennine who had a 42 points start. Gains by Paul Howarth (66), Gary Keylock (22) & Simon King (18) turned the deficit into a 64 point victory.

Uppermill B retained the Division 3 Handicap Cup with a completely different team from last season. Despite conceding a 69 points start to Coldhurst D, with un-erring performances, they clawed back the points to gain the lead by 4 points after seven games. There were gains by all players from Uppermill with Howard Meadham (28), Stuart Hanson (34) & Jim Bradbury (36).

The Division 4 Handicap Cup Final between Owls B & Werneth E will take place at Werneth on 28^th April due to holidays.

Presentation Night.

This will be held on Friday 15^th May 09 at Smokies, Bardsley.

Photograph.

Attached is a photograph of Glodwick TTC who have retained their League Champions Title this season having been champions for the past three seasons.

Newspaper Article W/c 13^th April 2009.

Oldham Table Tennis League Report for Week 26 -W/ending 10th April 2009

There will be no Newspaper article this week due to insufficient Match cards having been received to warrant an article.

Next weeks article will be the Final one of the 2008/2009 Winter season and will incorporate reports on week 26 of the League Season as well as reports on this weeks Handicap Cup Finals.

Newspaper Article W/c 6^th April 2009.

Oldham Table Tennis League Report for Week 25 -W/ending 3^rd April 2009

As expected, Glodwick after beating Werneth A 7-3 are League Champions.  Only Darryl Meredith put up any resistance for Werneth with 3 wins including the scalp of Mark Ramsbottom, the new Oldham Champion.

Rosehill A were well beaten confirming their relegation with their B team.

In division 2 Werneth C and Hollinwood C are promoted, this week beating Unison A 7-3 and Coldhurst A 9-1 respectively.

Uppermill A were convincing winners 9-1 against Werneth D, Mark Simpson and Keith Moores with 3 wins each.

Hollinwood D and Honeywell C fought to a 5-5 draw, Barrie Royle registering 3 for Honeywell.

Hollinwood E were close winners, 6-4 against Pennine, thanks to 3 wins from John Foster assuring Hollinwood of Second Division table tennis next season.

Droylsden A and Honeywell D are promoted from division 3.

Failsworth C with juniors Paul King, Andrew Tarpey and Callum Jones will finish 3^rd but have shown all three players will be in contention next season. 

Honeywell D were convincing winners over Saddleworth B 8-2.

Droylsden beat Coldhurst C 7-3, Miles Benjamin winning 3 to complete his season with a 97% record.

Relegation is confirmed for Coldhurst D with Deaf Club A needing only 2 points in the clash with second bottom Failsworth B to stay up.

Division 4 promotion is for OTTC C and Unison D.

Unison D need 5 points from their last game at Deaf Club B to become champions. Unison D beat Owls B 8-2 with 3 games decided in 5, and 4 decided in 4, Ian Connell & Tony Hyde with maximum wins.

OTTC C dropped 4 sets against Werneth G, which will probably cost them the number 1 spot.

This season has seen many Juniors, boys and girls, taking part in the Oldham League in teams at OTTC, Failsworth, St. Saviour’s, Our Lady’s, Coldhurst , Werneth and Droylsden. Congratulations to them and their managers/parents for making this possible. The Oldham League will welcome more Juniors next season and will continue to expand their coaching programme in schools and clubs throughout the area.

Newspaper Article W/c 30th March 2009.

Report for Week 24 -W/ending 27th March 2009

Division 4

OTTC C 10-0 win keeps them top of the table, whilst firmly ensuring Coldhurst E remain bottom of the division. Natalie Wood has won 74 of her 75 matches for OTTC C. 

Second placed Unison D won 7-3, but one must question if it was good enough to eventually replace OTTC C as divisional winners.

Owls B drew with Deaf B in an enjoyable and sporting match.

Our Lady’s had a good 6-4 win over Honeywell F with some very close games. Werneth F convincingly beat OTTC D, which may have gone down better without the bad language.

Werneth G came out 6-4 victors against  ‘The Elders’ of the league (Honeywell E)

Division 3

Droylsden A had a 9-1 victory to retain their place at top of Div 3, whilst the bottom 3 clubs each recorded 5-5 results, ensuring they each continue the fight to avoid relegation. Results of the teams fighting for second place are still awaited.

Division 2

Whilst the winners of this division has still to be decided, both Werneth C and Hollinwood C are certain of promotion, following 9-1 wins this week leaving Werneth C just 2 points ahead with two matches remaining. 

Grotton B, who lost 9-1 to Unison A, are certain for relegation. Who joins them, could be decided by this weeks clash between Hollinwood E and Pennine TTC.

In fiercely contested matches, draws were the outcome between Failsworth A v Hollinwood D, Honywell C v Hyde YMCA B and Coldhurst C v Unison B. Honeywell B overcame Coldhurst A 8-2 with 3 convincing wins for Peter Buckley. 

Division 1

Top of the table Glodwick seem certain to retain the title of champions, however, the chase for 2^nd place involves 4 teams, who either meet each other or Glodwick in the remaining fixtures,so its wide-open.

Hollinwood B were surprise losers at Hyde YMCA losing 6-4 with five of the matches decided in the 5^th set.

Rosehill B will be playing Div 2 next season after an 8-2 defeat by OTTC A.

Rosehill A look certain to join them despite a 5-5 draw against Saddleworth.

Werneth B ran out 7-3 winners over Grotton A and Hollinwood A achieved a 8-2 victory over Honeywell A thanks to 3 sets from Gary Newton.

Newspaper Article W/c 23rd March 2009.

The Semi Finals of the Divisional Handicap Cups were held last week in the Oldham & District Table Tennis League and there was no closer game than that in Division 2 between Grotton B & Pennine. Grotton received a 48 points start and with just the doubles to play had been pegged back to just a 16 points advantage. Steve Smith had gained 15 points for Grotton whilst gains by Glen Chadwick (33 points) & John Robertson (54 points) had kept Pennine in with a chance. After three games in the doubles the Grotton’s lead was down to just 4 points with the match result depending on the last game, a 11-8 defeat would be good enough. Alas it was not to be as Glen & John won the last game 11-5 giving Pennine their last gasp victory by just two points and place in the final.

Coldhurst A will meet Pennine in the final following their 47 point win against Hyde YMCA B, with good performances by Simon King (18) and Paul Howarth (34).

In Division 3 Coldhurst D beat Deaf Club A by 32 points after receiving a 24 points start. Ian Cockcroft gained 35 points for the Deaf Club but Phil Mellor’s gain of 31 points saw Coldhurst D through to the final.

Upppermill B will contest the final with Coldhurst D after their 16 point win at Coldhurst B, having made full use of their 46 points start. Malcolm Wills, Darren Brown & Terry Holland all had steady gains for Coldhurst but Howard Meadham’s 18 points gain was the deciding factor.

In Division 1 BAE A beat their B team by 67 points after conceding a 31 points handicap start, thanks to gains by Tony Bates (47), Tony Smith (37) and Pete Bradford (14). Their opponents in the final will be either Werneth A or Saddleworth A, who have yet to play.

In Division 4 Werneth E, conceding a 95 points start to OTTC D, gained 112 points to win by just 17 points. All Werneth’s players gained points, Darren Mitzi (44), Phil Coombe (46) and Matthew Taylor (16), as did OTTC’s Alex Reilly (30) who was unfortunate to be on the losing team.

The other Semi final in this division sees Owls B through by default against Unison D.

Newspaper Article W/c 16th March 2009.

Report for Week 23 -W/ending 13^h March 2009

With the Oldham and District Table Tennis season drawing rapidly to a close, most teams only having three matches left to play, champions Glodwick reinforced their position at the top of Division 1 with their wins against B.Ae B and Hollinwood B and now have a lead of 22 points over their nearest rivals, Mark Ramsbottom winning all his three sets against B.Ae B and Michael Moir performing similarly well against Hollinwood.  Although he was on the losing side, it must be mentioned that Kevin Hill was on top form recording victories against Andy Jackson and Khamal Hussain.

At the foot of the table, Phil Ashworth recorded a splendid treble in Rosehill A’s 7-3 win over their B team, although it is becoming to look extremely likely that both of these teams will be playing in the 2^nd Division next season.

In a closely contested match at Honeywell Lane, the hosts proved successful beating O.T.T.C. A 6-4, Steve Barber, Adam Rowbotham and Tommy Ryan winning two sets each, Josh Boult proving outstanding for the visitors with three victories.

Hollinwood A beat Werneth B 7-3, Gary Newton winning all his sets.

Werneth A, with two matches in hand over the other leading sides, defeated Hollinwood B 8-2, Darryl Meredith gaining a treble, being well supported by his father Stuart and Peter Morris both of whom won two sets each.  Tristran Swann performed gallantly for the losers, winning his side’s only sets.

B.Ae A beat Grotton A 7-3, Tony Bates 2, Tom Lang 2 and Tony Smith 2, allowing his team to retain third place in the table, although Shaun Ellis was “Man of the Match” being undefeated for Grotton.

In Division 2, Uppermill A jeopardised Honeywell Lane B’s promotion hopes with a rather surprising 9-1 victory, helped by wins from Peter Watson 3, Keith Moores 3, Mark Simpson 2, Howard Travis being the sole winner for the losing team.

Werneth C maintained their two points lead in this division, beating Grotton B 9-1, thanks to trebles from Karen Hill and Paul Wilkinson, with a doubles win from Bernard Davies, Steve Smith being Grotton’s only winner.

Hollinwood C had a good 7-3 win at Pennine to keep only two points behind the leaders, Dave Cheetham had a brilliant evening winning all his sets by comfortable margins and he was well supported by Phil Holmes and Joe Redikin.  Glen Chadwick, John Robertson and Keith Fendall won one set each for Pennine.

Coldhurst A beat Honeywell Lane C 7-3, the two Simons, King and Walsh, being undefeated, Gary Keylock chipping in with one win, whilst Brian Hall and Ken Dunkerley won one each for the losers.

Werneth D and Hollinwood E, two sides struggling to avoid relegation, appropriately shared the spoils in the match at St. Augustine’s Sports Hall, Mike Pellowe 3 and Richard Hinchcliffe 2 contributing set victories for the visitors, Bob Johnson 2, John Foster 1 and George Marrow 1 obtaining wins for Hollinwood E, Bob no doubt being pleased that Alan Else was not playing in the singles for Werneth!

The mid-table clash between Hollinwood D and Unison A resulted in a 7-3 win for Unison, Mike Brierley being in outstanding form for Unison and he was well assisted by Liaqat Ali and Andy Hey, while Andy McNabb and Mohammed Sajid played well for the losers.

In the 3^rd Division, Honeywell Lane D remained on course for promotion with a 10-0 win against Failsworth B, Ken Dunkerley, Terry Cooper and Derek Naylor all being undefeated.

