What's new, nevvs? John Prean is back. Whatever sport's traditional role in school I found recently in St Neots, Closed, two days at the Top 12, your views on that, his letter PE lessons and games. when requesting directions to a possible Invitation event and, leads the Mailbox in this current Or because money makes the local club from the nearest every other season, three days of edition. news. Tennis, golf and snooker pedestrian. the English Open. He conjures up the concept of spring immediately to mind. Is the club's programme of ac­ And then the tired county an "olive branch" from the Or widespread participation tivities one which encourages championships or the national editor. But let that pass because stimulated by specialist comfor­ new members - perhaps from league which imposes a club the issues raised are serious ones table facilities ... badminton and local schools? Do the leagues system on what is currently a and fundamental to the health squash. and counties keep the spotlight team structure? I hardly think so of the sport. Or perhaps I could go on on the personalities and stars in ... not a lot to keep interest buz­ "We are the forgotten sport", writing excuses for the rest of the local media? zing and the presses rolling. he writes. Is national press the page. All these small but significant Which is why Table Tennis coverage really all a matter of Readers - whose patience I ways in which members can help News supports current initiatives luck? have often over-extended and themselves and the sport at local to establish new events to re­ Reading reports on hockey, apologies for that - may have level. capture media interest. Welcome cycling, lacrosse and other been aware that the vice­ For its role, the English Table to the Stiga Grand Prix, sports which are also short of chairman public relations and Tennis Association has a similar amongst others still being football, snooker and, latterly, the editor of Table Tennis News brief. Presentation, which for negotiated. cricket personalities, it would be have been one and the same this this short period the editor has But, even then, yet more will difficult to agree. There are a season. put above other considerations, be needed and the complete pro­ number of other factors which The first has resigned and the is j.ust part of the marketing motional effort sharper still. influence sports editors - not the second is unlikely to long outlive mix. Here's one for October - a least of which is "image". the other; increased respon­ Another is the product itself five-match series between One is success - and while sibilities at work have already ... at what price victory in a England and the new European England languish in the "se­ denied readers the service that rally-less match before departing league champions Poland, who cond" division of the European they quite rightly demand. spectators? field some of the most attractive League - not an insignificant So, for just a moment longer, But table tennis can be, and players in the game today. factor either. At 'least in the bear with me to look at table is, exciting, packaged in the right Surely table tennis and Polish Super division, as the sports tennis from the view of an out­ form - as Ray Drew mentions of roots could support such a series editor of the Daily Telegraph sider or a potential member. the Europe Top 12. The problem - in Bristol, Birmingham, Man­ remarked at the time, "our At local level, do we have the in England is there are so few chester, Leeds and London? players are competing in the top­ attractive facilities so desired by occasions when the sport is Surely even our soft and deval­ flight - which is more than can Keith Davies? What resources, placed in the front-line before ued pound still has some persua­ be said for our football team". incidentally, is the national the media and spectators. sive power in the eastern bloc? A second is the advantage of association investing to counter Thke away three (sometimes No doubt such subjects will being a nationally recognised this long-term problem? four), sometimes top-rate, Euro­ have been discussed in Prague. sport - perhaps due to the media Where there are reasonable pean league matches and what Right, that's October out of attention associated with the club facilities, have they a high do we have at national level per the way .... what's on the agenda Olympic Games or from the local profile? Sometimes yes, as season? Two days at the English, for December? Contents Page English Senior Closed - Fiona Brown 2 Europe Junior Top 12 4 --8-­The official magazine of the Europe Top 12 - Douglas so close 5 English Table Tennis