Club News

50th Anniversary celebration

This year we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Farnborough Tennis Club. In the summer of 1975, a group of local tennis enthusiasts took over two run-down public courts on Tugmutton Common and Farnborough Tennis Club was born, giving members unlimited access to tennis all year round for just £5 a year! Needless to say, things have changed since those early days! See the write-up below for more on the history of the club.

For all members and guests coming along to the celebrations, the venue is Chelsfield Lakes (opposite Hewitt’s Farm on Court Road) and the date for your diary is Saturday 15th November from 7:00pm, with dinner timed for 7:30pm.

The evening includes a welcome drink, a 3-course dinner, plus coffee & mints, followed by our annual trophy presentations and a few speeches to mark our 50th year celebrations. Guests should soon receive an email explaining the timings, dress code (smart casual) and arrangements for your welcome drink.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Sunday 7th December from 10:30 to 12:00 at the Crofton Oak Scout Hut near St Paul’s Church.

(Address: Crofton Oak Scout HQ, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8JE.)

All members are welcome to attend the AGM and all may speak on the agenda items and issues to be debated. Senior members may also vote for or against the resolutions presented.

Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the AGM must send a copy in writing to the Honorary Secretary before Friday 14th November so that provision may be made on the agenda. Any items submitted later than this may be included at the discretion of the Club Chairman.

Any members wanting to get involved in the work of the Committee may stand for election at the AGM. Please let one of the current Committee know of your interest before the day, if you can, so we can include you in the process.

Club Tournaments

An update on the progress and results in this seasons’ tournament finals:

the Ladies Doubles was won in July by Rose Howell & Shirley Wicks;
the Ladies Singles was won in October by Rose Howell;
the Veterans Singles was won in November by Duncan Gager.

Congratulations to all our winners so far and well done to all our finalists too.

The Men’s Singles Final, Men’s Doubles Final and the Mixed Doubles Final are still to be played, but all are at the final stage now. There is a possibility we will see a Finals Day on Saturday 8th November, where two or even three of these finals may be played; however, this does depend on the availability - and the stamina - of the players involved! (Some are in two, or even three, finals).

See the Matches page on the website for more details about the tournament formats and the tournament rules.

Update on the Courts

We met with ETC Sports recently and reviewed the court surfaces, given there has been some initial surface cracking and a worrying problem around the far end of the net post on court 3. Unfortunately, they are seeing surface issues at numerous clubs, especially after such a dry summer, and the Tugmutton Common environment (water table, tree roots, etc) is not helping.

On a positive note, a number of the cracks are thought to be cosmetic and our suppliers believe they can be easily corrected; the net post less so, as it is dependent on the foundations underneath. These were not renewed during the re-surfacing, as we simply couldn’t afford it.

Following the review, we agreed to monitor developments until October, so that we can see the effects of the four seasons on the surfaces before we take action. At that point, we will decide whether to commission a range of cosmetic improvements and how best to correct the issue with the net post. The work will either take place in the late Autumn or possibly next Spring.

American Tournaments

Dates for the American Tournaments are as follows and details for each will be sent out prior to the event.

Mince Pie American - 28th December

Court Availability and Security

Other than Club Play sessions, members may come to the courts to play at any time from 8am until dark, with the exception of when events such as Club matches or Club American tournaments are scheduled. These events are publicised on the Club website.

Remember to lock the court padlock securely on the gate latch when you leave, to prevent unauthorised access and potential vandalism. If anyone else is playing when you leave, please check that they have a key to lock-up.

The gate latch must be pushed all the way to the left before the padlock is attached; if this is not done, the gate will not be secure and may be breached.