Meanwhile, the youngsters of Failsworth now occupy third place in the table having beaten Coldhurst C 9-1 with treble wins coming from Paul King and Andrew Tarpey and a single defeat by Callum Jones who lost a thrilling set 10-12 in the 5^th game to Dave Varney.  Failsworth C were also successful 8-2 against a two man Saddleworth B side.

Droylsden lead the table by 2 points following a 6-4 win over Coldhurst B, Tim Greenald winning all 3 sets for the Tameside based team.

Oldham Owls A had a convincing 10-0 win against bottom club Coldhurst D, David Harthan, Richard Tamworth and Paul Woodward doing the damage.

Gilders A and Unison C both occupying mid-table positions had an exciting match, Gilders winning 7-3, Mark Craven, Colin Ogden and Gerry Lees each winning 2 sets.

Two other teams lying in a similar position in the 3^rd Division league table met in a highly contested but sporting match, Unison B just beating Saddlworth B 6-4, double victories coming from Paul Whyatt and Glenn Jackson, with Alex Griffiths and Chris Brazewell doing similarly well for the losers.

Two teams lying in the relegation zone, Uppermill B and Deaf Club A, fought a tense duel, the latter team winning 7-3, mainly because of an undefeated performance from Ian Cockcroft.

4^th Division leaders, Unison D had a comfortable victory 10-0 against Our Lady’s who were forced to play a guest player.

The young ladies of O.T.T.C. C retain second place as a result of an 8-2 win over Honeywell Lane F, Natalie Dodd winning her customary three singles.

Third placed Honeywell Lane E, now just edging ahead of Owls B, who have a game in hand, gained a 10-0 victory against Coldhurst E, Lee Rowbotham, Ronnie Holt and Leo Cogger being the successful trio.

A match played in a very fine spirit was contested at the Deaf Club where Werneth E were the visitors. A draw was an appropriate result between two evenly matched teams, Mike Briggs 2, Matt Gartside 2 and Ron Tench 1, gaining victories for the host club, Joe Taylor 3, admirably supported by the veteran captain Brian Micklethwaite 1, replying for the visitors.  Ron beat Brian in a marathon encounter, but Brian won the talking contest!

A similar result occurred in the inter-club match between Werneth G and Werneth F, Fred Pickles being his usual consistent self produced 2 wins for the G team, aided by 1 set each from Dave Murphy and John Barley.  The F team were indebted to an excellent undefeated performance from young Matt Taylor and two wins from Marjorie Riddle who was making one of her rare appearances.

Draw champions of the Division, Werneth G shared the spoils with O.T.T.C D, Fred Pickles being undefeated.

St Saviour’s continued their splendid run of successes beating Honeywell Lane F 9-1, Brian Huskinson and Alex Leach winning their 3 matches with Mark Dalton gaining victories on two occasions, captain Peter Ganley being the sole winner for the sporting losers.

TT Exhibition

A Table Tennis Exhibition by Top Table Tennis Players will be held at Shaw Community Centre on Friday 3rd April commencing at 6.45 pm.

Admission is by ticket only. – Contact Bob Johnson 01706 843909.

Newspaper Article W/c 9th March 2009.

MARK SECURES ELUSIVE CROWN

Mark Ramsbottom won his first ever Open singles title in the Oldham Closed Table Tennis Tournament held at the Radclyffe Sports Centre last weekend. He despatched the much fancied Huddersfield based Darren Lindley in the quarter finals followed by a 13-11 fifth game nerve jangling decider over teammate Mike Moir in the semis.

The other half of the draw saw Paul Cicchelli beat holder and No1 seed Darryl Meredith in four games to progress to the final. 

The Ciccelli –Ramsbottom final certainly did not disappoint with numerous high quality rallies. The attacks of Ramsbottom combined with the excellent defence from Cicchelli resulted in another game five decider in favour of Mark 11-9.

The Doubles trophy will feature new names after Paul Cicchelli and Darren Lindley edged current holder Darryl Meredith and Ian McClean in four games.

The Veterans event produced some fine matches including a superb win for Stuart Meredith over Mark Ramsbottom in the semi final and Andy Jackson saving match points from Tony Bates in the other semi. The final saw a straight set victory for Andy Jackson.

The juniors are beginning to show some promise and this was reflected in the win for Andrew Tarpey over clubmate Paul King. Andrew deserved his success after beating favourite Nathan Buckley in the semis and cooly despatching Paul King in a straight set final.

Divisional Handicap results.

Div 1 - Khamal Hussain beat Graham Young.

Div 2- Harry Ross beat Neil Coppard.

Div 3- Ian Cockcroft beat Laurence Hanna.

Div 4-Alex Leach beat John Moran.

Newspaper Article W/c 2^nd March 2009.

Report for week 21 W/ending 27^th February 2009.

ABIGAIL THE STAR

In the Oldham & District Table Tennis League, the junior girl’s team of OTTC C had an outstanding 8-2 win over Division 4 leaders Unison D with 9 year old Abigail Griffith winning two and supporting Natalie Dodd (3) and Sarah Weatherby (2) to move into second place, 7 points behind Unison.

In a rearranged match Unison D beat Werneth F 9-1, the same score by which Owls B beat Our Lady’s to remain in third place.

Honeywell E were held 5-5 by their F team for whom Peter Ganley (3) and Peter Sharples (2) starred, Tom Loftus replying with a double.

In another rearranged match, Honeywell F beat Werneth G 8-2, Fred Pickles winning 2 for the Coppice side, who also starred with a treble in his team’s 5-5 draw at Coldhurst E for whom Andy Pogson and Andy Lees doubled.

OTTC B whitewashed Werneth F whilst OTTC D beat Werneth F 7-3, Alex Riley (3) Karl Jones (2) and Peter Collum (2) doing the damage.

Deaf Club B suffered two 6-4 defeats to Honeywell E and St Saviour’s.

Division 1  

The match of the week in Div.1, saw leaders Glodwick win 6-4 at Saddleworth CC A in a titanic match between many of the League’s top players. Mick Moir (2) Mark Ramsbottom (2) and Andy Jackson (1) registered wins for the visitors with Darren Lindley (2) Paul Cichelli (1) and Ian McLean (1) replying.

Second placed Hollinwood B were 8-2 victors over BAE B and also 7-3 winners over Saddleworth CC A, Tristan Swann trebled in both matches.

OTTC A drew 5-5 at Grotton A, Josh Boult (3) Shaun Ellis (2) and Steve Oliver (2), the main contributors.

Grotton A also beat Hyde YMCA A 7-3 in a rearranged match but Hyde A had better fortune when beating a weakened Honeywell A 6-4, Ken Ward scoring an excellent treble.

There were wins for Werneth A, 8-2 over Rosehill B and Werneth B, 7-3 over Rosehill A.

BAE A had a 6-4 win over Hollinwood A thanks to Tony Bates (3) and Tom Lang (2) with Simon Hardwick replying with a double.

Division 2

Leaders Werneth C had two good wins, defeating Uppermill A 7-3 and Hyde YMCA B 8-2 to remain 3 points ahead of Hollinwood C, who beat their E team 7-3 thanks to Dave Cheetham (3) and Joe Redikin (2) with John Foster replying with a double. 

Honeywell B remain in third place, 11 points behind, after a 6-4 win at Werneth D thanks to Barrie Royle (3) and Brian Higgins (2).

Uppermill A overcame Failsworth A 7-3 with doubles from Mark Simpson, Peter Watson and Keith Moores, whilst Paul King replied with an impressive double.

There were big wins for Hollinwood D, 10-0 over bottom team Grotton B, Unison A 8-2 at Coldhurst A and Honeywell C, 8-2 at Pennine.

Division 3

Division 3 leaders Droylsden, extended their lead at the top to 4 points after an 8-2 win over Unison C thanks to Myles Benjamin (3) Tim Greenald (3) and Mike Truter (2) whilst Honeywell D could only scrape a 6-4 win over Deaf Club A, Ian Cockcoft (2) and Matthew Gartside (2) starring for the visitors.

Coldhurst B moved into third place despite going down 6-4 at Failsworth C, juniors Andrew Tarpey (3) and Paul King (2) for the home side and Darren Brown (2) for the visitors starring. Coldhurst B also beat their C team 9-1.

Unison B lost 8-2 to their C team but had a good 9-1 win over Failsworth B, Paul Whyatt and Glen Jackson registering trebles.

Owls A continue their good form whitewashing Failsworth B 10-0 and only going down 6-4 to a very strong Saddleworth CC B team, Duncan Hadfield (3) and Tony Prescott (2) saving the day for the cricket club team. Richard Tamworth (2) was outstanding for Owls.

In a hard fought and sporting match, Gilders A emerged 7-3 winners over Uppermill B, thanks to a Colin Ogden treble and Mark Craven double whilst Howard Meadham (2) replied.

Newspaper Article W/c 23rd February 2009

BAE TEAMS FLYING HIGH IN HANDICAP CUP

BAE B are through to the semi finals of the Div 1 handicap cup after a nerve jangling 5 point win over champions elect Glodwick. The sizeable contribution from Mark Ramsbottom proved to be in vain for Glodwick since the gain of 18pts from in-form Kevin Hill was the deciding factor.

BAE A will contest a semi final against their B team after a comfortable 83pt win over Hollinwood B who were unable to make any impression on the 71pt start. Tony Smith gained 19pts for the victors in a match containing very close scores.

The huge clawback by Darryl Meredith (67pts) steered Werneth A to a 28pt win over Rosehill A.

Saddleworth A overcame a 7 points handicap deficit gaining 39 points to beat Grotton A by 32points. Darren Lindley (43pts) & Duncan Hadfield (24 pts) did the damage, whilst Shaun Ellis (21pts) played well for the losers.

In Div 2 Coldhurst A will host Hyde YM B in the semi final after a 53pt win over Honeywell B. The 20pt gain from Simon King was the platform for the success.

Hyde YM B, conceding a16 points start to Werneth D, won by 25 points with fine performances from Anthony Gummersall (21pts) & Neil Coppard (16 pts).

In Div 3 Deaf Club A won by a mere 14pts at Coldhurst C in a thriller of a tie which was in doubt to the end. The 46pt gain for Dave Varney was to no avail as an Ian Cockcroft gain of 3pts steadied the ship.

Paul Woodward did not deserve to be on the losing side after his 42pt gain for Owls A proved in vain as Uppermill B won by 11pts with the solid contribution of Stuart Hanson (17) aiding the cause.

The 19pt gain for Terry Holland was instrumental in the 17pt win for Coldhurst B over Droylsden for whom Tim Greenald gained 23.

Coldhurst D ended any cup aspirations of the juniors of Failsworth C. The 23pt gain of Phil Mellor was the hub of the success with the 31pt gain for Andrew Tarpey proving fruitless.

In Div 4 Werneth E shaded a thriller to win at OTTC B. Gains from Darren Mitzi (43) and Phil Coombe (37) were the foundation for the eventual 15pt win.

Alex Reilly was outstanding for OTTC D in their 38pt win over Deaf Club B. His 59pt gain has set up a last four clash at Werneth E.

