Leigh R.B.L. Table Tennis Club: 2008-2015
Written by Daniel Powley, August 2015
The seven years since John’s 2008 update has seen a steady decline in the number of teams but success and enjoyment has endured throughout.
We entered 7 teams in to the Tonbridge league for 2008/09 with our ‘A’ team once again winning Division One and our new look Leigh E team, captained by the recently joining Sue Sullivan, finishing runners up in the handicap trophy. Mick Cripps also won the Baldry Cup, with Alistair Powley winning the Pilcher Trophy. In the Sevenoaks League, Leigh A finished in second place in Division One, Leigh C (Stuart Massey and John Everest) won Division Three in their first season and our team of youngsters, Leigh D (Daniel Powley, Tom Earwaker, Alistair Powley and James Taylor) were runners-up in Division Four.
The summer of 2009 saw long serving player Clive Harding sadly pass away. Clive had most recently played part of the Leigh J team in the 21-up (and later 31-up) handicap competition.
The 2009/10 season saw us lose a team in both the Tonbridge and Sevenoaks leagues as Daniel Powley and Tom Earwaker left for university whilst Chris Ireland decided to pursue other interests. Daniel and Tom, however, continued to play during their holiday breaks with Daniel joining his brother Alistair and team mates Sue Sullivan and daughter Megan in the D team. Tom also played with Alex McCarthy, James Taylor, Matt Nicholson, Sam Stolton and Derek Furneaux, who took charge of the E team following John Knock’s spell in hospital.
In Division One of the now Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells League (following Tonbridge’s merger with the Tunbridge Wells league), Leigh B found success with John Boreham joining up with John Everest, Steve McCarthy and Stuart Massey with a 100% record.
With all the success, more sad times unfortunately followed with the sad death of the popular Paul White.
The A and B teams switched tags for the 2010/11 season following the old B team’s success. The new B team turned the tables once again by beating Leigh A to second place, narrowly missing out on the top spot.
There was further success in the Sevenoaks League as Leigh C won Division Two to block out half of Division One with Leigh teams for 2011/12.
With their re-established A team status, the Leigh A team beat the B team in 2011/12 to the Division One title having added Mark Romano to their ranks alongside Mick Cripps and Roger Pingram, as well as welcoming back Mark Brown to the club. With Sullivans Sue and Megan leaving Leigh for the 2011/12 season, the club dropped back down to four teams but success continued with the Leigh D team of Alex McCarthy, Derek Furneaux, Mike Sefton and Max Hill winning the handicap trophy whilst B team player Alistair Powley once again picked up the Pilcher Trophy.
Having been relegated from Sevenoaks’ Division One in 2011/12, Leigh C once again won Division Two in 2012/13. The team of Johns Boreham and Everest with Steve McCarthy and Stuart Massey also won the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Division One title with Leigh B.
Our A and C teams won Divisions One and Three in the first half of the 2013/14 in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells but limited success followed in the second half or in 2014/15 in the rebranded West Kent Table Tennis Association (WKTTA). Leigh B (Roger Pingram and Roger Harris) did, however, win Division Two of the Sevenoaks League and Leigh A (Dean Chipperfield and Wayne Matthews) won Division One.
On 12th March 2015, club legend John Knock passed away at the age of 78. Much of the history of the club has been immortalised by John's writings on this website for future generations to look back on. He will also be fondly remembered for running the Leigh Junior sessions for many years, and attended on a Sunday morning even in his latter years. His influence extended beyond Leigh and beyond table tennis and will be sadly missed by many and certainly all who knew him.
The 2014/15 season saw our complement of WKTTA teams drop to just two, but the future looks brighter again for 2015/16 with four teams entered and a regular practice night being started in the off season by David Cowlen, who has been club secretary since 2011.
We entered 7 teams in to the Tonbridge league for 2008/09 with our ‘A’ team once again winning Division One and our new look Leigh E team, captained by the recently joining Sue Sullivan, finishing runners up in the handicap trophy. Mick Cripps also won the Baldry Cup, with Alistair Powley winning the Pilcher Trophy. In the Sevenoaks League, Leigh A finished in second place in Division One, Leigh C (Stuart Massey and John Everest) won Division Three in their first season and our team of youngsters, Leigh D (Daniel Powley, Tom Earwaker, Alistair Powley and James Taylor) were runners-up in Division Four.
The summer of 2009 saw long serving player Clive Harding sadly pass away. Clive had most recently played part of the Leigh J team in the 21-up (and later 31-up) handicap competition.
The 2009/10 season saw us lose a team in both the Tonbridge and Sevenoaks leagues as Daniel Powley and Tom Earwaker left for university whilst Chris Ireland decided to pursue other interests. Daniel and Tom, however, continued to play during their holiday breaks with Daniel joining his brother Alistair and team mates Sue Sullivan and daughter Megan in the D team. Tom also played with Alex McCarthy, James Taylor, Matt Nicholson, Sam Stolton and Derek Furneaux, who took charge of the E team following John Knock’s spell in hospital.
In Division One of the now Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells League (following Tonbridge’s merger with the Tunbridge Wells league), Leigh B found success with John Boreham joining up with John Everest, Steve McCarthy and Stuart Massey with a 100% record.
With all the success, more sad times unfortunately followed with the sad death of the popular Paul White.
The A and B teams switched tags for the 2010/11 season following the old B team’s success. The new B team turned the tables once again by beating Leigh A to second place, narrowly missing out on the top spot.
There was further success in the Sevenoaks League as Leigh C won Division Two to block out half of Division One with Leigh teams for 2011/12.
With their re-established A team status, the Leigh A team beat the B team in 2011/12 to the Division One title having added Mark Romano to their ranks alongside Mick Cripps and Roger Pingram, as well as welcoming back Mark Brown to the club. With Sullivans Sue and Megan leaving Leigh for the 2011/12 season, the club dropped back down to four teams but success continued with the Leigh D team of Alex McCarthy, Derek Furneaux, Mike Sefton and Max Hill winning the handicap trophy whilst B team player Alistair Powley once again picked up the Pilcher Trophy.
Having been relegated from Sevenoaks’ Division One in 2011/12, Leigh C once again won Division Two in 2012/13. The team of Johns Boreham and Everest with Steve McCarthy and Stuart Massey also won the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Division One title with Leigh B.
Our A and C teams won Divisions One and Three in the first half of the 2013/14 in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells but limited success followed in the second half or in 2014/15 in the rebranded West Kent Table Tennis Association (WKTTA). Leigh B (Roger Pingram and Roger Harris) did, however, win Division Two of the Sevenoaks League and Leigh A (Dean Chipperfield and Wayne Matthews) won Division One.
On 12th March 2015, club legend John Knock passed away at the age of 78. Much of the history of the club has been immortalised by John's writings on this website for future generations to look back on. He will also be fondly remembered for running the Leigh Junior sessions for many years, and attended on a Sunday morning even in his latter years. His influence extended beyond Leigh and beyond table tennis and will be sadly missed by many and certainly all who knew him.
The 2014/15 season saw our complement of WKTTA teams drop to just two, but the future looks brighter again for 2015/16 with four teams entered and a regular practice night being started in the off season by David Cowlen, who has been club secretary since 2011.