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Squash Stars

Special Educational Needs and Disability/Junior development fundraiser 29 June

Special Educational Needs and Disability/Junior development fundraiser

29th June
Long standing member of the club, John Vaughan passed away a number of years ago. He wanted to leave a lasting legacy so his family very kindly donated some money to create our John Vaughan SEND and Jnr Development Fund.

Since then we have had many donations and a special post covid fundraising event in June 2021 raised an additional £5,000. As of 8th November 2021, the John Vaughan SEND & Jnr Development Fund amounts to £7,778.53.

Aim of the Fund

The fund is to be used to enhance the club’s inclusivity credentials and reputation within the local community and specifically to enable minority groups and young people to experience the positive effects of playing sport and being active.

Staffordshire Championships A Big Success

Staffordshire Championships A Big Success

The cream of the county’s tennis talent descended on Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club for the annual Staffordshire Championships, which came to an exciting conclusion at the weekend.

Over 100 competitors took part in 26 different events during the week-long event, which came to an end with Saturday’s Finals Day and a host of great tennis in front of a sizeable crowd.

“It went really well and we had a successful week with lots of really good matches,” said tournament organiser, and WLTSC coach, Max Thomson, who worked with experienced tournament referee Ron Allan.

“There were also some good results from people from Wolverhampton but the main thing is that everyone enjoyed themselves and enjoyed their tennis.

“Ron did a great job and it was nice for the club to host the event and also see so many parents and families come and support the younger players.”

On court, it was a good Finals Day for Tom Welsh, also a WLTSC coach, who won both the Men’s Singles – defeating Henry Parry – and then linking up with Parry to claim the Men’s Doubles against Jamie Crothers and Allan Pengelly.

And that makes it 15 singles games unbeaten for Welsh, who had previously won the Club Championships at WLTSC and also events at Sutton Coldfield and Tipton.

“This is the fourth year I have managed to win the doubles, this time with Harry but previously with Jake Lawley, but it’s my first singles,” he said.

“I’m playing well at the moment, and it was a good week.

“Entries dropped a bit last year, so it was great to see so many people back and some really competitive tennis particularly on Finals Day.”

The Open Women’s Singles event was won by Alice Jayne Dudley, with Amy Lees runner-up, and the Doubles by Dudley and Emily Southall.

Southall teamed up with Gregg Spooner to win the Open Mixed Doubles.

Another WLTSC member who enjoyed an excellent week was Sol Shahar, who claimed the Under-16s title by beating Max Walker, the Under-18s doubles by teaming up with Henry Searle to defeat Ross Fletcher and Rohan Thawait, and reached the semi-finals of the Under-18 singles.

“I’m happy with how I played this week and delighted to win a couple of the tournaments and get to a semi-final in the other,” said Shahar.

“There have been a few new faces at the tournament and it is always good to play and test yourselves against different people.”

Other notable winners among the juniors were Max Walker, who won Under-14s boys singles and doubles, and Anna Coghlan, who won Under-14s girls singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

At the other end of the age spectrum, WLTSC’s Operations Manager Marc Hughes, who had only won one county title since Under-18 level, won the Over-45s Men’s event by defeating club colleague Robin Chipperfield in the final.

Marc said:  “It was the Hereford and Worcestershire Under-18s which I won, and then the Staffordshire Veterans a few years later in 2017, so it’s always nice to win another county title!

“On a more important note we have all been delighted to have hosted another fantastic tournament this week, from the organisation led by Max and Ron, to our members coming down in large numbers to support and enjoy the tennis.

“As a club we really enjoy welcoming the top talent from across Staffordshire, and look forward to hosting the tournament again in the future.”

For Allan, who referees at numerous tournaments across Staffordshire, it was also an enjoyable week.

“The tournament has gone very well and the behaviour and the tennis has been good,” he said.

“It has been competitive but played in the right spirit as it is always important that everyone is able to enjoy fair play.

“I only keep doing these tournaments because I really enjoy it and this has been no exception.

“The club and the members here have been brilliant in allowing us to host the tournament and use the courts  and I have enjoyed working with Max who has done a fantastic job.”

Clive Paddison, Staffordshire LTA’s treasurer, was among the spectators on Finals Day and was very impressed with what he saw.

“I always love to come and watch these events, and it never ceases to amaze me how brilliant the standard is,” he said.

“I was watching the Men’s Doubles Final, which was very impressive, as was the Under-14s Boys Doubles on the next court.

“I like the way they are all very competitive but also friends with each other and appreciate each other.

“It is a good set-up at the club to host the event, and I know it struggled a bit last year but has now been really invigorated.

“We are really pleased with how it has gone this year and are glad that the club are happy as well.