SEMI FINAL DRAW - Wk. Comm 16 March

Div 1 Saddleworth CC A v Werneth A, BAE A v BAE B

Div 2 Coldhurst A v Hyde YM B, Grotton B v Pennine

Div 3 Deaf Club A v Coldhurst D, Coldhurst B v Uppermill B

Div 4 Owls B v Unison D, Werneth E v OTTC D

The 2009 Oldham Closed Championships will be held this Sunday March 1^st at the Radclyffe Athletics Centre, Hunt Lane, Chadderton. The standard of entries has never been as high and spectator viewing from mid afternoon onwards will be a delight for all table tennis enthusiasts.

HANDICAP CUP RESULTS

Newspaper Article W/c 16th February 2009

Report for Week 20 -W/ending 13^th February 2009

The top match in Division 2 saw Hollinwood C overcome rivals Honeywell B 8-2, leaving them 10 points above Honeywell B, who are in 3^rd spot. Dave Cheetham & Joe Redikin scored maximums in a brilliant match where any luck going belonged to the victors.

Werneth C were restricted to a 6-4 win against Coldhurst A, due to an excellent unbeaten performance by Simon King.

Maximums from Steve Hilton & Dennis Bradshaw helped Hyde YMCA B to a 7-3 win at bottom club Grotton B.

Uppermill A were 7-3 winners at Unison A with wins by Mark Simpson (3), Pete Warson (2) & Keith Moores (1). Liaqat Ali, Alan Auxilly & Mike Brierley all replied with singles.

An Andy McNabb treble helped 2 man Hollinwood D to a draw against their E Team.

Honeywell C beat Werneth D 6-4 in a game where doubles were scored by Peter Buckley, Brian Hall, Mick Pellowe & Richard Hinchliffe.

In Division 1 OTTC A beat Hollinwood A 6-4 with a maximum from Josh Boult and a double from Rebekah Griffith to move into 2^nd spot above Hollinwood B, who lost 6-4 to BAE A, Tony Bates being unbeaten for the victors.

A Darryl Meredith maximum helped Werneth A to a 7-3 win against Honeywell A.

Kevin Hill performed similarly in BAE B’s 6-4 win against Saddleworth CC.

An unbeaten performance by Terry Taylor gave Hyde YMCA A 3 useful  points against Werneth B keeping them clear of the relegation spots occupied by the two Rosehill teams.

Rosehill B went down 6-4 against Grotton A with 2 wins each for Phil Ashworth & Dave Pegg whilst Shaun Ellis was again undefeated for Grotton.

Leaders Glodwick had no problems disposing of Rosehill B 10-0.

In Division 3, leaders Droylsden beat Deaf A 8-2 with a treble from Tim Greenald and doubles from Phil Denby & Mike Truter who both lost to Ian Cockcroft.

Honeywell D beat Uppermill B 6-4 with doubles from Terry Cooper & Alan Wynn and a single from Derek Naylor.

Failsworth C beat their B team 8-2 with maximums from Paul King & Callum Jones. Dave Wilson beat Andrew Tarpey for the B team’s only singles win.

The 2 man Owls A team of Dave Harthan (3) & Paul Woodward (2) beat Coldhurst B 6-4.

Saddleworth B beat Coldhurst C 6-4 with doubles from Alex Griffith & Chris Brazewell. Dave Varney & Murray Corbin replied similarly for Coldhurst.

In Div 4, leaders Unison D were restricted to a 6-4 win at Honeywell E due to doubles by Lee Rowbotham and Leo Cogger for Honeywell, whilst Ian Connell was unbeaten for the leaders.

OTTC C narrowly defeated Deaf B 6-4 thanks to a maximum from Natalie Dodd and a double from Sarah Weatherby.

Owls B lost for the first time this season, going down 8-2 at St Saviour’s, who have extended their own unbeaten run to 11 matches. Brian Huskinson and Alex Leach scored maximums.

Werneth G drew with OTTC B, John Rutland trebling for the latter.

Ashley Murray, John Murray & Geoff Beard each scored doubles in Werneth F’s 6-4 win against Honeywell F, all losing to Pete Ganley.

Bottom team Coldhurst E, with only two players, had a surprising 6-4 win against OTTC D. Peter Altham was unbeaten and Andy Pogson added a double.

Newspaper Article W/c 9th February 2009

Congratulations to Oldham Ladies who won the Lancashire & Cheshire Table Tennis League by one point after beating Manchester Ladies, the eventual Runners up, in their final game by 5 sets to 1. Mandy Winskill, Karen Hill & Doreen Schofield comprised Oldhams’s winning team.

Oldham Ladies A team could only muster 2 players for the final day’s matches due to commitments of their players in the Manchester Schools Tournament which was ran the same day. Natalie Dodd and Sarah Weatherby played well on the day but without Rebekah & Abigail Griffith their task proved too much, although they achieved a respectable mid-table position.

Report for Week 19 -W/ending 6^th February 2009

In Division 1 of the Oldham League leaders Glodwick were surprisingly beaten 6-4 at Honeywell Lane A with wins by Steve Barber (3) Adam Rowbotham (2) & Tommy Ryan (1).

The OTTC A team of Josh Boult (3), Rebekah Griffith (2) & Matt Weatherby (1) beat BAE A 6-4, with Rebekah just losing to Tony Bates 16-14 in the fifth.

Kevin Hill & Mick Hill were both unbeaten in BAE B’s 7-3 win at Rosehill B as were Hollinwood A’s Dave Buckley & Simon Hardwick in their 9-1 win against Rosehill A.

In Division 2 Hollinwood C were 8-2 victors against Honeywell C for whom Tommy Ryan gained both wins.

Honeywell B had an easy 10-0 win at Hollinwood E keeping them in the promotion chase.

Failsworth A came away from Werneth D 6-4 victors mainly due to a Matty Evans treble, backed by wins from Steve Collins (2) & Nathan Buckley (1) with Richard Hinchliffe(2) & Mick Pellowe (1) replying.

Hyde YMCA B defeated two player Hollinwood D 6-4 for whom Joe Redikin was unbeaten.

The improving Unison A team of Mike Brierley (3), Liaqat Ali (2) and Alan Auxilly (2) beat struggling Pennine 8-2.

Maximums from Paul Howarth & Simon King with a double from Gary Keylock helped Coldhurst A to an 8-2 win at bottom team Grotton B.

Droylsden A join Honeywell D at the top of Division 3 following their 10 – 0 win against Uppermill B.  Long time leaders Honeywell D slipped up again this week losing to Gilders Tackle in a game where their No 1, Ken Dunkerley, had to retire injured after 2 games. Martin Nicholls (2) with singles from Mark Craven and Colin Ogden plus the doubles and the conceded game gave Gilders a 6-4 win.

The Failsworth C juniors of Andrew Tarpey (3), Paul King (2) & Callum Jones (1) beat the experienced Unison C 7-3, Frank Sheldon winning 2 for Unison.

Saddleworth D beat Coldhurst D mainly due to a Tony Prescott maximum, but singles  in reply from Dave England, Murray Corbin & Phil Mellor restricted the score to 6-4.

In a Snow affected week the only result posted in Division 4 was the draw between Werneth E & St Saviours. There were doubles for Darren Mitzi & Joe Taylor plus a single for Brian Micklethwaite for Werneth whilst Brian Huskinson (3) and Alex Leach (1) replied for St Saviours.

Newspaper Article W/c 2nd February 2009

Report for Week 18 -W/ending 30^th January 2009

Division 1

Both Glodwick TTC and Hollinwood B had 10-0 wins over Werneth B and bottom club Rosehill B respectively, to consolidate the top two positions in Division 1 of the Oldham and District Table Tennis League.

Rosehill A also lost heavily to OTTC A who moved up to third place after their 9-1 win. The Rosehill teams are adrift at the bottom of the league and with only 8 matches left, both teams are in danger of being relegated.

Terry Taylor’s treble for Hyde YMCA A was in vain as doubles from Dave Buckley, Simon Hardwick and Gary Newton secured a 7-3 win for Hollinwood A.

A sparkling treble from Tony Bates and a double from Peter Bradford earned BAE A a good 6-4 win at Saddleworth CC A. Ian McLean won 2 for the home side.

Werneth A beat Grotton A 7-3 thanks to Darryl Meredith (3) and Peter Morris (2) whilst Shaun Ellis doubled for the visitors.

The remaining match between BAE B and Honeywell A ended in a 5-5 draw. Kevin Hill trebled for the home side whilst Adam Rowbotham and Tommy Ryan doubled for the visitors.

Division 2

Leaders Werneth C had a good 9-1 win over Pennine thanks to Bernard Davies (3) Paul Wilkinson (3) and Doreen Schofield (2).

Second placed Hollinwood C just overcame Failsworth A 6-4, thanks to Phil Holmes (3) and Dave Cheetham (2) whilst Nathan Buckley doubled for the losers.

Third placed Honeywell B were held to a 5-5 draw by their C team due mainly to 75 year old Brian Hall’s brilliant treble, whilst Barrie Royle and Howard Travis doubled for the B team.

Unison A beat Werneth D 7-3, Mike Brierley (3) and Liaqat Ali (2) starring. Richard Hinchliffe doubled for the visitors.

Bottom club Grotton B had an excellent 5-5 draw against Uppermill A. Alf Barker (2) Steve Smith (2) and Alan Sarsfield (1) ensuring their first draw of the season. Mark Simpson trebled for the visitors.

Saj Mohammed’s outstanding treble for Hollinwood D was the key to their 6-4 win over Coldhurst A, for whom Simon King replied with a double.

Hyde YMCA B beat Hollinwood E 9-1, Dennis Bradshaw, Steve Hilton and Vernon Hyde winning three each.

Division 3

Leaders Honeywell D got back to winning ways defeating Coldhurst D 8-2, the same score by which second placed Droylsden won at Gilders Tackle. Tim Greenald (3), Mike Truter (3) and Robert Walker (2) starred for the Tameside team.

In the “Match of the Week,” Owls A won 6-4 at Unison C with no less than 9 of the 10 sets going to 5, surely a record? Frank Sheldon’s double for Unison was in vain as doubles from Dave Harthan and Paul Woodward and a single from Richard Tamworth, plus the doubles, secured victory for Owls who are formidable opponents when at full strength.

Paul Whyatt’s treble for Unison B was also in vain as doubles from Howard Meadham, Stuart Hanson and Jim Bradbury saw Uppermill B to a 6-4 win.

Failsworth B beat both Saddleworth CC B and Coldhurst C 6-4 with Dave Wilson trebles in both matches. Jake Crawley doubled against Coldhurst C for whom Neil England also won 2. The juniors of Failsworth C moved up to fourth place and continue to impress, Paul King (3) Callum Jones (2) and Andrew Tarpey (1) securing a 7-3 win at Deaf Club A for whom Ian Cockcroft doubled.

