Editorial .Pick up your trusty quill With activity centering, of late, on the attraction And now for the good news. Four medals .from of new Table Tennis News subscribers no-one has the European Youth Championships must surely ventured to tackle the question of contributions. be regarded as a success. Congratulations to the Perhaps we can't see the wood for the trees but players and coaches involved - after all did we this magazine - the tool of the membership ­ really expect to strike gold while many were still is currently held together through the regular mourning the loss of Carl Prean from the junior contribution of county press officers and a few ranks? hardy annuals. Worthy of note is the fact that the majority of I believe we still have more subscribers than England's young squad live well north of contributors, marginal though it may be, and Watford, pray tell me where are the shining consequently appeal for your SUpp0ft, or criticism Southern starlets? Did you happen to see the whichever the case. Commonwealth Games? Silly question I suppose Where are all the players? Surely subjects as for we were all bombarded with it at peak viewing close to your hearts as kit advertising and hours night after night. Good, bad or indifferent computer points are worthy of comment so let's almost every event was covered - if only' table hear it. Perhaps we should give a prize to the tennis could be amongst them. Is it really sensible youngest contributor, I think I would win hands to hold our very own Commonwealth Champion­ down at the moment and I am no spring chicken! ships which place an unwelcome financial burden Here is one idea to get you thinking, do you upon the host association and excite only a I want an England supporters club. Is there enough moderate degree of press coverage. Perhaps the interest among the ranks to warrant organised time has come to seek entry to the Commonwealth travel to international events at home and abroad. fold, after all we all hope for great benefits from Remember - copy date 12th September! our newly acquired Olympic status. Contents Page European Youth Championships - George Yates 2 Cadet six nation championships - Dave Fairholm 4 555 World Cup - Albert Shipley 6 The official• magazine of the English Table Tennis Civil Service championships - Mike Loveder 8 Association. Published eight Official News 9 times a year. Cover Story - Safety in Table Tennis 10 Editorial: Fiona Brown Family favourites - Tony Pritchett 11 Schildkrot British League - Premier division reviewed 12 Advertisements: Christine Wilkes Magazine matters - John Prean plays the devils advocate 13 Subscriptions and distribution: The history of spin is chroniclled by Derek Baddeley 14 Beth Davies Stiga County Championships - Doug Moss 21 ETTA, 21 Claremont, County Notes 22 HASTINGS TN34 IHF. Tel: 0424 433121. Rubberneck ... in search of friends 25 Selection matters - Peter Charles explains the 'ins' and 'outs' 26 COPY DATES September 12 1986 Coaching - Crystal Palace conclusions from Steven Sonsino 29 Issue 160 October School Report - Success in Salford - David Lomas 31 Printed by: Mailbox - Hughes, Leach, Charters, Prean 32 Thomas Hill Print (1985) Ltd Bishop Auckland Tel. (0388) 607511 * INCLUDING SUPER PULLOUT CALENDAR OF EVENTS * European Youth Championship • Czechoslovakia. The joyful ex­ pression of new coach Ziatko Cor­ Tykes Strike Gold In Belgium das was a sight to behold! George R. Yates reports England's girls made little im­ pression in their singles Yorkshire's Michael O'Driscoll of engagements, Debbie Soothilllos­ . .... 1 - • '. ing to Patricia de Groot of the Mirfield and Chris Oldfield of L'. r . ., ~ Sheffield carried England's col­ ~ Netherlands in Round 1 whilst, in ours to final success in the Cen­ ..,.,.. \ , . Round 2, Juliet Houghton fell to tre Sportif du Blocry, Louvain-Ia­ Hungary's Szilvia Kahn; Andrea Neuve when, on July 23, 1986 they Holt to Renata Kasalova, after emulated the deeds of Carl Prean winning the first game, and Claire and Billy Gleave in Topolcany in Potts to the No.2 seed Emelia 1981 by winning the cadet boys' Ciosu of Romania. No joy either for the cadet girls team event with a final 3-1 win with Debbie Toole falling at the over the Soviet Union. .~ ~ first hurdle to Alessia Arisi of Ita­ Prior to, in five first stage mat­ / i \ ly in Round I whilst in the second ches, they had seen off Poland, "..•... I. J '1 ...'" round Julie.BillinglWlo went out to Scotland, Greece, Holland and the '--- . .~ .. Lydie Godiche of France. KerrY' Federal Republic of Germany, all ~ ".