“It is a very important week for us – the championships of the county – and it is important that we have a good quality event which we have enjoyed this year.”

 

 

Time To Mark History At Special Anniversary

Time To Mark History At Special Anniversary

A popular sports club in Wolverhampton is welcoming Grand Slam tennis champion Frew McMillan to help mark a special 80th anniversary taking place this weekend.

The Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club is holding an anniversary dinner, with special guests including the five-times doubles Grand Slam champion, who played – and won – several tournaments at the club during its history.

The club is marking 80 years on its present site, having started out in 1885 on the premises, moved to Albert Road in 1913, before purchasing the ‘Neville Lodge’ building and returning in 1938.

Saturday night’s event is part of an overall celebration of the 80th anniversary, including long-serving club member Rod Willetts producing a history of WLTSC from its inception to the present day.

“There is a gang of us who play racketball on a Monday and Friday night and have a pint in the bar afterwards,” says Rod, who has been a member at WLTSC for 42 years.

“One of the guys Roger Malpas, who has since been helping me with the project, was asking if anyone had ever done a history of the club and that sparked my interest.

“We found some boxes of minutes, including one which had been brought in by the family of the former secretary Mike Tomlinson, and the information blew my mind.

“There were minutes books all the way from the year 1905 to the present day – all in beautifully kept books and beautifully written in italics.

“Roger and myself have been going through those books and I have also been up to Wolverhampton Archives, where I have found some fantastic photographs.

“It is very time consuming but has been great fun and amazing to see how the club has progressed through the years.

“The idea now is to turn the work and the research into some form of publication to mark this anniversary and the club’s history to date.”

Rod has discovered there were three main reasons why the club moved back to Newbridge Crescent from the 12-court site on Albert Road eight decades ago.

The lack of parking at their previous home, the need for a venue for more ‘winter’ sports, and a more substantial property, with Neville Lodge being purchased for £2,000.

And so it was that the new and current home not only housed tennis courts at the start, but also two squash courts and separate rooms for billiards, table tennis and cards.

WLTSC also hosted a top class tennis tournament over the years which included ranking points towards events such as Wimbledon, and attracted competitors from as far afield as South Africa and Australia.

It was that event which McMillan won on three separate occasions, in 1962, 1963 and 1970, and why he is delighted to be returning this weekend, along with other guests including former British number one squash player Anna Bullock (nee Craven Smith) and another top tennis player in Ted Beards.

“We are delighted that Frew and all of our guests will be joining us and are looking forward to a nostalgic night,” added Rod.

 

 

Over £8,000 Raised From Aberdovey Bike Ride

Over £8,000 Raised From Aberdovey Bike Ride

A group of WLTSC riders who completed the Wolverhampton to Aberdovey bike ride have handed over the cheque for the money raised to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Forty riders from WLTSC took part in this year’s event in June, and combined to raise a fantastic £8,285 which was handed over to Sophie Carroll, Fundraising Officer from the hospital, at the club on Wednesday afternoon.

“Aberdovey was a great challenge, with WLTSC putting in the team with the most riders at the event,” says Operations Manager Marc Hughes.

“It was another real show of support from the club, with the majority of the team being made up of WLTSC members, and completed by some close friends.

“There was also a lot of support from everyone else at the club, and that has seen us go past our fundraising target and donate over £8,285 to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.”

There were many reasons why WLTSC chose the Queen Elizabeth to be the beneficiary of this year’s ride.

The hospital treated hugely popular former club member Robert Marshall in his final days before passing away last November whilst also helping Ryan Hughes, Marc’s nephew, in both treatment and rehabilitation following a brain tumour.

Ryan actually joined the cyclists for the 105-mile ride this year, along with his Dad Paul, and Marc.

Many other club members are also indebted to the care of the QEH, including Emma Tilley, who was there at Aberdovey to cheer the WLTSC group which included her Dad Dave.

“I was diagnosed with leukaemia three years ago when I was 19,” says Emma.

“For the specialist treatment that I required, I could only go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and I was admitted to Ward 625 where I spent seven weeks undergoing a stem cell transplant and programme of intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“The hospital has done so much for me, Professor Charlie Craddock and the consultants and specalists.

“They are the reason why I am still here today – I owe it all to them – and throughout my treatment the hospital has always really helped me.

“I am now in remission, and still go in for checks every few months, and was only in last week to see the consultant.

“I saw some familiar faces from three years ago, and they can’t believe how far I have come since that time – it is amazing.

“So I was very proud that the club decided to support the QEH, and it was fantastic to see how everyone came together to do the ride to Aberdovey and raise such a large amount of money.”

*Thanks to Sophie Carroll, from the Fundraising team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, who came over to WLTSC to receive the cheque.