Division 4

Leaders Unison D were flattered by their 9-1 win over Werneth G, Ian Connell, Dennis Heyes and Martin Haigh all scoring trebles. They now have a 10 point lead over the junior girls of OTTC C, who overcame Werneth E 8-2, Natalie Dodd (3) and Sarah Weatherby (3) again starring whilst Abigail Griffith (1) improves with every match.

Owls B dropped to third place after their 5-5 draw with 4^th placed Honeywell E. John Tanner (3) starred for Owls whilst Ron Holt (2) and Leo Cogger (2) replied for Honeywell.

St Saviours moved up into 5^th place following their 8-2 win over Our Lady’s, Brian Huskinson and Alex Leach both winning three.

In an excellent match the OTTC B and D teams shared the points, Alex Reilly (3) starring for the D team and John Rutland (2) for the B team. No player lost all his matches.

Honeywell F whitewashed bottom club Coldhurst E 10-0, Pete Ganley, Pete Sharples and Wayne Ganley doing the damage.

Werneth F lost 3-7 at home to Deaf Club B for whom Matthew Gartside and Mike Briggs trebled.

Newspaper Article W/c 26^th January 2009

The first rounds of the Handicap Cup competitions took place in the Oldham Table Tennis League last week.

In Division 1, Hollinwood “B” recovered from a 104 points handicap deficit against Hyde Y.M.C.A. “A” to win a thrilling encounter by 7 points, George Jones and Tristran Swann being outstanding for the victors.

The holders, Werneth “A”, despite conceding a 25 point start against Honeywell Lane “A”, eventually came out winners by 68 points, Darryl Meredith picking up 50 points, father Stuart 29 points and Peter Morris 6 points.

BAE “A” conceded a 99 point start when hosting their match against Rosehill “B”, the visitors being unable to take advantage of their initial lead, allowing the hosts to win by 61 points.  Tony Bates, Pete Bradford and Tom Lang being in unbeatable form.

The “B” team, too, recorded an excellent win over Hollinwood “A”, taking advantage of a 32 point start, they came through 12 point winners, the final doubles match, proving decisive, Kevin Hill (36), Dave Buckley (23) playing particularly well.

Grotton “A” with a 30 point start managed to hold on to beat Werneth “B” by 20 points, Shaun Ellis gaining 44 invaluable points for the victors.

In Division 2, championship contenders Werneth “C” found Grotton “B’s” 164 points advantage just a little too much for them, eventually losing 519 – 543 despite valiant efforts from Bernard Davies, Paul Wilkinson and Doreen Schofield.

The experienced Coldhurst “A” side with an initial 61 points advantage managed to overcome Failsworth “A” by 48 point, Paul Howarth gaining 26 points for the victors and Steve Collins 18 points for the losers.

Hollinwood “C”, giving Unison “A” a 6 points start, won by 47 points, thanks in the main to Dave Cheetham who gained 45 points in the course of the evening’s play.

Pennine with a 36 points start over Hollinwood “E” gained a further 26 points to win by 62 points, thanks particularly to the brilliant performance of Glen Chadwick who picked up 58 of those points.

The match at Uppermill between their “A” team and Hyde Y.M.C.A. “B” proved to be a thrilling encounter with everything depending on the last game.  The visitors eventually managed to hang on to their 44 points start, coming out victorious by 5 points, Dennis Bradshaw (22 points), Mark Simpson (30 points) and Pete Watson (15 points) proving most successful for their respective teams.

Honeywell Lane “B” defeated Hollinwood “D” by 38 points, despite having to concede 14 points at the start of the match, the consistency of Barrie Royle, Howard Travis and Peter Buckley proving to be the decisive factor at the end of the match.

Following their surprisingly heavy league defeat on the 14^th January, Honeywell Lane “D”, the Division 3 leaders, suffered another setback when they were eliminated from the cup competition, being defeated by Coldhurst “C”, the handicap encountered proving rather too much, despite valiant efforts by league chairman Ken Dunkerley, who picked up 28 points for the losers.

The Coldhurst teams continued their excellent cup runs, the “B” team overcoming Saddleworth by 15 points, despite suffering from a 50 points handicap deficit, Malcolm Wills and Terry Holland being in excellent form, while the “D” team visiting Gilders increased their 77 points start to 97 points, Philip Mellor playing well for Coldhurst and Mark Craven equally well for the host team.

The clash between the two bottom teams in Division 4 resulted in an emphatic first victory of the season for Coldhurst “E”.  Despite having to concede an initial 15 points to Werneth “F”, Coldhurst eventually ran out winners by 90 points thanks to sound performances by John Greenwood, Andy Pogson and Andy Lees.

At St. Saviour’s Werneth “E” were indebted to Darren Mitzi, Phil Coombe and Matt Taylor, the latter player continuing to show improved form, especially in his match against Brian Huskinson, for their 23 points victory.

O.T.T.C. “B” overcame a 41 points deficit to defeat Out Lady’s by 13 points, John Rutland being outstanding for the winners with an individual 51 points haul.

Owls “B” started their match against Honeywell Lane “E” with a 9 points advantage and increased their lead to 49 points, in preparation for their second round tie against Coldhurst “E”.  Phil Tamworth and Dinesh Gorasia were their usual consistent selves for the Lees based team.

Oldham Closed Championships on Sunday 1^st March 09 at the Radclyffe Athletic Centre.

Players are reminded that entries need to be with John Foster by 9th February 09.

SUMMARY OF CUP RESULTS

Newspaper Article W/c 19^th January 2009

Report for Week 17 -W/ending 16^th January 2009

In Division 3 of the Oldham & District League leaders Honeywell D were surprisingly whitewashed 10-0 by second placed Droylsden but they remain 6 points clear. Droylsden fielded a strong team of Laurence Hanna, Miles Benjamin & junior Mike Truter whose 3 wins were particularly noteworthy.

Third placed Unison C were held to a draw at Coldhurst C for whom Murray Corbin was undefeated.

Owls A went 5-0 up against Deaf Club A, who fought back winning the next three games. Dave Harthan then won his third game of the night to ensure the win for Owls before partnering Richard Tamworth to a 13-11 victory in the fifth set, recovering from 10-6 down.

In Division 1 leaders Glodwick overcame Grotton A 6-4, mainly due to a Mark Ramsbottom maximum. Grotton’s Shaun Ellis & Phil Schofield each had 2 wins against Andy Jackson & Zillur Rahman.

A Terry Taylor maximum for Hyde YMCA A helped them to a draw at OTTC A, for whom Josh Boult & Reena Ardeshana scored doubles.

Werneth A beat Hollinwood A 7-3 with a maximum from Darryl Meredith and a double from Gary Skinner. Simon Hardwick replied with a double, which included his first ever victory against Stuart Meredith.

In Division 2 Werneth C beat their D Team 8-2 to remain top. Paul Wilkinson was unbeaten with Karen Hill losing to Mick Pellowe & Doreen Schofield losing to Alan Else.

Hollinwood C in second spot beat Unison A 7-3 with unbeaten performances by Dave Cheetham & Phil Holmes returning from injury.

Honeywell B in third drew with Failsworth A in a game where Tommy Ryan, Steve Collins & Nathan Buckley all scored doubles.

Pennine’s 8-2 win against bottom team Grotton keeps them in touch with the rest of the pack in the chase to avoid relegation.

In Division 4 leaders Unison D took maximum points against Coldhurst E, whilst Owls B in second spot beat Werneth F 8-2. Philip Tamworth was unbeaten, with Dinesh Gorasia & John Tanner losing to Fred Pickles.

OTTC won 9-1 at Our Lady’s with trebles from Natalie Dodd & Sarah Weatherby and a double from Abigail Griffith who lost to Declan Beswick.

Newspaper Article W/c 12^th January 2009

Report for Week 16 -W/ending 9^th January 2009

In Division 1,Glodwick consolidated their top of the table position, moving 13 points clear with a convincing 8-2 win over Hollinwood “A”.  Andy Jackson was unbeaten whilst Gary Newton replied with 2 wins.

Hollinwood “B” in second position also won comfortably 8-2 against Werneth “B”with Tristan Swann and Ian Quinn unbeaten.

Oldham TTC “A” in third position, were heavily beaten 9-1 by the fourth placed team Werneth “A”.  The father and son combination of Stuart and Daryl Meredith were unbeaten with Pete Morris scoring 2.  Josh Boult was the only winner for their opponents.

BAE “A” in fifth position beat Rosehill “B” 10-0 although three of the games were decided in the fifth set and three decided over four sets.

The match between 6^th placed Saddleworth “A” and Honeywell “A” resulted in a draw, although Saddleworth played with a man short, Ian McLean won 3 and Duncan Hadfield 2.

Aerospace “B” in 10^th place beat Grotton “A” in 11^th place 8-2.  Both Kevin and Mick Hill were unbeaten.

A hard fought relegation battle went to the wire with Hyde YM “B” narrowly beating Rosehill “A” 6-4.  Ken Ward and Geoff Ogden won 2 each for Hyde and Dave Pegg and Phil Ashworth replied similarly for Rosehill.

The clash between the two top clubs in Division 2 finished in a 5-5 draw.  Only 2 games were decided over 3 sets, the rest being 4 and 5 set hard fought matches.  Karen Hill and Paul Wilkinson, Werneth “C”, and Dave Cheetham and Joe Redikin, Hollinwood “C” all won 2. Werneth top the division by a single point. 

Honeywell “B” in third spot beat Unison “A” 6-4.  Unfortunately, Andy Hey retired hurt at two sets each and was unable to play his remaining game.  Ken Hayes and Pete Buckley, Honeywell, and Liaqat Ali and Alan Auxilly, Unison, all won 2.

Hollinwood “D” beat Pennine 6-4.  Steve Mather and Andy McNabb won 2 each and Glen Chadwick was the only unbeaten player recording 3 for Pennine. 

Coldhurst “A” in the ninth spot and Hollinwood “E” in twelth, shared the points.  Simon King (Coldhurst) was undefeated. 

Werneth “D” in tenth beat bottom team Grotton “B” 6-4.  Alf Barker was the top scorer with 2 for Grotton and Mike Pellowe undefeated for Werneth.

Steve Hilton was unbeaten and Dennis Bradshaw won 2 in Hyde YM B’s 7-3 win against Uppermill A, for whom Pete Watson also won 2.

In outstanding matches Grotton “B” lost 4-6 to Honeywell “C”.  Uppermill “A” and Coldhurst “A” shared the points, as did Pennine v Hyde “B”.

Honeywell “D” moved an impressive 14 points clear at the top of Division 3, recording a 10-0 win over Unison “B”. 

Second placed Unison “C” beat Saddleworth “B” 8-2,with Mike O’Gara undefeated. 

Droylsden in third place were held 5-5 against next to bottom club Coldhurst “D”.  Miles Benjamin scored 3 for Droylsden, and Phil Mellor responded with 2 for Coldhurst. 

The young and talented Failsworth “C” beat Gilders 7-3, with Paul King and Callum Jones each winning 3. 

The match between Uppermill “B” in eleventh place and Owls “A” in tenth resulted in a 7‑3 victory for Owls, who had David Harthan and Paul Woodward undefeated.

