East Lancs. Table Tennis League: Press Report  Feb 14TH  2015:

 From Neil Hepworth (East Lancs. Table Tennis League Press Officer)

Email: Hepworth_neil@hotmail.com. Mob 07480 152268

Premier division league

Premier Individual Merit Top 5 (players who haven’t played in at least half the matches are excluded)

First division

First Division Individual Merit Top 5 (players who haven’t played in at least half the matches are excluded)

Second division league

Third division league

 Division Three Individual Merit Top 5

(players who haven’t played in at least half the matches are excluded)

Overall league Summary

K.Ward Plumbing sit top with 10/12 wins in the premier division with Keith Ward their best player making the 3rd place in the individual merit table. But its second place Ramsbottom A with games in hand who with their superior points per game average that are more likely to emerge as champions spurred on by 3 top 5 merit performers in Martin Wyatt (1st), Mandy Winskill (2nd), & Graham Hoy (5th). B.L.C Clarets though are only 14 point behind Ramsbottom with a game in hand on them and will also still be up for it with Dave Kay leading their charge being 4th in the merits. East Lancs 1st have dropped of the front pace a little and are now 22 points adrift of the mark but are still going well.

Certain for relegation are The Lions, but the second relegation place is still to be decided between Ramsbottom B, Rovers, & Hyndburn ‘A’ with Rovers being favourites for this dubious honour as Hyndburn are likely to use their better players more in the remaining games!

Division One is beginning to settle at the top end with Old Masters inspired by the undefeated Howard Whewell in first place and Ramsbottom C in second place just 4 points behind. However only 9 points behind Old Masters, and 4 points behind Ramsbottom in 3rd place are Hyndburners (Duncan Rigby merit: 3rd) so it could still be any two of these 3 for the title and the other promotion place. The two Whalley teams (Eagles & Hawks) are going well in 4th & 5th place, with Hawks Adam Robinson 4th in the merits. KSB have two merit placed players in their B team’s Daven Argile (2nd) & A teams Trevor Elkington (5th). The relegation fight remains very tight at the bottom and I couldn’t call it at this stage between KSB ‘B’, Hyndburn ‘B’, Whalley Kestrals & Tackyfire.

Division Two title favourites is still the Ramsbottom D team, despite their first loss of the season last week to Doals Marauders 17:23 (Marauder’s Cliff Dale being the undefeated player of the match). The game saw 4 of the top 5 merit players in action (Doals Neil Hepworth & Ian Smith, 1st/ 5th & Ramsbottom’s Adam Kensit & David Cain 2nd/ 3rd). Marauders are looking secure for promotion and level on points with Ramsbottom but Ramsbottom have a game in hand. The other Doals team ‘Rolling Doals’ are comfortable in 3rd place, with only Brierfield (Peter Howard 4th in merits) down in 5th but with 2 games in hand with the potential to still unsettle either Doals team. The steady Old Masters B are currently in 4th place. The fight for survival is a 4 way contest between Hyndburn ‘C’, Best Centre Jets & the two KSB teams C & D, and as in the division above, I couldn’t call it at present, though Hyndburn have slightly better odds of surviving than the other 3!

Division Three is still topped by the unbeaten Best Centre Raptors who are favourites for the title (Dylan Storey, Richard Tokeley 2nd/4th in merits) but with two other excellent teams in this division in Ramsbottom E, who are second (Roy Steventon 5th in merit) & Slayers 4th but with games in hand (Paul Waddington 3rd in merit), they can’t rest on their laurels yet.  I heard of a stunning performance in the last round of the Fred Holden cup by Whalley Merlin youngster Jack Haworth who took two sets of a division 1 player to lead Merlins to victory. Well played Jack!

For info in how to start playing TT or how to join a club contact league development office Harry Rawcliffe on Tel 01254 663451

Burnley Focus

Burnley’s Premier Division team B.L.C Clarets, are currently third but with games in hand and only 14 points behind main rivals they have it still within their own grasp to win the title and they will need 3rd place merit player Dave Kay & 6th place Keith Lee to maintain their form to do so. Brierfield A in 6th place will be pleased to be looking secure in the top flight, in no small thanks to best player Jack Keogh managing 55% in his personal performance.

In Division two Brierfield ‘B’ have only played once since Christmas and so are back down in 5th place but will hope to rise higher when games in hand are played. With 4th placed merit player Peter Howard in their line up they could still challenge the Doals teams for promotion but will need to be at their best to do so. Best Centre Jets are competing well and just above the drop zone, but it is tight especially between them and the bottom two so it will need continuous improvement as they have done thus far to fend off their rivals and avoid the drop.

Best centre Raptors are still having an outstanding season in the 3rd division and are still unbeaten. Great individual play by Dylan Storey (2nd in merit) and Richard Tokeley (4th) is making them the favourites at this stage, but no room to relax just yet with the standard of the opposition challenging them in Ramsbottom E and Slayers to still be played and overcome. Best Centre Phantoms are still without a win but showing good improvement. Jack Cooney demonstrated how much when reserving up in div 2 last Monday he took good a top 10 div 2 player from Doals to 5 sets. Jack is going to be a very good player if he keeps playing.

Best Centre is open to new players and beginners to join their club on a Monday night (Contact Darren Wright for more info on 07736473609)

Rossendale Focus

Rossendale has clubs in Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall & Bacup.

Ramsbottom teams are still challenging for the honours in each of the divisions. In the Premier Division Ramsbottom A are unbeaten and 2nd with games in hand over K.Ward Plumbing above them  with 3 top 5 merit performers in Martin Wyatt (1st), Mandy Winskill (2nd) & Graham Hoy (5th). They have a great chance to win the title, though must overcome Clarets who are neck and neck with them. Their other premier team Ramsbottom B have fallen into the relegation battle but with games in hand should manage to avoid the drop zone by the end of the season. Ramsbottom C are 2ndin Div One, just 4 points behind Old Masters, but only 5 points above Hyndburners so will remain in a close 3 way fight for the title. Ramsbottom D did lose their first game of the season last week to Doals Marauders and are now tied top on 260 points each but with a game in hand, so still favourites for the title (Adam Kensit , David Cain 2nd, 3rd in merits). Ramsbottom E are  at 2nd in Division 3, with the wily old campaigner Bryan Edwards on 86% playing alongside good youngsters such as Harry Bell (who also held is own reserving in Div 2 v Marauders last week).For info of how to start playing TT in Ramsbottom contact Bryan Edwards on 01617975082,

Rawtenstall’s KSB ‘A’ team have fallen out of the promotion race in Division One having gone from being unbeaten at Christmas to losing 3 out of their last 4 games. Trevor Elkington is still playing well though and is 5th in the merits. Also in Division One KSB ’B’ team is struggling at the bottom and even allowing for games in hand and the skill of Daven Argile  (3rd in merits), they will need to start winning points quickly to avoid relegation. Its gloomy news too for the two Division Two teams, ‘C; & ‘D’ who are also in the relegation fight and currently in the drop Zone, though both capable of escaping this with the quality players they have. KSB ‘E’ are going steady mid-table in Division Three.

For info of how to start playing TT in Rawtenstall contact Trevor Elkington on 07981387755.

Bacup based (Weir), Doals Marauders in Division Two have started 2015 in a blaze with 4 good wins including over the previously unbeaten Ramsbottom D, and are looking very secure now to get promoted (Neil Hepworth, Ian Smith, 1st/5th in merits). Rolling Doals though are also having a very good season and are only one place behind their team mates in 3rd place. In Division Three Doals Vikings are towards the lower end, but competing well. For info of how to start playing TT in Bacup contact Neil Hepworth on 07480 152268.