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 these 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 7:30pm. 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.

Autumn American

The Club Autumn American Tournament took place on Sunday 28th September, organised as usual by Jane Wells and run by Peter Sargent on the day. After three rounds of competitive tennis, there was a clear winner in the Ladies section: congratulations to Margaret Gooden with the top score of the day!

In the Men’s section, there was a 3-way tie between Danny Edmunds, David Howell & Ken Shapley. As the three hadn’t played each other during the event, there was no count-back, so we had to go out and buy more prizes! Well done to all three and to everyone else for an enjoyable mornings’ tennis.

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.

Club Tournaments

Congratulations to Shirley and Rose for winning the Ladies Doubles and well played Jan and Grainne for adding to a very competitive final.

The other tournaments are all progressing now, with most up to the Semi-Final or Final stage. If you are still involved in any of the tournaments, please make every effort to play your remaining matches by the end of October, so that we can present all the trophies at the 50th Anniversary dinner in November. If your match has taken place, don't forget to inform the Tournament Organiser, Sue Leonard, of the result and find out from her your opponents for the next round. Good luck to all our competitors this year!

The deadline for Finals to be concluded is by the end of October.

See the Matches page on the website for more details about the tournament formats and the tournament rules, as well as this years’ winners.

Annual General Meeting

We already have a date for the Annual General Meeting. This will take place on Sunday 7th December, from 10:30 to 12:00, at the Crofton Oak Scout HQ, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8JE (located just past St Paul’s Church).

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 the 1st 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.

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.

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