Association. Published eight Europe v Asia - George Yates reviews the historic confrontation 6 times a year. Stiga Grand Prix - £100,000 sponsorsip announced 9 Subscriptions and distribution: Halex National League - Fiona Brown 10 Beth Davies, ETTA, Stiga County Championships 12 21 Claremont, HASTINGS TN34 IHF. Tel: 0424 433121. Grassroots ­ Mike Prior supports the new scoring proposal 14 - Keith Davies calls on leagues to reform 15 Advertisements: Christine Wilkes, ETTA, 21 Claremont, Home News ­ Two girls in the headlines 16 HASTINGS TN34 IHF. - Promoter Nigel Channon gives his first impressions of table tennis 17 Tel: 0424 433121. School Report - David Lomas at the team championships 18 Editorial: Robert Oldfield, County Notes 19 193 Cuckfield Road, Hurstpierpoint, HASSOCKS Welsh Corner 26 BN6 9RT. Tel: 0273 834774. Rubberneck ... finds Douglas on the defensive 27 COPY DATES Rankings 28 June 1986 issue Coaching - with Tony Russe 29 30th April 1986 Pre-season August 1986 issue Mailbox - Charters, Drew, Ladouble, Prean 30 24th June 1986 Tournament Circuit 31 1 Cooke feels the lash of the Douglas backhand Fiona Brown Anyone who doubted that Triumph Desmond Douglas could main­ tain his dominance of English The womens singles was very table tennis, was left to recon­ much a story of tears to triumph sider their views after his em­ for 21 year old Lancastrian Joy phatic display of precision Grundy. Only twelve months power play in the English Closed ago Grundy's career was under at Oldham from 7th to 9th serious threat as a back injury March. forced her to withdraw from the Douglas coasted to his ninth 1985 Championships. championship victory 21-15, Subsequently she missed both 21-15, 21-11 in the mens singles the Commonwealth and World final against No 2 Seed Carl Championships but after a sum­ mer of rest and recouperation "You're in for a whupping, boy" Prean, having dropped only one returned to major competition game, to Yorkshire's Steve Mills, and Skylet Andrew when they RESULTS in the Milton Keynes Top 12, throughout the event. Earlier he went on to claim the mixed MENS SINGLES finishing fourth. Third Round had joined forces with Prean to doubles title with a 21-19, 21-15 In the womens final at Desmond Douglas (Wa) b Colin Wilson take his ninth mens doubles title. win over reigning champions (Mi) 12,12,7; Oldham, having twice fought It was hardly surprising that Alison Gordon and Graham Steve Mills (Y) b Andrew Syed (Bk) -16, back from two game deficits in 11, 12, -18, 16; the mens singles final was a for­ Sandley. Both had made an Graham Sandley (Mi) b John Hilton (La) earlier rounds, she faced mality with the European Youth early exit from their respective 6,9, 15; England No 1 and reigning Alan Cooke (Dy) b Chris Rogers (Le) 14, champion Prean the victim of singles competitions, Andrew to 12, 23; champion Lisa Bellinger. injured Douglas pride. Earlier in John Souter and Elliot to Skylet Andrew (E) b Kevin Satchell (Wi) Bellinger began with a solid 16, -19, -19, 16, 12; the week the Birmingham left­ Mandy Sainsbury. defence to which Grundy could John Souter (Mi) b Stephen Scowcroft hander had read press reports (La) 17, 14, 14; find no response but as the Elliot was less fortunate in her Nicky Mason (Sy) b David Wells (Mi) 8, speculating on his future after match progressed one was second final. Playing womens -19, 19, -13, 18; losing to Alan Cooke 21-15, Carl Prean (W) b Tony Taylor (Ch) 17, reminded of the old maxim 'pa­ doubles with Jill Harris, the 21-15 in an invitation event at 18, 13. tience is a virtue' as Grundy reigning Middlesex 3 Star cham­ Newcastle the previous weekend. Quarter-finals abandoned her all-out attack in pions floundered after a good Douglas b Mills -17, 14, 17, 17; Cooke Douglas, having finished se­ b Sandley 11, 8, 4; Souter b Andrew 16, favour of a more moderate ap­ start - succumbing to Jean cond in the Europe Top 12 just -17,17, -21,19; Prean b Mason 15, 16, proach to far greater effect. Parker and Grundy 21-16, 16-21, 10. a few weeks· before, had been Reserving her deadly forehand 10-21. Semi-finals unconcerned and considered the Doulgas b Cooke 16, 14, 17; Prean b smash for the high returns i1­ There were no major surprises match an exhibition - even with Souter 16, 14, 18. licited from superb positional in the veterans events with top Final £200 at stake for the winner. But play, her confidence visibly grew seeds Ralph Gunnion and Douglas b Prean 15, 15, 11. Cooke saw the chance of some with each game. Doreen Schofield victorious. national publicity and was soon WOMENS SINGLES By the fourth end she had Ralph faced his most difficult Second Round on the phone.