Tag Archives: Mossford TTC

Burnham & District Table Tennis League – The Road to Stow – Team Handicap Cup Final Special

All roads lead to Stow Maries for the Burnham & District Table Tennis League Team Handicap Cup Final 2023.  An auspicious venue for an eagerly awaited Final.   Players are handicapped according to ability and ranking at the start of the season to try and provide a level playing field for teams across all divisions to compete.  The higher ranked players are heavily penalised and have to win a significant number of extra points, whereas the lower ranked players are given a tasty head start so they can relax and try and out hit or outsmart their opponents knowing they have a healthy lead and a few nets or edges will change the face of the game.

Our two Final protagonists come from different ends of the league spectrum so the points differentials were going to be massive – just what the baying crowds wanted to see.   Cold Norton B have a wonderful selection of tried and tested top division players who play competitively every day of the week across the County and have recently achieved runners-up slot in the Ist Division.  By comparison Woodham D play in the lowest division of the Burnham League and rotate their squad amongst a group of 5 or so players – however they had a very good finish to the season and come into the final on good form, and of course with those healthy handicaps.  The Cold Norton trio have come through all the previous rounds pretty comfortably despite their heavy handicaps with the closest encounter being a 5-2 victory in the semi-final against Stow Maries A.  Woodham D had a tough quarter-final against their own B team, winning through in the deciding leg of the deciding match, but were then comfortable 5-1 winners over Mapledene C in their semi-final where they used their handicaps to great effect.

The Final was hosted at the Stow Maries Arena in Smythe Hall – Cold Norton came out strong with a heavily handicapped trio of Ian Wall (-18), Eric Green (-16), and Captain Dan Anderson (-12).  Woodham D in return fielded their semi-final winning trio of Joe Cooke (+6), Valerie Board (+6), and Alex Wilson (+15).  It doesn’t take Einstein to work out that some of the points differentials were going to be huge with a maximum of 31 points in favour of Wilson should we get as far as match 7 when he is scheduled to take-on the Mighty Green.

So best of 9 matches, a mixture of 6 singles and 3 doubles interspersed across the evening’s entertainment.  Up first Green and Anderson (-14) versus the dynamic duo of Wilson and Cooke (+10).  Two very long ends ensued and the first went to deuce at 20-20 and then took another 6 points to eek out a winner as the underdogs from Cold Norton edged the very first leg to put the frighteners up Woodham, and a declaration that they meant business.  The second leg was another close call but again the Cold Norton duo pulled back the deficit with some determined and patient play and won out 21-18.  Next up was Wall (-18) against the lovable Val Board (+6).  Board had a flyer and comprehensively won the first leg 21-5 but this only angered her opponent who showed there were no chinks in his wall as he tightened up the error count in leg 2 and eventually caught up the handicap at deuce and then went on to brake Board’s resolve with a 23-21 win and then took the final leg comfortably 21-12 for an overall 2-0 lead – but that could have gone the other way for sure.  In the next leg Green (-16) had too much control and retrievability for the hard hitting Cooke (+6) and won out in 2 legs.  So at 0-3 down who you gonna call – HandicapBuster Alex Wilson and his enormously flattering +15 starting point.  A young player who has markedly improved across the season and needs to make the most of his early season handicap as he will never see the likes of it again!  So Wilson (+15) is up against Cold Norton captain Anderson (-12).  With family pride at stake the players face each other for the first time ever in a competitive environment.  Anderson’s cagey and defensive style with the use of his favoured pimpled bat will not suit Wilson at all – this could be very close.  Well that was the pre-match thoughts but Wilson paid no attention to that and battered his way to a very quick straight sets victory 21-0, 21-4 – family BBQ’s may be a bit awkward this Summer!  So Woodham trouble the scoreboard at last but can they springboard on from here.  In the next doubles encounter Wall and Green (-17) take on Cooke and Board (+6) and have a lot of work to do to chase down the lead.  Again hard work and patience pays off as they force another victory to take the team closer to the edge of glory.  In the sixth match-up we have Anderson on a -12 handicap, and with his tail firmly between his legs, against the plucky Board (+6).  As in her previous singles match Board comes out all guns a-blazing and secures the first leg with some room to spare.  Anderson is nothing if not determined so after a tete-a-tete with himself he knuckles down and as Board tires from all the exertion he starts to take control with thoughtful movement and variety of shots that flummox his opponent, and eventually takes the final two sets 12 & 17 for his redemption victory and more importantly the fifth win required to take the title and bring the Cup home to Cold Norton.

It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Eric Green trying to overcome that 31 point differential that was scheduled for the next match – that would have been a fun one!  Congratulations to both teams for all their efforts in getting to this Final, and of course to the Cold Norton trio who have shown incredible patience and resolve throughout this tournament.

Cold Norton B – Handicap Cup Winners 2023

Pic 1 – Cold Norton B – Team Handicap Cup Winners 2023 – Eric Green, Ian Wall, and Dan Anderson

Pic 2 – Woodham D – Team Handicap Cup Runners-Up 2023 – Joe Cooke, Valerie Board, and Alex Wilson

Pic 3 – Cold Norton’s unbeaten Ian Wall in action during the cup final

Pic 4 – Valerie Board taking both her opponents to a deciding leg in her singles matches.

Success for Essex Clubs in ETTA Club of the year awards

Essex County Table Tennis Association would like to congratulate the Essex based clubs who achieved success at the ETTA club of the Year awards.

Mossford TTC based in Woodford Green were runners-up in the Advanced PremierClub of the Year award and were winners of that award for the London Region. For more information about Mossford visit their website at Mossford TTC

NETTS based at Earls Colne near Halstead were the East Region Excellence PremierClub of the year.  For more information about NETTS visit their website at NETTS

BATTS based at Old Harlow were the East Region Advanced PremierClub of the year.  For more information about BATTS visit their website at BATTS

BNCA TTC based at Black Notley near Braintree were the East Region PremierClub Mark Club of the year.  For more information about BNCA visit their website at BNCA TTC

To see the full list of winners across the county visit  Coaching, Volunteer & Club Awards 2011