Results, tables, averages

Division 1 Champions: Coneysthorpe A, Runners-up: York RI A. Relegated: Clarence B.

Division 2 Champions (promoted): University A. Relegated: Clarence C, York RI G.

Division 3 Champions (promoted): University B, Runners-up (promoted): Ryedale at RI. Relegated: BT B, Wigginton & Haxby A.

Division 4 Champions (promoted): York RI I, Runners-up (promoted): Clarence F.

Div1/Div2 Play-off: York RI D 2 York RI B 5 (York RI B retain their place in Division 1).

Gradings& Nominations

Other competitions

York Closed 2017

Shepherd/Machell Trophies 2016-2017

Bagshaw Trophy 2016

Summer League 2016

Reports submitted to The Press.

Photos from the Awards & Social Evening.

Winter League

Coneysthorpe ‘A’ (Ashley Hodgson, Martin Lowe, James Rule) retained the Division 1 championship, ahead of YRI 'A' (Nathan Horsley, Paul Robertson, Filip Wojtkowiak). James Rule played in every match and was unbeaten. Martin Lowe also went through the season unbeaten.

Division 2 was won by University A (Ishan Bairoliya, Martin Brown, Calum Goodwin). York RI D (Luke Blackburn, Mark Blackburn, John Hughes) were runners-up but missed out on promotion after losing the play-off against York RI B. Calum Goodwin came top of the averages, losing just one match

University B (Razvan Ababei, Yankui Feng, Owen Li, Jack Taylor) topped Division 3. Second-placed Ryedale at RI (John Eastwood, John Flintoft, John Freeman, Ed Wardman, Stephen Temple) were also promoted, returning to Division 2 after being relegated last season. Yankui Feng topped the averages.

Division 4 champions were York RI I (Mark Antrobus, Jacob Martindale, Arthur Sorley). Second-placed Clarence F (Linda Scott, Russ Scott, Steve Wands) were also promoted, after missing out in a play-off last season. Mark Antrobus topped the averages.

York Closed Championships

Martin Lowe (Coneysthorpe) regained the Men’s Singles title, beating team-mate and defending champion James Rule in a repeat of the 2016 final. The Ladies champion is Clara Bellstedt (Clarence), who beat Andrea Potter (Millthorpe) in the final. Clara teamed up with Anne Barnard (York RI) to win the Ladies’ Doubles.

Martin Lowe and James Rule won the Men’s Doubles, and the Mixed Doubles was won by Marian Broadbent and Jon Wooldridge.

James Rule won the Junior Singles, while Arthur Sorley (York RI) won the Cadets’ (under-15) title.

Handicap Competitions

The Bagshaw Trophy (individual handicap competition) was held during the week before the start of the Winter League. Adam Ridley beat Ben Lockyer in the final. The other finalists were Naz Hosseinian, Lewis Harrison, Jacob Martindale and Jake McCarthy.

The finals of the team handicap knock-out competitions were played at the Railway Institute on Thursday 11th May 2017. The Shepherds Trophy was won by York RI C (Mikey Arnold, Richard Crowther, Andy Fletcher), who beat Clarence B (Martin Hood, Mick Kenyon, Alfie Potter) 5.5-3.5 in the final. In the Machell Trophy final Clarence A (Milo Cupik, John Farmery, Graham Hatfield) beat Bootham B (Gareth Brynyng, Ian Hilton, Jo Suchecki) 5.5-0.5.

The Summer League (2016) was won by Clarence B (Alfie Potter, Ryan Hood, Ian Williams). They beat York RI D (Jacob Martindale, Rich McCarthy, Mark Antrobus) in the final by 5-1.

Yorkshire Veterans' League

York 1 (Jon Wooldridge (13/27), Andy Fletcher (5/18), Richard Crowther (2/27), Chris Londesbrough (0/9)) finished 9^th out of 10 teams in Division 1 so were relegated.

York 2 (John Farmery (13/18), Martin Hood (7/12), Alfie Potter (6/12), Mick Kenyon (4/9), Graham Hatfield (2/3)) finished second in Division 2 and are promoted. John Farmery won the Merit Award (most wins) for this division.

York 3 (Mark Blackburn (10/12), Andy Kirk (6/6), Tim Smith (5/12), Aidy McClaren (4/9), Rich McCarthy (2/6)) finished second in Division 3 and are promoted. John Flintoft, who plays in the York League but represents Scarborough in the Yorkshire League, won the Merit Award for this division.

York 4 (Gareth Bryning (7/12), Peter Smalley (5/12), Dave Quinlan (4/8), David Smith (2/12)) finished 5^th out of 6 teams in Division 3.

Deaths

Bert France died on Thursday 9^th June 2016 aged 83. Bert was for many years Table Tennis Secretary at Fulford Road WMC in Wenlock Terrace and served as Competitions Secretary of the Association from 1965 to 1974. In those days the Closed, the Shepherd and the Bagshaw competitions came under his wing. Bert’s first Closed was the last one to be played at Terrys. He came up with a plan to move it to York Railway Institute with a one-day, fully-lit, ten-table event which soon became the two-day event that we have now.

Alan Jopling: Alan played for Fulford Road WMC (he was Chairman of the Table Tennis Section) and Poppleton. He played for York in the Yorkshire Veterans League and won the York Closed Veterans Singles in 1969.

Norman Mulhearn: Norman played for Fulford Road WMC and BT.

John Pickup: John played for ComSec, later renamed Medusa, and Shepherds.

John Berridge died aged 83 after a short illness. He played for the Hospitals Club when it was based at the Recreational Hall of the County Hospital on Foss Bank. He was Division 4 champion at the 1960-61 York Closed. John was also our Yorkshire League Secretary from 1969 to 1974, which was a successful period for York teams in the Yorkshire League when we had teams in the Men's, Ladies', Veterans' and Junior divisions. Like many players, on retiring from table tennis John took up lawn bowls (indoor and outdoor).

Malcolm Huntington MBE: Malcolm died on 26th April 2017 aged 82 after a short illness. A former York Press sports editor, he covered York City for 45 years and was awarded an MBE for his services to local journalism. He was four-times York singles tennis champion, and was a top tennis umpire, overseeing six Wimbledon finals and officiating at two Olympic Games. Malcolm also had a keen interest in table tennis in York, covering the sport in the York Press and holding the post of Press Secretary from 1955 to 1970, after which he became a Vice President of The Association. Obituary in York Press.