In outstanding matches Unison “B” beat Droylsden 6-4.  Coldhurst “C” beat Deaf “A” 7-3.

In Division 4,Unison “D” beat OTTC “B” 7-3 to retain top spot by 4 points.  Ian Connell and Dennis Heyes were unbeaten. 

Owls “B” remain hot on the heels of Unison, beating Werneth “G” 8-2.  Dinesh Gorasia and Phil Tamworth were unbeaten with Fred Pickles and Dave Murphy replying with one win each. 

OTTC “C” in third spot, lost to St Saviours in fifth 6-4 with Natalie Dodd winning 3 to retain her remarkable unbeaten record.  It was recorded as “a good match to watch, and enjoyable to play.”

Fourth team Honeywell “E” beat Our Lady’s 10-0 and recorded a “well played” to Our Lady’s youngsters.  Similarly, Deaf “B” beat Coldhurst “E” 10-0 with the comments “cracker of a game, the score does not reflect the effort.”  Mike Briggs, John Wrigley and Matthew Gartside scored 3 each. 

Werneth “E” were too strong for their “F” team winning 9-1.  Phil Coombe and Mathew Taylor were unbeaten and Ashley Murray scoring the lone point for the “F” team. 

In the one outstanding game in Division 4, Deaf “B” beat OTT “B” 8-2.

Newspaper Article W/c 22nd December 2008

Report for Week 15 -W/ending 19^th December 2008

The top two teams in Division 1 of the Oldham & District Table Tennis League met with reigning champions Glodwick TTC beating OTTC A 7-3 thanks mainly to Mick Moir (3) and Andy Jackson (2) and thus opening a 9 point lead at the top.

Third place Hollinwood B beat Grotton A by the same score. Ian Quinn, George Jones and Colin Boardman all won 2 with Shaun Ellis (3) replying.

Both Rosehill teams suffered heavy defeats, the A team 1-9 to Werneth A and the B team 0-10 to Honeywell A.

Hollinwood A and BAE B fought out a 5-5 draw with Kevin Hill (3) Dave Buckley (2) and Gary Newton (2) the main contributors.

BAE A won 8-2 at Hyde YMCA A thanks to trebles from Tony Bates and Tony Smith. Saddleworth A won 6-4 at Werneth B with Ian McLean (3) and Duncan Hadfield (2) doing the damage. Gary Skinner won two for Werneth.

The top two teams in Division 2 also met with leaders Werneth C winning 7-3 at Honeywell B. Karen Hill (3) and Paul Wilkinson (2) secured the win with Brian Higgins (2) replying for the home side.

Hollinwood C regained second place following a 9-1 win over bottom club Grotton B thanks to Dave Cheetham (3) Joe Redikin (3) and John Flowers (2).

Failsworth A beat Hollinwood E 6-4 thanks to a Nathan Buckley treble and Matthew Evans double. Bob Johnson (2) replied for the visitors.

Uppermill A and Coldhurst A battled out a 5-5 draw with Uppermill coming back from 1-5 down and winning the final doubles 15-13 in the 5^th game. Mark Simpson (2) for the home team and Simon King (2) and Gary Keylock (2) for the visitors starred but everyone won at least 1 game.

Tommy Ryan’s three for Honeywell C salvaged a draw against Unison A for whom Andy Hey and Liaquat Ali doubled.

Werneth D lost 3-7 at Hyde YMCA B and drew 5-5 against Hollinwood D for whom Steve Mather (3) and Andy McNabb (2) starred. Mick Pellowe won two in both matches.

Division 3 leaders Honeywell D continue to drop points, this time to the juniors of Failsworth C who were also a player short. Brilliant performances from Paul King (3) and Callum Jones (2) secured a 5-5 draw.

Unison C moved up to second place following a 6-4 win at Coldhurst B, thanks to Mike O’Gara (3) and Frank Sheldon (2).

Dave Harthan’s treble was not sufficient for Owls A who went down 3-7 to Gilders Tackle for whom Martin Nicholls, Gerry Lee and Mark Craven all won two.

Improving Saddleworth B beat Deaf Club A 6-4 thanks to doubles from Alex Griffiths, Chris Brazewell and Peter Skuse. Ian Cockcroft replied with two wins.

Coldhurst C and Uppermill B had a close fought 5-5 draw. Howard Meadham (3) for the visitors, Dave Varney (2) and Neil Chapman (2) starred.

Division 4 leaders Unison D, had a comfortable 9-1 win over Honeywell F in a very sporting match. Dennis Heyes, and Martin Haigh trebled and Tony Hyde doubled.

Second placed OTTC C kept up the pressure with a 9-1 win over their D team, Natalie Dodd, Sarah Weatherby and Abigail Griffith all winning three each.

A similar score from Owls B, 9-1 victors over Coldhurst E, kept them in third place whilst St Saviours had a good 6-4 win over Honeywell E.

A treble by Joe Taylor was not sufficient for Werneth F who lost 3-7 at Our Lady’s for whom John Moran, Declan Beswick and Luke Riley registered doubles. The other Werneth teams met with the E team beating the G team 7-3 thanks to Darren Mitzi (3) and Phil Coombes (2). Fred Pickles doubled for the G team.

Newspaper Article W/c 15th December 2008

Report for Week 14 -W/ending 12^th December 2008

Division 3 leaders Honeywell D were surprisingly beaten 7-3 by Owls A with brilliant performances from all three Owls players including a Dave Harthan maximum and doubles from Richard Tamworth and Paul Woodward giving them a well deserved win.

Droylsden move into second spot after their 7-3 win against 2 man Failsworth C.

Unison C are just one point behind after beating Failsworth B 8-2, however Failsworth B turned up one man short and with Steve Collins playing but ineligible they were effectively a one man team, with Vin Gaffey winning the two.

The Coldhurst B team of Malcolm Wills, Darren Brown & Neil Chapman all won two each losing to Ian Cockcroft who scored all the Deaf Club A’s points.

Other unbeaten players in this division were Alex Griffiths for Saddleworth B, Paul Whyatt for Unison Band Neil England for Coldhurst C.

Long time leaders of Division 2 Hollinwood C have slipped to third spot after only managing a draw with their D team.

The Werneth C team of Karen Hill (3), Paul Wilkinson (2) & Terry Donlon (2) go top after beating Honeywell C 8-2.

The Honeywell B team of Brian Higgins, Howard Travis & Paul Buckley are now second after whitewashing bottom team Grotton B, a feat replicated by the Uppermill A team of Mark Simpson, Peter Watson & Keith Moores against Hollinwood E.

Unison A had an excellent 7-3 win against the usual Failsworth A team, Liaqat Ali being unbeaten.

Simon Walsh was unbeaten for Coldhurst A in their 6-4 win against second bottom Pennine.

In Division 1 Hollinwood A drew with Hollinwood B mainly thanks to a Gary Newton treble, beating Tristran Swann, George Jones & Colin Boardman.

OTTC A beat BAE B 8-2 with maximums from Dave Griffith & Josh Boult.

A similar score was recorded by Werneth B at Rosehill B, with Doug Hill & Bernard Davies scoring maximums.

Other maximums this week in this division were Darryl Meredith for Werneth A, Shaun Ellis for Grotton A, Tony Bates for BAE A and the Glodwick team of Mark Ramsbottom, Andy Jackson & Khamal Hussain who whitewashed the Rosehill A Team.

In Division 4 the Unison D team of Ian Connell, Tony Hyde & Dennis Heyes, remain top after beating OTTC D by the maximum.

Second placed OTTC C managed a draw with close rivals Honeywell E.

Third placed Owls B were also held to a draw at OTTC B, with Philip Tamworth unbeaten.

There were three wins each for Deaf Club B’s Matt Gartside & Mike Briggs in their 9-1 win at Honeywell F, for whom Pete Ganley replied beating Ron Tench in the usual sporting contest against friendly opponents.

Bottom team Coldhurst E drew with Werneth E mainly thanks to an unbeaten performance from Peter Altham. Joe Taylor & Matt Taylor replied with doubles for Werneth.

Newspaper Article W/c 8th December 2008

Report for Week 13 -W/ending 5^th December 2008 (half way point in the season.)

Glodwick reclaim their lead in Division One of the Oldham Table Tennis League

Strengthened by Michael Moir, they have won their last 3 matches amassing 28 points giving them a 3 point lead over OTTC A.

OTTC A could only manage a 6-4 win at Hollinwood B.

It is now set for a close start to the second half of the season with 8 points separating the 3 top teams.

BAE B’s 7-3 win against Hyde YM was dominated by the Hill brothers, Kevin and Mick, with 3 wins each.

In the second division Hollinwood C have been caught up by Werneth C to share the top place. Werneth C beating Failsworth A 7-3 whilst Hollinwood C lost 3-7 to Hyde YM B. This match produced some thrilling games, with 5 of them being settled in the 5^th with Hyde winning all of them. This was Hollinwood’s first loss of the season.

Honeywell B, 3^rd in the table, continued their winning ways beating Hollinwood D convincingly 8-2, Brian Higgins has a run of 5 matches with 5 maximums.

Honeywell D are running away with the Division 3 title with a 16 point lead, mainly due to Ken Dunkerley, with an average of 93% wins, well supported by Alan Wynn and Derek Naylor.

Gilders Tackle managed a draw at Coldhurst B, Martin Nichols, 3 and Gerry Lees 2 for Gilders, Malcom Wills replying with 2 for Coldhurst.

At the bottom of the table Owls A Deaf Club A and Coldhurst suffered heavy losses.

Four teams are in close contention at the top of Division 4 with only 3 points separating them.

Natalie Dodd has played in every match for OTTC C and won every one. The only player in the league with 100% record for all 13 matches.

Owls B 9-1 against Honeywell F makes them the only team in the league unbeaten at this stage.

John Brightman has returned to strengthen Deaf Cub B winning 3 to help achieving a draw against Unison D.

Newspaper Article W/c 1st December 2008

Report for Week 12 -W/ending 28^th November 2008

As we approach the half way stage of 2008/09 Season there is fierce competition in every division for the top spot.

Division 4

Current leaders Unison D were defeated 7-3 by third place Owls B enabling OTTC C to draw within 1 point of top place after their 9-1 defeat of Werneth G. Natalie Dodd is the only player in the league, playing regularly, to still have an 100% record having won all her 36 sets.

Tom Loftus and Lee Rowbotham each recorded 3 wins in their 9-1 defeat of Werneth F to keep Honeywell E in the promotion race.

Division 3

Second place Droylsden A were held to a draw by 5^th place Coldhurst C in what was described as a great match. Scores like 13/11, 12/10, 15/13 were regular results of games played.

Coldhurst C then drew with Unison B in another excellent game.

The Juniors of Failsworth C moved into 3^rd place with a 8-2 win against Coldhurst D Uppermill B, for whom Jim Bradbury was the solitary winner, went down 9-1 to Failsworth B.

