Press report New year
East Lancs. Table Tennis League: New Year Press Report 2017: From Neil Hepworth (East Lancs. Table Tennis League Press Officer) Email: Hepworth_neil@hotmail.com. Mob 07480152268
Premier division league
Name Played Won Draw Loss Points
Clitheroe 8 7 0 1 210
K.Ward Plumbing 8 6 0 2 172
Ramsbottom B 8 4 0 4 157
Ramsbottom A 6 5 0 1 140
East Lancs 6 5 0 1 135
Brierfield 7 2 0 5 126
Rovers 8 2 0 6 126
The Lions 8 0 0 8 99
Hyndburn TTC A 7 2 0 5 90
Premier Division Individual merit Top 5 (Players with less than 50% + 1 games don’t qualify)
Name Team % of sets won
Keith Ward K.Ward Plumbing 78.05
Martin Wyatt Ramsbottom A 75.00
Matt Nettleton Clitheroe 70.15
Liam Bedford Clitheroe 69.41
Dave Kay Clitheroe 68.97
First division league
Name Played Won Draw Loss Points
Whalley Eagles 8 5 0 3 190
KSB A 8 6 1 1 182
Ramsbottom C 7 6 0 1 177
Old Masters 9 5 0 4 167
Whalley Hawks 7 5 0 2 160
Best Centre Raptors 8 5 1 2 144
Whalley Kestrels 8 2 1 5 137
Mavericks 8 1 1 6 134
Hyndburn TTC B 9 0 2 7 115
Doals Marauders 8 2 0 6 109
Division One Individual merit Top 5 (Players with less than 50% + 1 games don’t qualify)
Name Team % of sets won
Daven Argile KSB A 84.62
Keith Haworth Ramsbottom C 82.26
Adam Robinson Whalley Hawks 72.06
Phil Mileham Whalley Eagles 66.30
Richard Barrow Whalley Hawks 65.33
Second division league
Name Played Won Draw Loss Points
Past Masters A 9 9 0 0 241
Hyndburners 9 7 0 2 206
Rolling Doals 9 7 0 2 202
KSB C 9 3 0 6 162
Best Centre Phantoms 9 3 0 6 157
KSB B 8 4 0 4 151
Ramsbottom D 8 4 0 4 136
Best Centre Jets 8 2 0 6 131
Slayers 7 2 0 5 89
Whalley Kites 6 0 0 6 60
Division Two Individual merit Top 5 (Players with less than 50% + 1 games don’t qualify)
Name Team % of sets won
Dan Chamberlain Hyndburners 82.22
Cliff Dale Past Masters A 75.76
John Thornber Past Masters A 73.79
Fred Wade Hyndburners 70.59
Scott Fleming Best Centre Phantoms 68.37
Third division league
Name Played Won Draw Loss Points
Brierfield B 7 7 0 0 202
Doals Vikings 7 6 0 1 169
KSB D 8 6 0 2 169
Doals Saxons 8 3 0 5 140
Past Masters B 8 4 0 4 134
Hyndburn TTC C 8 4 0 4 133
Ramsbottom E 7 3 0 4 96
Whalley Falcons 5 3 0 2 87
Doals Titans 7 0 0 7 60
Whalley Merlins 7 0 0 7 42
Division Three Individual merit Top 5 (Players with less than 50% + 1 games don’t qualify)
Name Team % of sets won
Tom lacey Brierfield B 87.80
Bryan Edwards Ramsbottom E 86.67
Michael Rostron Brierfield B 86.30
Stewart Waring Past Masters B 81.63
Peter Howard Brierfield B 79.17
Overall Perspective
In the Premier Division it’s a ‘Happy New year’ for Clitheroe, who lead by a reasonable margin due to high performing individual performances by Matt Nettleton (merit:3rd), Liam Bedford (Merit:4th) & Dave Kay (merit:5th). The best individual performance though half way through the season is by Keith Ward who is helping his team K.Ward Plumbing to currently hold 2nd spot. Two teams also going well with just 1 loss each and with games in hand are Ramsbottom ‘A’ (Martin Wyatt, merit:2nd) and East lancs. The Lions are the only Premier team without a win, and the other two teams in a relegation struggle are Hyndburn TTC ‘A’ & Rovers.
Division One is competitive with no team unbeaten and it’s Whalley Eagles (Phil Mileham , merit 4th) who sit top with KSB ‘A’ in second place aided by top performing individual player Daven Agile. Likely to rise to above both these though are 3rd placed Ramsbottom ‘C’ who are only 13 points behind but with a game in hand. With the skilful Keith Haworth in merit place 2nd and with David Holme to call upon, as well as David Cain also showing good form this season Ramsbottom will be hard to stop. Whalley Hawks in 5th place are also still promotion contenders allowing for their game in hand and boast two top 5 performers in Adam Robinson (merit 3rd) & Richard barrow (merit 5th). Hyndburn TTC ‘B’ are still looking for their first win and also struggling at the foot of the table are Doals Marauders.
