The Wildmoor Spa Summer Tennis League began it's AGM with a two minute silence in memory of one of the Winter League players Paul Savage from Wythall, who died following chest pains on court in a match last week. Tragically with partner and good friend Matt Smith, he was at 6-6 in the final set of their match when the incident occurred. He retired to the club house but then collapsed and failed to recover. The Summer League expressed its sincere codolences to Paul's family, friends, Wythall club members and the Winter League. Paul will be a big loss to our tennis community.
There was as expected a record entry of 47 Men's teams at last Tuesday’s Annual General Meeting of the Wildmoor Spa Tennis League (formerly The South Warwickshire & District Summer Tennis League), held at the Bowling Club, Bidford-on-Avon. The meeting was attended by 28 members from 19 of the 22 clubs involved. There were six new sides that had applied to join for the 2015 summer season. They are a new scratch Bidford side, Evesham B, Shipston B, HDA C Redditch, Moreton-in-Marsh C and a new club Warwick Tennis Club from Hampton Road, Warwick. The league will consist of six divisions, with a Premier Division of eight teams, Divisions One of seven and Divisions Two, Three, Four and Five consisting of eight teams.
This Men’s Doubles Summer Tennis League covers the South Warwickshire and district areas of the midlands including parts of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. It includes a Junior Competition with 16 teams split into four Pools. There will be a Play-Off Junior Pools Night at Littletons Tennis Club on Wednesday 1st July, 2015. The meeting also heard that the league will again be running a Presentation and Finals day when the Men’s inter-league Charity Cup Final celebrating its’ 14th anniversary will be played alongside the 12th Junior Cup Final. This will be held this year at Henley-in-Arden Tennis Club, alongside their Club Chmpionship Finals, on Sunday, 6th September, 2015. This event will be immediately followed by presentations of the finals medals along with Annual Presentations for all League Divisional and other trophy winners.
The Secretary Corin Bishop read out a humerous account about the league officials, which together with a specially prepared chicken curry and rice meal, completed the final celebrations of their silver jubilee to mark 25 years since the league was founded. Mr. Anthony Bird continues his sponsorship of the league through his ownership of the Wildmoor Spa & Health Club, Alcester Road, Stratford-on-Avon. The meeting thanked Mr. Bird for his continued backing of the league. The league President and local Alcester man Tony King agreed to continue to sponsor the Charity Cup Final and the Junior League, while local area tennis coaching company Inspire2Coach continues its ball sponsorship.
Stratford-on-Avon was congratulated for retaining their League title for the twelth year in succession. They added to that the “Charity Cup” trophy when they represented the Summer League in the Inter-League Charity Cup, beating their Winter League opponents Leamington Spa in the process. The “Club of the Year” award the “King Cup” had been presented to Evesham Tennis Club. Steve Righton from Stratford was awarded the top administration trophy “The Millennium Scroll”. There was a “Fair Play” Plate, voted on by all the teams in the league, which went to Chipping Campden C by popular vote. Finally, the league Chairman, Tony Eskew, was presented with enscribed cuff-links to celebrated his ten years on the committee in this position.
Studley A took the Division One title, Moreton-in-Marsh A topped Division Two, while Ardencote Manor B took the Division Three honours. Henley B took the Division Four title and Pershore B finished in top spot in Division Five. Junior Champions were HDA Redditch A who defeated their sister side HDA B in the Final. The 2015 Junior competition begins on 1st March. The Men’s league season begins week commencing Sunday, 12th April, 2015.