Division 2

Hollinwood C extended their lead at the head of the Division with a 9-1 win against Coldhurst A.

Werneth C despite a 5-0 lead, had to be satisfied with a 7-3 result as each Unison A player claimed one win.

Honeywell B’s 8-2 win over Hyde YMCA B keeps them in contention for promotion. Failsworth A led by the mature Steve Collins and supported by Nathan Buckley and Matthew Evans are also moving into the race with a great 10-0 win over Grotton B who look contenders for relegation at this stage of the season.

Three wins from Pete Watson enabled Uppermill A to defeat Werneth D 6-4. Hollinwood E shared the points with Pennine, mainly thanks to Bob Johnson, whilst Hollinwood D defeated Honeywell C 7-3 with three wins from John Hannah.

Division 1

A double blow for OTTC A, who were defeated for the first time this season along with Dave Griffith losing his 100% record to the talented Saddleworth CC player Darren Lindley. 

Last years champions Glodwick, are back in contention with convincing 9-1 wins over Werneth A and BAE A.

Hollinwood B had a 9-1 win over Rosehill A to keep them in third place, whilst Hollinwood A scored maximum points against a depleted Rosehill B.

Adam Rowbotham had an excellent 3 wins in Honeywell A’s 7-3 win over Grotton A which included a victory against Shaun Ellis.

Newspaper Article W/c 24th November 2008

INTER-LEAGUE SIDES MAKE FINE START TO CAMPAIGN.

The opening fixtures in the Lancs & Cheshire table tennis league proved to be very encouraging. The squad selection was based on a combination of experience and youth and the results certainly did not disappoint. The Oldham premier side began with a 5-1 win over neighbours Glossop followed by a 4-2 win over Trafford. They then achieved 3-3 draws against both Halton and Warrington. Dave Griffith led the way with six sets followed by five from Tristran Swann with Ian McLean chipping in with three and a single from Rebekah Griffith.

The second team occupy top spot in Div 2 after four straight wins. They started with 6-0 wins over Manchester A and Oldham B respectively, followed by 5-1 wins over both Preston A and Blackpool A. The squad consisted mainly of talented youth led by the unbeaten Reena Ardeshana, backed by Rebekah Griffith and Adam Rowbotham. Phil Myers and Dave Buckley also made useful contributions.

The Oldham B side have found a future star in teenager Paul King. He enjoyed an excellent debut notching two wins over vastly more experienced opposition. If his rapid progress continues he will no doubt one day represent the premier side. Peter Morris led the B team with Tom Ryan and Bob Johnson making valuable contributions. They currently occupy a respectable mid table position after two wins and two defeats. The final rounds of matches will be played at Halton next May.

Lancashire & Cheshire Table Tennis League

Mens Premier Division.

Mens Division Two

Oldham League Report for Week 11 -W/ending 21st November 2008

The current standard of Div 1 table tennis is higher than it has ever been. This fact is confirmed by the plight of Rosehill A. As the mid-season point approaches they are in danger of becoming detatched in the bottom two. Ian McLean and Duncan Hadfield both posted trebles for Saddleworth A in the 7-3 win over Rosehill. The form of Kevin Hill for BAE B is outstanding and is steering his team to safety. He was again unbeaten in the 5-5 draw with Werneth A for whom Stuart Meredith and Peter Morris registered doubles.

Div 2 leaders Hollinwood C were pushed all the way by a spirited Uppermill side. Dave Cheetham was unbeaten backed by a Joe Redikin double with Mark Simpson replying similarly in the 6-4 scoreline. Unbeaten stints from Andy Hey and Liaquat Ali helped Unison A to an 8-2 win at bottom side Grotton B.

Div 3 runaway leaders Honeywell D were held by second placed Coldhurst B. A Ken Dunkerley maximum was challenged by doubles from Malcolm Wills and Darren Brown in a highly competitive encounter. Third placed Unison C lost ground losing 7-3 at Uppermill B. Keith Moores was unbeaten backed by a Howard Meadham double with Mike O’Gara responding likewise.

In Div 4 the juniors of St Saviours are showing signs of steady improvement. Under the guidance of coach Brian Huskinson who was unbeaten, the 8-2 win at OTTC B was backed by doubles from Alex Leach and Sean McPhail. Tommy Loftus is enjoying his table tennis for Honeywell E. His double was replicated by teammates Lee Rowbotham and Ronnie Holt in the 6-4 win at Werneth G for whom the Fred Pickles’ treble was to no avail.

Newspaper Article W/c 17th November 2008

Report for Week 10 -W/ending 14^th November 2008

In the 4^th Division of the Oldham and District Table Tennis League, Werneth “F” moved away from the bottom of the table for the first time this season as a result of their 6-4 win against their “G” team in a closely contested match in which Fred Pickles starred for the losers by winning all three of his singles.

At the other end of the table Unison “D” regained their top position by defeating the young Our Lady’s team with Ian Connell, Dennis Heyes and Martin Haigh all gaining maximum victories.

The young ladies of OTTCC continue to challenge strongly having a 9-1 win against their depleted “B” team, Natalie Dodd and Sarah Weatherby gaining trebles, Nicole Dodd winning 2, with John Rutland producing a solitary win for the losers.

After six successive away matches Werneth “E” celebrated their return to the Coppice by recording a 10-0 victory against Deaf “B”, thanks to splendid performances by Phil Coombe, Darren Mitzi and Joe Taylor. 

In a mid-table clash St Saviour’s, led by veteran, Brian Huskinson, proved too strong for a sporting Honeywell “F” the 8-2 result, not really reflecting the closeness of the contest.

Honeywell “D” featuring Ken Dunkerley, Derek Naylor and Alan Wynn, continue to retain first place in the third division, although they were given a hard game by Failsworth “B” for whom Dave Wilson, Vinny Gaffey and Joe Crawley played well, but they were not quite able to match Ken Dunkerley’s high quality performance.

In a hard fought, though very sporting, encounter Owls “A” and Coldhurst “D” shared the spoils, Richard Tamworth and Philip Tamworth gaining double victories for the Owls with Dave England and Murray Corbin replying in similar manner. 

In a further close contest, Saddleworth “B” and Unison “B” drew 5-5, Alex Griffiths being the outstanding performer for the cricketers.

Droylsden, even with only two players, proved too strong for Coldhurst “B”, Tim Greenauld 3, Mike Truter 2 plus a win in the doubles proved the crucial factors in a 6-4 victory.

Failsworth “C” proved victorious by a 7-3 margin over Coldhurst “C” in a close game, reported as being notorious for a record amount of nets and edges for both sides! Callum Jones 3, Andrew Tarpey 2 and Paul King 1 being responsible for the success of the young Failsworth side.

The race for the Division 2 title continues to hot up, the present leaders Hollinwood “C” defeating Pennine 8-2 with trebles from Dave Cheetham and Bob Johnson and a double win for Joe Redikin who was edged out of a maximum triumph by the determined Glen Chadwick.

Werneth “C” defeated Grotton “B” 10-0, trebles being obtained by Karen Hill, Doreen Schofield and Terry Donlan while 3^rd placed Honeywll “B” beat Uppermill “B” 6-4 due mainly to Tommy Ryan’s treble success.

At the foot of the table Grotton “B” battle gallantly on, but with ten successive defeats they are finding it rather difficult to cope in this very competitive second division.

Honeywell “C” also near the bottom of the league had a very satisfying win over Coldhurst “A”, for whom Simon Walsh was in good form, proving triumphant in all his singles matches.

OTTC “A” continue to occupy pole position in division one and playing at the Radclyffe Athletic Centre, they defeated Honeywell “A” 6-4, David Griffith 3, Josh Boult 2 and Rebekah Griffith being the contributors, Adam Rowbotham 1 and Steve Barber 2 winning sets for the visitors.

BAE “A” just edged out their “B” team 6-4 with Kevin Hill playing in his usual scintillating manner, in defeating Tony Bates, Tom Lang and Tony Smith.

Rosehill  “B” narrowly lost 4-6 to their “A” team, despite the excellent performance by Andrew Perry who remained undefeated throughout the evening.

Hyde YMCA “A” returned to winning ways Ken Ward, Geoff Ogden and Lionel Royle won two sets each while Ian McLean played brilliantly to record a treble.  The doubles provided to be a titanic struggle, Saddleworth “A” winning 15/13 in the 5^th, but nevertheless Hyde came through the encounter successfully with a 6-4 win.

Hollinwood “A” beaat Werneth “B” 7-3, Dave Buckley, Simon Hardwick and Gary Newton each won 2 sets for the winners, Eddie Darlington 2 and Karen Hill 1 contributing for Werneth.

Hollinwood B, led by a Tristran Swann treble together with an Ian Quinn double, beat a depleted Werneth A team 6-4.

Grotton “A” belied their lowly league position by obtaining a draw against 2^nd placed BAE “A”, thanks mainly to a treble from Shaun Ellis.

Newspaper Article W/c 10th November 2008

Report for Week 9 -W/ending 7^th November 08

At the end of week 9 fixtures in the Oldham and District Table Tennis League, OTTC “A” are heading the 1^st Division by 6 points having beaten Werneth “B” 8-2.  Dave Griffiths and Josh Boult were unbeaten and Rebecca Griffiths winning 2, losing only to Gary Skinner.

Werneth “A” in second place lost 6-4 to Saddleworth “A”.  Darryl Meredith, the current Oldham Champion, and Darren Lindley, the current Huddersfield champion, were both unbeaten and at one set each in the final singles game of the match when Darryl, unfortunately, had to retire injured.

Hollinwood “B”, in third place, beat last season’s champions Glodwick 6-4,Tristan Swann being unbeaten supported by a brace from Ian Quinn.  Khamal Hussain responded with a double for Glodwick.

Mid-table Honeywell “A” beat bottom club Rosehill “A” 7-3.  Adam Rowbotham 3 and Tom Ryan 2 for Honeywell and Phil Ashworth 2 were the main players.  Hollinwood “A” also in mid-table playing away beat 3^rd bottom Grotton “A” 7-3 in spite of an unbeaten performance by Grotton’s Shaun Ellis.  Simon Hardwick, Gary Newton and Ian Quinn replied with 2 wins each for Hollinwood.

Second Division leaders, Hollinwood “C” were comfortable 8-2 winners at Werneth “D”, with Dave Cheetham and Joe Redikin both unbeaten. 

Second place Honeywell “B” beat 2^nd bottom Pennine 9-1.  Brian Higgins and Peter Buckley were both unbeaten and Howard Travis winning 2.  Glen Chadwick scored Pennine’solitary point. 

Werneth “C” retained 3^rd place with a 9-1 win at Hollinwood “D”.  Doreen Schofield and Paul Wilkinson were unbeaten and Karen Hill contributed 2. John Hannah responded with Hollinwood’s point. 

Uppermill “A”, handily placed 4^th, beat Honeywell “C” 8-2.  Mark Simpson was unbeaten, and both Pete Watson and Keith Moores doubled.  Gary Turley replied with 2 for Honeywell. 

