Essex Press Office

Reported by Steve Kerns
Press & Publicity Officer
Essex County Table Tennis Association

Buttsbury's John Holland - League Official, Coach, top-class player and a regular on the ETTA Grand Prix circuit was the 2007 recipient of the Corti Woodcock Award, the County's foremost award for service to the Sport. Having been so active for such a long time it is easy to take someone like John for granted, and, with a fine playing record it is also easy to forget just what a good Coach and Administrator he has been. His own children - Damien, Tanya and Delia testify to his Coaching prowess as well as more recent stars such as Reagan Nettleingham and Steve Joslin.

Improving British League player Ray Lam who plays for the County Veterans fifth team was this year's Harry Walker Player's Player of the Year. Still shooting up the ETTA Senior Mens Ranking List at 53 years of age Ray is surely one of the most improved players in the County. Currently ranked no. 237 nationally, expect him to climb into the top 200 very shortly.

The big change on the County Committee sees Alan Shepherd retire as Junior Match Secretary after almost 40 years in the role. An early Winner of the ETTA Lesley Forrest Award as well an ECTTA Corti Woodcock Award Winner, County Life Member and the current County Vice-Chairman, Alan's contribution to Essex Table Tennis has been enormous and he will be a very difficult act to replace. Chelmsford's Arthur Clark who has become increasingly involved in recent years stands in to fill the breach, whilst Alan has agreed to retain his involvement on the County's Junior Affairs Sub-Committee.

Essex Veterans teams may have created a record of sorts. Their A, B, C and D sides are all in Division One of the ETTA County Championships. The A and D sides have been placed in Division One (B) whilst the B and C teams are in Division One (A). With four highly placed teams to fill it is pleasing to hear that former County Junior and Senior players Paul Sayer (Romford), Stuart Kimm (Romford) and Debbie Auvache (Brentwood) have all put themselves forward for selection. Veterans Match Secretary Neil Brierley made an interesting comment - "I don't know what will be the greater achievement, for all four teams to retain their status or for the first team to win promotion back to the Premier Division ?".

With the 2012 London Olympics very much to the forefront Table Tennis has not surprisingly received a lot of exposure in the Newham area. The Newham Sports Development Department (under the Chairmanship of Alison Mitchell and with ETTA London Region Development Officer Brian Spicer in attendance) hold regular meetings in East Ham and the four member Clubs - Eastlea Wanderers Community TTC, Lister School, Ramgharia TTC and Beckton TTC took part in a two day Exhibition in a giant Marquee at the Newham Town Show in East Ham Central Park over the weekend of 14/15 July 2007. Hundreds of people of all ages and abilities (including the Lord Mayor Sir Robin Wales) tried their hand at Table Tennis and many of them had further opportunities of taking part when the Eastlea and Ramgharia Clubs ran their "London Summer of Sport" programmes a few weeks later.

Steve Kerns
Press & Publicity Officer
Essex County Table Tennis Association