Rotherham Moorgate Lawn Tennis Club Captains Reports 2010

Ladies South Yorkshire League Team Div 2       Men's Sheffield & District A Team Div 3

Men's Sheffield & District B Team Div 5             Mixed Team Sheffield and District League Div 2

Mens Late Summer League: S&D Div 1              Ladies Sheffield & District A Team Div 3

Ladies South Yorkshire League Team Div 2

Coming Soon

Men's Sheffield & District A Team Div 3

After a very difficult first match of the season against Rustlings B when we were forced to field a 4 man team, we eventually regained our stride with an excellent away win against Doncaster C away in May. This was the 1st time we could field our first six! From then on in we marked up 4 wins from 6. The losses were against Grove B and Beauchief C, who finished 1st and 3rd respectively in the final division 3 rankings. The season ended on a high with the 9-0 thrashing of Fulwood at Fulwood on grass. We again attained the Moorgate yearly average of 4 wins which ensured that once again we finished safely in the table. Hopefully this coming year we can field a strong team every week and improve on our number of wins.  Andrew Thompson

Men's Sheffield & District B Team Div 5

After our usual start, losing our first four matches hindered by volcanoes,  good opposition (including both teams eventually promoted) and rain when we looked well placed to beat Bamford, we wondered when our first win would come.   By mid season with close to all our players available we had a hat-trick of wins against Bradfield, Hallam Grange and Graves to move ourselves out of relegation danger and enable us to blood talented juniors Spencer Brownrigg and Sean Yates who both won their debut rubbers. Adult debutants Matt Hopps, Fernando Alvarez and Cristi Onisa all gave good accounts of themselves as well.

After a couple more losses to Brentwood and Grove we finished the season on a high note with a resounding 8-1 win in our re-arranged match against Bamford.

Daniel Haw and Gavin Rockett formed a strong partnership throughout the season, Tony Bashforth won plenty of rubbers when not with the first team and Harvey Sutton and Danny Ogiliev showed nerves of steel and dogged resilience to clinch a number of close rubbers.   Rob Wood

Mixed Team Sheffield and District League Div 2

 The 2010 Summer season was probably best described as a tense one.  We had lost Anthony Sharp who had been one of our best players and we were plagued with non-availability of ladies for the whole of the season for varying reasons, which made the fielding of teams each week rather a headache.  One of our top ladies, Frances Gaubert, was only able to play one match for us, due primarily to work commitments.

 So it was a season where we were up against it from the start, not helped by the first match being against a very strong Dore & Totley side, comprising mainly Division 1 men and lady players.  We lost that one 7-2 with probably our strongest team out but then managed to sneak a 5-4 win at home against Hallamshire despite winning only 7 sets to their 11 and 85 games to their 94.  Strange game this tennis!  The difference was that we won no less than 4 out of the 5 tie break third sets (each of which just counts as a game) in the match.

 Whilst we went on to beat Beauchief and Welbeck in 5-4 results,  we  lost our next 3 matches  against very strong opposition teams.  So it was all down to the final match on a miserable damp, windy Sept afternoon at Buxton.  Whilst Buxton were bottom of the league and, on paper, we should have been safe, the second relegation place was at risk and, if we lost to them we knew we were probably doomed.  Things did not start well and we were 2-1 down after the first round and looking down the barrel of a gun.  I like to think it was Brian Walker and I who tipped the match with a third set tie breaker win over their second pair but Tom and Danielle and Martin and Jane beat both second and third pairs to clinch a nail-biting 5-4 win.

 The final table saw us in a creditable joint 5^th place (won 4 lost 5 matches), living to fight yet another year in Division 2.  I have decided, after 6 seasons as captain, I have had quite enough excitement and, whilst I am happy to play when required, it is time for someone else to take over.  I have enjoyed my captaincy and I thank all the players for their support over the last 6 years, and in particular Martin Thomas, Tom Fennoughty, Tony Bashforth, Brian Walker and Jane Jenkinson for their unfailing commitment and enthusiasm. Diane Watson

Mens Late Summer League: Sheffield and District League Div 1

A very hard season for the Late Men’s; we won 3 and lost 6. One we had to concede and one was conceded to us. We finished 4th from bottom in a league that has two distinct levels in terms of ability. I think we suffered this year from not being able to regularly call upon Brian Walker who was called upon in the Mixed to replace Anthony Sharp. I’d like to thank all who played for their efforts. Andrew Thompson

Mens Midweek team South Yorkshire  League

 In the only division this year, we finished mid-table. Swinden House and Wheatley Hills A turned out very strong sides as did Doncaster when they turned one out at all which they didn't against us. We gained wins against LSM, Mexborough and Wheatley Hills B, due to strong performances from stalwarts Bob MacIlvenney, Brian Walker, Tony Bashforth and Martin Thomas. Harvey Sutton won a magnificent and vital 2 rubbers against LSM despite secretarial assistance.  Rob Wood

Ladies Sheffield and District League Div 3

coming soon