Failsworth, in 6^th place, lost to 7^th place Coldhurst “A” 6-4.  Steve Collins and Andrew Tarpey won 2 each for Failsworth, with Paul Howarth and Simon Walsh responding similarly for Coldhurst.

Mid-table Hollinwood “E” were convincing 9-1 winners against bottom club Grotton “B”.  Bob Johnson, Paul Rourke and George Marrow were all unbeaten.

Honeywell “D”, in the 3^rd Divisions top spot, lost 6-4 against UNISON “C”.  Terry Cooper won 2 for Honeywell and John Mark and Mike O’Gara replied with 2 each for UNISON. 

Coldhurst “B”, in 2^nd place, beat UNISON “B” 8-2.  Simon Walsh with 3 and Gary Keylock and Darren Brown with 2 each were the scorers for Coldhurst.  Paul Whyatt and Steve Slater replied with 1 win each. 

Coldhurst “C”, in 3^rd place, beat Owls “A” 6-4, who were handicapped when Dave Hartham suffered a late injury and unfortunately conceded 3.  Paul Woodward was the game’s only unbeaten player.  Dave Varney, Neil England and Pete Altham won 1 each for Coldhurst. 

Gilders, in 5^th place, were held to a 5-5 draw by second bottom Deaf Club “A”.  Ian Cockroft was unbeaten for the Deaf Club, with Gilders’ Colin Ogden replying with 2.  Mid-table Uppermill “B” beat bottom club Coldhurst “D” 7-3.  Howard Meadham was unbeaten and Stuart Hanson scored 2 for Uppermill.  Murray Corbin, Phil Mellor and Dave England each won 1 for Coldhurst. 

Mid-table Failsworth “C” managed a 6-4 win over Saddleworth “B”.  Andrew Tarpey and Callum Jones both won 2 for Failsworth, with Tony Prescott replying likewise for Saddleworth.

In Division 4 Owls “B” moved into top spot thanks to a fine 9-1 win against Werneth “E”, Paul Woodward and Philip Tamworth were both unbeaten and Dinesh Gorasia adding two.  Joe Taylor was the sole winner for Werneth. 

UNISON “s “D” slipped to 2^nd place with a narrow 6-4 win against St. Saviours, coached by Brian Huskinson, who won all 3 and well supported by up and coming juniors, Alex Leach and Sean McPhail. 

In 3^rd place, OTTC “C” Team were comfortable 8-2 winners against Honeywell “F”.  The outstanding juniors, Natalie Dodd and Sarah Weatherby were unbeaten and Nicole Dood adding 1.  Pete Ganley and Pete Sharples fought hard for 1 win each.  Honeywell “E”, in 4^th position, beat OTTC ‘B’ 7-3.  Lee Rowbotham was unbeaten and veterans Tom Loftus and Leo Cogger won 2 each.  John Rutland and Pete Chappell replied with 1 win each. 

Close rivals Oldham TTC “D” Team came out on top 6-4 against Werneth “G”.  Alex Reilly was unbeaten for Oldham TTC and Fred Pickles and Alan Nightingale replied with 2 each for Werneth. 

A bottom of the table clash saw Coldhuurst “E” and Werneth “F” fight out a 5-5 draw.  Andy Pogson was unbeaten for Coldhurst, and Geoff Aspinall and Geoff Beard responding with 2 wins each.

Newspaper Article W/c 3^rd November 2008

Report for Week 8 -W/ending 31st Oct 08

In Division 4 of the Oldham & District Table Tennis League the junior girls of OTTC C inflicted the first defeat of the season 7-3 on leaders Unison D thanks to trebles from Natalie Dodd & Sarah Weatherby, moving them up to third spot.

The Owls B team of Paul Woodward, John Tanner & Dave Foden are second following their 10-0 win against the juniors from Our Lady’s, Blackley.

Fourth spot belongs to the Honeywell E team of Tom Loftus, Lee Rowbotham & Leo Cogger thanks to an identical scoreline against their F team.

Werneth G gained their first victory of the season beating Coldhurst E 8-2 with maximums from Fred Pickles & Dave Murphy & a double from Alan Nightingale who lost to John Greenwood.

In Division 3, the Honeywell D team of Terry Cooper, Ken Dunkerley & Alan Wynn move further ahead after their 10-0 win at Deaf Club A.

Coldhurst C beat their D team with Dave Varney unbeaten and doubles from Neil Chapman and Murray Corbin in reply.

Unison C beat their B team 6-4 with doubles from John Mark & Frank Sheldon who both lost to the unbeaten Alan Auxilly.

Unison B also posted a 6-4 win at Failsworth B, this time Mike Brierley was unbeaten, aided by a double from Steve Slater.

Gilders B came away from Uppermill B with a narrow 6-4 win in a game where no player escaped defeat, Colin Ogden, Fred Wood and Stuart Hanson all scoring doubles.

In Division, 2 there were a few notable performances, firstly Failsworth A beating Uppermill A 8-2 with maximums from juniors Nathan Buckley & Matthew Evans, and then Unison A beating Coldhurst A 7-3 with doubles from Andy Hey, Paul Whyatt & Alan Auxilly. Simon Walsh played well replying with 2 wins.

Honeywell B maintained their recent form beating Werneth D 8-2 thanks to maximums from Brian Higgins & Peter Buckley. Mike Pellowe beat Barrie Royle for Werneth’s only singles win

Werneth C drew with Hyde YM B thanks to a Karen Hill hat trick. Dennis Bradshaw & Steve Hilton replied with doubles.

A Mark Simpson treble helped Uppermill A to a 6-4 win against the improving Unison A team.

The two-man Hollinwood D team of Andy McNabb & Steve Mather beat the struggling Grotton B team 7-3.

Honeywell C beat Pennine 7-3 with a maximum from Gary Turley and doubles from Brian Hall & Allan Marston, Glen Chadwick replying with 2 wins.

In Division 1, Honeywell Lane A had an excellent 8-2 win at Hyde YM A, with maximums from Adam Rowbotham & Steve Barber. Lionel Royle defeated Ken Hayes in five for Hyde’s only singles win.

OTTC A go top after posting two 10-0 wins, one by default against Grotton A, the other against an out of sorts Rosehill A.

Rosehill A also lost to Werneth B 9-1, Phil Ashworh beating Eddie Darlington, whilst both Phil Myers & Rob Carter were unbeaten.

Werneth A are now in second place, beating Rosehill B 9-1 with a depleted side. Both Stewart Meredith & Doug Hill were unbeaten with Gary Skinner losing to Andy Perry.

BAE B drew with Hollinwood B thanks to a maximum from Kevin Hill who beat Ian Quinn game 9 in the fifth. Ian & George Jones scored doubles.

BAE A beat Hollinwood A 6-4 thanks to a Tom Lang maximum assisted by a double from Tony Smith & a single from Pete Bradford.

Newspaper Article W/c 27^th October 2008

Report for week 7 – Week ending 24th October 08.

CLOSE GAMES IN TOP TWO DIVISIONS of TABLE TENNIS LEAGUE

5 of the 7 matches in Division 1 ended 6-4.

Werneth A took over top position in Division 1 after a 6-4 win at Honeywell A. Darryl Meredith (3) and Pete Morris (2) starred for the leaders with Adam Rowbotham (2) replying.

Previous leaders Hollinwood B lost 4-6 at BAE A for whom Tony Bates and Tony Smith both trebled.

Both Glodwick TTC and OTTC A made up ground on the leading group. Glodwick beat Honeywell A 9-1 and Rosehill B 7-3 whilst OTTC A had an excellent 9-1 win at Hollinwood A. Dave Griffith (3) Josh Boult (3) and Rebekah Griffith (2) did the damage.

BAE B had a good 6-4 win at Saddleworth CC A, Ian McLean’s treble not enough as Kevin and Mick Hill both won 2 each for the visitors.

Rosehill A had a welcome 6-4 win at Grotton A thanks to Phil Ashworth (3) and Richard Sarre (2). Shaun Ellis doubled for the home side.

In the final game, Werneth B beat Hyde YMCA A 6-4, Geoff Ogden’s treble not enough against doubles from Gary Skinner and Rob Carter.

There were 3 draws in Division 2 with leaders Hollinwood C held 5-5 by Honeywell B. Brian Higgins (3) and Barrie Royle (2) starred for the visitors. Dave Cheetham replied with a double, whose team also required an 11-9 win in the 5^th game of the doubles for a draw.

Second place Werneth C came a cropper at Coldhurst A due to the two Simons, King and Walsh, who both registered trebles, the final result 7-3.

Werneth D and Honeywell C shared the points, Mike Pellow and Richard Hinchcliffe for the hosts and Howard Travis for the visitors all won 2 each.

Hollinwood E and D teams also shared the points, the D team’s cause not helped by being a player short. It was even worse for Failsworth A who were two players short at Pennine. Steve Collins won all his 3 games in the 3-7 defeat.

Division 3 leaders Honeywell D came back to winning ways with a 9-1 victory over Uppermill B, but the score flattered them.

Second placed Coldhurst B came down to earth at Owls A after a 2-8 defeat. Dave Harthan (3) Paul Woodward (3) and Richard Tamworth (2) starred for the hosts.

Third placed Coldhurst C maintained their excellent start with a 7-3 win over Saddleworth CC B. A Dave Varney treble and Neil Chapman double was enough despite a double from Chris Brazewell.

Improving Gilders moved up to 4^th position after a 7-3 win at Coldhurst D thanks to doubles from Mark Craven, Colin Ogden and Fred Wood. Dave England (2) replied.

In the Failsworth “derby” the C team beat the B team 7-3 with 6 games going the full distance. Juniors Andrew Tarpey and Callum Jones starred for the C team with Jake Crawley replying with a double for the B team.

In Division 4, leaders Unison D consolidated their position with an 8-2 win over Honeywell E. Second placed Owls B beat St Saviours 7-3, Phil Tamworth trebled including a creditable win over Brian Huskinson.

OTTC C and Deaf Club B shared the points. Natalie Dodd (3) for OTTC and Mike Briggs (2) and Ron Tench (2) for Deaf Club starred.

The other OTTC teams enjoyed wins, the B team beat Werneth G 7-3 thanks to Simon Berry (3) John Rutland (2) and George Jervis (2) with Fred Pickles replying with a double, whilst the D team beat Coldhurst E 8-2 thanks to Alex Reilly (3) Karl Jones (2) and Peter Collum (2).

Werneth E won 8-2 at Our Lady’s whilst bottom club Werneth F gained a creditable 5-5 draw at Honeywell F, Matt Taylor (2) and singles from Malc Pellow and Geoff Beard for Werneth being matched by Pete Ganley (3) and Pete Sharples (2).

Newspaper Article W/c 20th October 2008

Report for Week 6 -W/ending 17th Oct 08

In Division 1, Hollinwood B went top after beating Saddleworth A 7-3 with two wins each for Tristran Swann, Ian Quinn & George Jones who all lost to Paul Cichelli.