­ . H'8H had wins over Laura without the loss of a set, and Negrisoli of Italy and Gayret repeated the dosage in the second Houghton when she earned Michael O'Driscoll (L) and Chris England's solitary success against Oldfield (R) celebrate their triumph Isseven of Turkey before losing stage encounters with 3-0 victories in the cadet boys team event with over three games to Russia's Olga against Sweden, Belgium and Hungary with victory over Szilvia Kahn. captain Paul Day. Laposhina. Yugoslavia. Inept performances in the other Could they do it a ninth time in And so to the second stage with had to content himself with a hard fought 3-2 win over Italy, doubles events was countered by the final? That was the question runner-up spot and a silver medal, Matthew Syed's win in the con­ - the answer being not without Andrea (2 singles), Claire (I) and the gold going to Calin Creanga the doubles lost by Claire and solation boys' singles in which he a struggle as was evident in the' of Romania. beat Peter Andersson of Sweden very first set when the phlegmatic Debbie, Claire going down to In the doubles, it was again a Allessandra Bottiglieri, a in the semi's and Frank Boute of O'Driscoll was beaten, -13, 18, silver as the English pair came se­ the Netherlands in the final. -18 by the Soviet's Sergei Sicialian. But Andrea and Claire cond best to David Stepanek and Tiapkin. together with Andrea and Juliet in Frantisek Kanta of the doubles got a 3-0 win over Leading team placings But Oldfield, that veritable Czechoslovakia. Still, two silver (previous positions in brackets) pocket battleship, put the boat Greece. when added to one gold and one back on an even keel with a What then of England's boys bronze can be considered to be a spearheaded by Jimmy Stokes Boys 2-straight win, 18 and 19, over .~ fair haul in such company. 1 Sweden (I) Dimitrij Gusev thence to line up with Matthew Syed, .... In the boys singles Jimmy iD3tDft and Adrian Dixon as 2 France (2) with his fellow Tyke for the Stokes led the English challenge. 3 Czechoslovakia (9) doubles. teammates? He had wins over Manfred 4 Yugoslavia (3) And what a set this was with the Everything started well with Gsodam of Austria, Jan Gurtner 5 Soviet Union (4) consecutive wins over Luxem­ of Switzerland and, memorably, 6 'Federal Germany (6) English pair losing the first game bourg, Austria and Romania for -18, winning the second at IS, Johan Fallby of Sweden before be­ 7 Belgium (13) the loss of a mere 4 sets. Alas, this and then establishing a 20-14 lead ing blasted off by Milan Grman 8 Romania (8) trend was swiftly reversed by the 9 Hungary (7) in the decider only to lose seven strong Yugoslav side under the of Czechoslovakia. points on the trot to be 20-21 Three of the top four seeds fail­ 10 Italy (10) leadership of Zoran Primorac, 11 England (5) down! But, with true Yorkshire already an experienced senior in­ ed to reach the semi-final stage grit, they emerged the winners at with Zoran Primorac (1) losing to ternational. With the score at 4-4 Girls 29-27 in what was quite a Bradley' BiUingtOl'l came to the Thomas von Scheele of Sweden, 1 Czechoslovakia (I) pulsating set to say the least. table to oppose Darko Jamsek, the eventual winner, Jean-Philippe 2 Romania (4) Nor was there to be an easy ride the latter having already lost to Gatien (2) going out to Jean­ 3 Hungary (6) for O'Driscoll in his second singles Syed and Stokes. Michel Saive of Belgium the silver 4 England (15) encounter against Gusev who, Jamsek won the first game at 19 medalist, and Grman to the 5 Soviet Union (3) after losing the first game -13 but, in the second Br.adley held a younger Mazunov, Dmitrij of 6 Yugoslavia (7) came back to win the second at 11. 20-15 lead only to be caught and Russia, last year's cadet singles 7 Sweden (2) 8 Italy (11) But the Russian's resistance eventually beaten 23-21 and the winner. crumbled in the decider with the Only Romania's Calin Toma 9 Federal Germany (5) jubilant Yugoslavs were home 5-4 10 Holland (8) Mirfield boy not disposed for after a 4-hour marathon. survived this onslaught of the another marathon 21-15 being the Returning to the table in under heirarchy and he too failed in his Cadet boys game, set and match winning an hour the strain of the previous semi-final bid against the host 1 England (2) statistic. match took its toll and one win country's pride and joy Saive who, 2 Soviet Union (I) Meantime in the girls' team each for Stokes, Syed and BiU­ in the final, ran out of steam 3 Romania (3) event bronze medals were to be ington was all that we achieved in against Sweden's Thomas von 4 Belgium (8) England's achievement with An­ a 5-3 defeat in which Belgium's Scheele.