In Division Two, Past Masters ‘A’ are one of only two teams in the entire league still undefeated and have a decisive lead to make them clear favourites for the division title this year. Past Masters two aged campaigners Cliff Dale & John Thornber are 2nd and 3rd in the individual player merit table, and could claim to be current masters at this level and not past it at all! The top player thus far though is Hyndburners Dan Chamberlain who along with Fred Wade in 4th place in the merits is aiding their promotion challenge in 2nd place. Just 4 points behind them though in 3rd place to make the promotion battle a real one is Rolling Doals, who won’t give up the chase. Best Centre Phantoms Scott Fleming is claiming the other merit place in 5th at present. The two teams in the drop zone and likely to stay there are Slayers and Whalley Kites.
The only other undefeated team, alluded to above, are Brierfield ‘B’ who are taking Division Three by storm. They have a strong squad including three merit placed players in Tom Lacey (1st), Michael Rostron (3rd) & Peter Howard (5th). The other promotion place is held at this stage by Doals Vikings whose regular trio of Dave Greenwood, Tom Sumner & newcomer Kyle Brooks have managed 6 wins and just one loss (to Brierfield) so far. In 3rd place are KSB ‘D’ who will still retain some hope yet of challenging Vikings. Ramsbottom ‘E’ wily campaigner Bryan Edwards is 2nd in the individual merits & Past Masters ‘B’ Stewart Waring is 4th. Two Division Three teams still looking for their first win are Whalley Merlins & league newcomers Doals Titans, but as they still have to play each other at least one of them should have a win soon! If anyone of any age wants to know where and how to start playing table tennis please contact the league development officer Harry on Tel 01254 663451
Burnley Perspective
There are 5 Burnley based teams playing in the East Lancashire Table Tennis league this year. The highest placed of these is Brierfield in the Premier division safely in 6th place at the moment. Their best performer is Graham Young on 66%.
The Burnley flag is carried in Division One by Best Centre Raptors who are doing well in their first season at this level managing to avoid any relegation fears in 6th place with 5 wins , 1 draw and just two losses. It’s very much a team effort but Liam Walsh edges their averages with 45%.
There are two Best teams holding their own in Division Two. Phantoms are 5th with Scott Fleming going well on 68% and currently 5th in the individual merit table, and Jets just above the relegation zone but hopefully avoiding being caught up in that if the ever improving Jordan Moore has his way (currently on 66%).
In Division Three Brierfield ‘B’ are unbeaten and romping towards the title with three top 5 placed players in Tom Lacey (88%, 1st), Michael Rostron (86%,3rd) & Peter Howard (79%, 5th).
Ramsbottom & Rossendale Perspective
Ramsbottom has 5 teams competing in the East Lancs league this season. The ‘A’ & ‘B’ teams are strong teams in the Premier Division with the ‘A’ team in particular with two games in hand still contenders for the title. Their best player Martin Wyatt is 2nd in the merit table on 75%. ‘B’ teams best performer is Martin Holt on 58%. Ramsbottom ‘C’ are contending for the honours in Division One and could go top when their game in hand is played. Keith Haworth, 2nd in the merit is on 82%. In Division Two the ‘D’ team are just below mid-table but not in any real threat of the relegation battle. Their most in-form player is Ian Wheeldon on 58%. The ‘E’ team is struggling a bit in the wrong half of Division Three, though Bryan Edwards is doing well on 87% and 2nd in the merit table.
KSB (based in Kay St Baptist Church, Rawtenstall) have four teams playing this year. Their ‘A’ team led by top of the merit performer Daven Argile (85%) are 2nd and competing for promotion. If able to field their better players on a regular basis they would be favourites, but even in the more likely event of looking to the wider squad they are still one of the better teams and likely to finish no lower than 4th. They have the ‘B’ & ‘C’ teams in Division two with the ‘C’ team in 4th place (Carlton Cooper on 65%) and ‘B’ team in 6th (John Collins 65%). The ‘D’ team is doing well in Division Three in 3rd place, with a chance still of challenging for promotion. David Mottershead is on 70% & Simon Milnes on 69%.
Doals TTC (based in Doals Community Centre, Weir, Bacup) have 5 teams this year. Marauders in Division One are struggling at the foot of the table, though best player and club organiser Neil Hepworth is playing reasonably well on 52%. In Division Two Rolling Doals are only 4 points off a promotion place and will hope to close that gap in the second half of the season, aided by Chris Booth on 65%. In Division Three Doals Vikings are in a good second placed position and on course for promotion with both Thomas Sumner & Dave Greenwood on 75%. Saxons are 4th and their best player is Tim Hodgkinson on 73%. Titans are still looking for their first win and improving all the time, and will do better now Ryan Fallon has returned to play who is on 76%.