Second placed Werneth A beat their B team 8-2 with maximums from Darryl & Stewart Meredith.

The juniors of OTTC A held third placed BAE A to a draw, Joshua Boult starring with 3 wins aided by a double from Rebekah Griffith. Tony Bates scored a double with singles from Tom Lang & Tony Smith in reply.

In a super game between two well-matched teams, Shaun Ellis was unbeaten for Grotton A but Ken Ward & Lionel Royle scored doubles for Hyde YMCA A to earn them a well-deserved draw.

Hollinwood A came away from Rosehill A with a 6-4 win despite a Phil Ashworth maximum for the home team.

BAE B had a convincing 8-2 win at bottom team Rosehill B with maximums from Kevin & Mick Hill.

In Division 2, Hollinwood C remain top despite being held to a draw at Honeywell C, Tommy Ryan winning all his games for Honeywell.

Werneth C are in second spot after their 8-2 win against Uppermill A.  A Paul Wilkinson treble and doubles for Terry Donlon & Bernard Davies did the trick.

Honeywell B beat Hollinwood E 7-3 thanks to a treble from Barrie Royle and double for Ken Hayes who lost to Harry Ross (2) in a battle of ‘the bats’.

Hollinwood D, currently going well, drew with Hyde YMCA B in a hard fought game where 7 of the 10 sets were decided in the fifth, three of them on deuce. John Hannah for Hollinwood & Dennis Bradshaw & Steve Hilton for Hyde all scored doubles.

Failsworth A had an excellent 9-1 win against Werneth D with maximums from juniors Nathan Buckley & Matthew Evans.

Coldhurst A beat bottom team Grotton B 7-3 with a Simon King treble and Simon Walsh double. Steve Smith replied with a double.

Unison A scored their first win of the season, beating Pennine 6-4, Andy Hey anchoring them with a fine treble.

In Division 3 Honeywell D are clear at the top despite a 6-4 reversal at Gilders Tackle. Ken Dunkerley was unbeaten for them but doubles for Colin Ogden & Mark Craven with a single from Gerry Lees was enough.

Coldhurst B beat their C team 9-1 with maximums from Darren Brown & Terry Holland, Malcolm Wills losing to Neil Chapman in five.

Droylsden were 8-2 victors at Uppermill B, with Tim Greenald & Phil Denby unbeaten.

Unison B ‘s 7-3 win at Deaf Club A was a lengthy and close match with 17 games being decided on deuce, Alan Auxilly & Pete Dawson scoring maximums for the victors.

Juniors, Callum Jones (2) and Paul King (1) played well against Unison C’s two-man team of Frank Sheldon (2) & Mike O’Gara (1), winning 6-4.

Saddleworth CC B beat bottom team Coldhurst D 8-2 with a maximum from Chris Brazewell and double from Peter Skuse and Alex Griffiths who both lost to Murray Corbin.

The mid table clash between Failsworth B & Owls A finished in a draw, Paul Woodward was unbeaten for the Owls in a match which included doubles for team mate Dave Harthan & Failsworth’s Vin Gaffey.

In Division 4,top team Unison D beat bottom team Werneth F 7-3 with Dennis Heyes unbeaten for Unison. This was an improvement for the Werneth team who had only won one individual set previously, Peter Aspinall (2) & Matt Taylor (1) winning for them.

Junior, Natalie Dodd remains unbeaten this season following OTTC C’s draw with second placed Owls B for whom Philip Tamworth & Dinesh Gorasia each scored doubles. Juniors, Sarah Weatherby and Abigail Griffith played well winning one set each.

The ‘old timers’ from Honeywell E, Tommy Loftus (1), Ronnie Holt (3) and Leo Cogger (2) used their considerable experience to beat Deaf Club B 7-3 despite the efforts of Mike Briggs (2) and Matthew Gartside (1) for the Deaf Club.

St Saviours had a good 7-3 win, with three wins from Brian Huskinson and two wins for the ever-improving junior, Alex Leach. Darren Mitzi played well replying with 2 wins for Werneth E.

Honeywell F won 6-4 at Werneth G mainly thanks to a maximum from Pete Ganley, who is on a roll, being unbeaten in his last nine singles. Fred Pickles & Alan Nightingale replied with two wins each for Honeywell.

John Greenwood’s 12-10 victory in the fifth over George Jervis avoided the whitewash for Coldhurst E against OTTC B, Simon Berry & John Rutland being unbeaten for OTTC.

Newspaper Article W/c 13th October 2008

Report for Week 5 -W/ending 10th Oct 08

In Division 1,Saddleworth CC A inflicted a surprise 7-3 defeat upon BAE A thanks to the efforts of Ian Mclean (3), Paul Cichelli (2) & Duncan Hadfield (1). Half of the sets went the full distance with the winning margins decided by just the few points.

Doubles by each of the Werneth A players, matched by a double from Grotton’s Shaun Ellis, resulted in a 7-3 win for Werneth, Shaun beating Darryl Meredith who is recovering from a shoulder operation.

Glodwick beat Werneth B 7-3 with trebles from Mark Ramsbottom & Andy Jackson.

Hollinwood A, conceding 2 sets through injury to Simon Hardwick, lost 6-4 at home to Hyde YMCA A.

In Division 2 maximums from Dave Cheetham & Joe Redikin helped Hollinwood A to a hard fought 8-2 win against the luckless Failsworth A team.

Uppermill A, with Mark Simpson returning from injury, overcame Grotton B 8-2 with unbeaten performances from Peter Watson & Keith Moores.

The in form Mick Pellowe was again unbeaten for Werneth D in their draw against Unison A, for whom Andy Hey & Alan Auxilly replied with doubles.

Maximums from Ken Hayes & Barrie Royle helped Honeywell B beat their C team 7-3.

A double from Coldhurst’s Simon King was the net result of their night’s work against Hollinwood D thanks to Dave Cheetham (3), John Hannah (2) & Steve Mather (2) in Hollinwood’s 8-2 win.

Hollinwood E drew with Hyde YMCA B for whom Dennis Bradshaw was undefeated ably assisted by a double from Anthony Gummersall.

In Division 3 Honeywell D march on with a 10-0 win at Coldhurst D, courtesy of Allan Marston, Derek Naylor & Alan Wynn.

Coldhurst C beat Failsworth B 7-3 with a treble from the improving Dave England and doubles from Neil Chapman & Neil England.

Coldhurst B drew at Saddleworth B despite a Simon Walsh treble.

Droylsden beat Gilders 7-3 with wins from Miles Benjamin (3), Laurence Hanna (2) & Matt Hensman (1).

Owls A beat Unison C 6-4, Paul Woodward starring with 3 wins, assisted by a double from Dave Harthan. Pete Dawson managed a double in reply for Unison.

The Failsworth C juniors had an excellent 7-3 win against Deaf Club A with an unbeaten performance from Paul king, a double from Callum Jones & a single from Andrew Tarpey.

In Division 4 Unison D whitewashed Werneth G to remain top.

Owls B beat Honeywell E 7-3 to take second spot, with wins for Philip Tamworth (3), Dinesh Gorasia (2) & John Tanner (1). Honeywell’s points came from Lee Rowbotham (2) & Ronnie Holt (1).

The OTTC C, junior girls team are in third spot after their 7-3 win against Werneth E, Natalie Dodd again starring with a maximum, assisted by her sister Nicole (2) and Abigail Griffith (1) in their first season in the league.

St Saviours beat Our Lady’s 9-1 with maximums from juniors Alex Leach & Sean McPhail, junior Declan Beswick notching the one.

Pete Ganley with his second successive maximum, along with doubles from Pete Sharples & Wayne Ganley helped Honeywell F to an 8-2 win against Coldhurst E.

The junior boys of OTTC D narrowly lost 6-4 to their B team despite an excellent treble from Alex Reilly. Karl Jones won one, narrowly losing 15-13 in the fifth to Pete Chappell.

Lancashire & Cheshire League Match reports

All the Oldham teams made a winning start this week.

In the Vets Division 1 the Oldham team beat Blackpool 8-2 with 3 wins for Phil Myers and doubles from Dave Griffith & Peter Morris.

In the Vets Division 2 the Oldham B team came away from Lancaster & Morecambe with a 7-3 win thanks to doubles from Dave Pegg, Rob Carter & Dave Cheetham.

In the Vets Division 3 the Oldham D team of Lionel Royle (3), Geoff Ogden (2) & Jimmy Findlow (1) won 6-4 at Kendal.

Newspaper Article W/c 6th October 2008

Report for Week 4 -W/ending 3^rd Oct 08

Division 1

Father & son, Stuart and Darryl Meredith were in fine form for Werneth A against Hollinwood A with 3 wins each supported by Peter Morris (2) in the their 9-1 win.

Hollinwood B recorded a 8-2 win against Honeywell A, Tristran Swann and Ian Quinn winning 3 each.

BAE B had a welcome 6-4 win against Werneth B with doubles from Kevin & Mick Hill, matched by Eddie Darlington for Werneth.

Division 2

Hollinwood D beat Pennine 9-1 with maximum wins from John Hannah, Andy McNabb and Steve Mather.

Pennine recovered in the their next match with a convincing win over Grotton A 7-3, Glen Chadwick winning 3.

A close match between Failsworth A and Honeywell B resulted in a win 6-4 for Failsworth. Juniors, Matt Evans (2), Jake Crawley (1) with 2 wins from experienced Steve Collins clinching the win. One game finished at 19-17!

Hollinwood C, Werneth C 5-5. Dave Cheetham (3) for Hollinwood, Karen Hill (2) in reply with a doubles win for Werneth ensuring the draw.

Peter Watson (Uppermill A) was in fine form winning 3 and assisting in the doubles win to draw 5-5 against Hollinwood D.

Division 3

Pete Dawson played well to win 3 for Unison B but it didn’t stop Gilders taking the match 6-4.

Newly promoted Saddleworth CC found it tough at Failsworth B losing 0-10.

Ian Cockcroft was outstanding with 3 wins for Deaf Club A in their 7-3 win against Owls A.

Honeywell D maintained their 100% record with a 6-4 win against Droylsden. Alan Wynn (3) Ken Dunkerley (2) for Honeywell.

Failsworth C juniors, Callum Jones (3) Paul King (2) and James Collins (1) were worthy winners 7-3 against Uppermill B.

Mike O’Gara starred for Unison C with 3 wins in their 6-4 win against Coldhurst C.

Division 4

Matt Garside (3) and assisting in a doubles win was Deaf Club B saviour in a 5-5 draw against Werneth G.

Juniors Alex Riley (3) and Karl Jones (1) helped OTTC D to a 5-5 draw against Honeywell F.

OTTC C 7-3 win against St. Saviours involved 5 juniors with Natalie Wood (3), Abigail Griffith (1) for OTTC and Alex Leach (2) for St Saviours.

Dave England’s treble for Coldhurst E did not stop them losing 3-7. Ian Connell, Tony Hyde and Martin Haigh winning 2 each for Unison D.