VETERANS LTC OF GB
Hon. Match Secretary’s Report
2005 Match Results
Royal Navy LTC3 - 1Won
Army LTC6 - 3Won
Fitzwilliam LTC (@ St George’s Hill)6 - 2Won
Fitzwilliam LTC (@ Moor Park)6 - 2Won
Winchester LTCCancelled
The Queen’s ClubCancelled
The All England LT&CC3 - 5Lost
International Club 4 - 2 Won
Ealing LTCCancelled
Norwegian Veterans 13 - 1Won*
West Hants LTC2 - 2Drew
Edgbaston Priory LTC1 - 3Lost
The Leicestershire LTC2 - 7Lost
Combined Services 2 - 2 Won
PSOB LTC2 - 2Drew
Lords & Commons LTC3 -1Won
Army LTC 6 - 2 Won
OVERALL17 matches scheduled
3 cancelled
9 WON
2 DRAWN
3 Lost
- unfinished
The 2005 season was once again a successful year, with a similar pattern of results to 2004. Once again, 9 matches were won, but 2 were also drawn.
We started the season strongly, defeating both services teams and then Fitzwilliam twice in the dual fixture over the middle week-end of Wimbledon. This scheduling once again proved difficult for team selection, but is necessary to suit the plans of our visitors, who combine playing tennis twice with a visit to The Championships on the first Saturday. My thanks go to team captains Mike Dawe and Jeremy Woods, for coping so well. In 2006, the Fitzwilliam fixture returns to Dublin, so hopefully Mike and Jeremy can receive some compensation by playing in the match and experiencing the Irish hospitality!
In July, 3 matches were cancelled due to a spell of bad weather, at Winchester, Queen’s Club, and Ealing. However, the IC match was played, resulting in an impressive win for the VLTC team under Mike Dawe. We also lost, once again, to the All-England Club, although the score was, as ever, close. This year the Norwegian Veterans were entertained for a two day fixture on our home ground in early September, and once again the All-England club were generous in allowing us to play the fixture at Aorangi Park, and to use the Club’s facilities generally, and our thanks go to Roger Ambrose and the Committee of the Club. On home soil (grass!), VLTC gained revenge for the defeat suffered last year in Norway. When rain curtailed play midway through the second day, the result was already 13 matches to 1 in our favour! The fixture was once again a great success, with good tennis and excellent social activities, and Mark Barnett is to be congratulated for his excellent and unobtrusive organisation. In 2006 we return to Norway, and we will need to field a strong team to counter the Norwegians’ plans for revenge!
After a draw against West Hants, 2 new matches figured in the list, and both were lost, to Edgbaston Priory and The Leicestershire Club. On both occasions team selection proved difficult, and it may be necessary to find a different place in the schedule to allow stronger teams to be fielded. Several members have expressed a wish for there to be more matches in the fixture list, and especially new fixtures outside the south-east. However, with increased competitive opportunities for Veterans play now available, it does prove difficult both to find gaps in the schedule, and to field teams.
Finally, we closed the year strongly, winning 3 and drawing one of the last 4 fixtures.
Once again my thanks go to all the match managers – John Harrop, Peter Friedman, Jeremy Woods, Mike Carroll, Mike Marsh, Mark Barnett, Mike Dawe, Alan Purnell, David Straker, Ivar Boden and Nigel Spink.
Ray Pierce
3 January 2006