Suffolk’s senior teams have certainly played their part in a quite outstanding Summer. The most recent success has come from the Men’s 75.0 team of Brian Plummer, Brian Alford, Neville Reeder (Captain) and Mike Stiff who followed up their unbeaten 2013 season in the 2nd Division with a very creditable 3rd place in the lst Division. Victories over Devon and Somerset sealed this success, though the career of Roundwood stalwart of 50 years Brian Plummer came to a shuddering halt soon after with a torn achilles’ tendon.
Pictured separately is Hugo Langton, now 76 and the only person to have represented the county at each stage of progression from the inception of the “veterans” county leagues within the 45.0 team 35 years ago to now being part of the 75.0 team. Who creates this success at a time when gents should be growing old gracefully ? Could there be an 80.0 team for him one day ?
Not to be outdone by their seniors the 70.0 side of Mike Ellis (Captain), Julian Corbell, Geoff Johnson, Phil Morter and Colin Stephenson went through the current season unbeaten, and for the first time in their history will also join the elite counties in Division One. For the last 7 years Mike Ellis has been playing on the Seniors’ Circuit in ITF/LTA tournaments, and for a short period from August 8th, he managed to make number 1 in the Over 70 LTA Singles national ranking, and prior to that he had been national number 2 for about 6 months.
In acknowledging how lucky the players all are health-wise, despite the arm and knee supports, Mike Stiff of the 70.0s is quite certain that this level of success is largely down to having such unique stalwarts of organization and commitment as Keith Flewitt( 01473-720252) and Neville Reeder, who have a reservoir of some 100 players aged between 50-80 playing regular competitive tennis, 28 players enjoying the monthly Friday tournaments. There is always a variety of players and standards to keep these seniors fully match fit.
Hearty congratulations to all our Seniors, who represent Suffolk so successfully, and still have the will to travel all over the country, largely at their own expense. They have fully played their part in a remarkable Summer that has seen Suffolk Men rise to the dizzy heights of the Aegon County Cup, with our 35.0 Ladies being promoted at Eastbourne for the 3rd year running.
The Girls’ 10 Under team finished 4th nationally, and Culford School also recorded a fine record of team successes.
Add to this Matt Hough winning the British Tour title at Felixstowe, Isabelle Eaton becoming national 10.U champion, Steve Pilcher retiring after a number of years service to the Framlingham Tournament, and any number of highly successful Open Days, it really has been a 2014 to remember ! Suffolk LTA Chirman Julia Waters will give her assessment of this highly encouraging period of success in my final column next week.