SUMMER SEASON REVIEW/FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS/FINALS WEEKEND

1) Summer season
The Club entered 11 teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. The club has enjoyed multiple promotions in recent years and as a result across the different categories of teams, most of our teams are at what I at least consider “their level”. Consequently only one promotion was achieved and two relegations suffered.
Pride of place goes to our Men’s Over 60s team who followed up promotion to the top Division (of six) in Kent last winter by winning all 10 matches to secure promotion to the top Division(of three) in North Kent. An unheard of double over Sundridge Park, only 2 rubbers lost out of 40 played, 71/80 sets won, unbeaten at home in 3 years. I could go on!!

Our three Vets teams, mainly due to their continuing excellent home form (1 defeat out of 13) performed well in their respective Divisions. Vets 1 finished third of six in Division E, Vets 2 finished third of five in Division G and Vets 3 finished second behind runaway leaders Kemsing in Division H.

Our Mixed Vets performed very well and finished second (of five) behind runaway winners Catford Wanderers 2 in Division D. Our Midweek Mixed Vets team finished fourth (of seven) in Division C, which included debuting Wendover and Blackheath sides clearly destined for higher Divisions.

Only three wins across three Divisions meant relegation for Men’s 1 from both North Kent Division B and Kent Division 2. It was a successful season of consolidation for Men’s 2, who, following promotion finished third (of five) in Division F. A second place finish last summer, meant promotion to Division H for our Men’s 3. After a few concerns, a strong finish ensured a credible consolidating fourth place (of six) finish.

2) Winter season
The season commences in September and we are fielding 10 teams. This includes for the first time an Over 60s Men’s 2 team, who I am sure will do very well in what is now a six Division League. Similarly for the first time our Midweek Mixed Vets team will be debuting in the winter league after two successful campaigns in the summer league.

3) Facility Improvements
Members have enjoyed our beautifully painted and resurfaced courts 3&4 and Floodlight facilities this year. You will also have noticed that two wonderful new benches now reside on courts 1&2 too.

The plan is to resurface courts 1&2 and paint them in the same “Wimbledon purple” colour as 3&4 in August/September next year. In order to achieve this, we will need to match our membership figures this year, so please stay loyal to the club come renewal time next year and help us to further improve the playing facilities for everyone.

Please encourage friends and family to join the club and continue to support fundraising evenings/ventures that we put on throughout the calendar year.

4) Club Finals Weekend – 2/3September
Finally things are coming together nicely for our club finals weekend on 2/3 September. More details will be on our WhatsApp groups next week, but on paper there are some very close competitive finals to be played, so well worth watching if you can spare the time.

All the very best and I hope to see as many of you as possible next weekend.

The Club entered nine teams in the North Kent/Kent Winter leagues. We continued to build on our growing reputation as a coming force in Kent tennis, achieving four promotions, albeit set against a couple of relegations for the first time in many a long year…. Read more here

Good evening everybody, for those of you that don’t know me, I’m Dave Williams, Chairman of the tennis club.

Many thanks for coming along this evening. I guess the majority of you here won’t know that the club will be celebrating its centenary next year. It is therefore a truly momentous occasion that after 99 years of existence from today we now have floodlights on two of our courts which will allow us for the first time to play tennis throughout the year. I am pleased to say that Dave Varela from Sovereign Sports is here. Can we please have a round of applause for Dave and his team who have resurfaced our courts and installed the floodlights for us. Thank you Dave and your team.

I am delighted to say that our Club President, Colin Vousden is here to switch on the lights. Colin, I am sure I speak on behalf of everyone here to say it is absolutely great to see you here and looking so well. Thanks so much for coming along to formally switch on the floodlights for us this evening. I hope that after such a long and distinguished association with the club, you are equally as proud as all of us are that we now have floodlights.

Before Colin switches the lights on, I just wanted to relay to you the history behind the floodlights from my viewpoint. I joined the club in 2015. We had 27 members at that time. A year or so later at the Thursday morning social Colin approached me with a few LTA documents and asked me if I would consider preparing a report for the Committee on the possibility of installing floodlights at the Club. I was not a member of the Committee at the time, so was totally surprised and probably taken aback by the approach.

Nevertheless, I prepared a report and presented it to Committee in April 2016. The estimated cost then was £20k. We only had £3k in the bank, it didn’t seem financially viable and as there wasn’t, in my opinion, any particular enthusiasm from the Committee for it, the report got shelved. However, I was asked to remain on the Committee, which I accepted. Colin then resigned as Chairman but no one came forward to succeed him. To be honest the committee became a bit of a vacuum for the next 3 years.

Through friends of friends we began to attract some good players to the club. Richard Fearn came from Martin Dene and a year later helped to get Dami Yussuf. They were followed by Tom Branch and Charlie Barnes. Fellow Committee member Tim Dalton said to me “I don’t get it Dave, why are players like Dami committing to playing for little old Bexleyheath?”

It was at that moment that I realised that if no one else was going to take control of running the club then I would have to do it. I spoke to Colin and Alfio who said they thought it was a good idea but I also spoke to Tim and Claire as both had indicated in the past that they may be interested in becoming the Chair if the time was right.

I became Chairman in January 2020. We had 33 adult and one junior member and under £9k in the bank. We took under £4k in membership fees. For floodlights to be viable we needed to grow the club. Fast forward 2.5 years and we now have 93 adults and 72 junior/child members. Until recently we had over £43k in the bank. This year we have taken £15k in membership fees. The Club has grown.

So how did we grow the club? I had the time, energy and vision. I wrote a comprehensive recruitment action plan. But I needed help. The Committee already had an excellent Treasurer and Secretary in Alfio Bibbiani and Maria Harris. Claire O’Brien was always around helping out at club events. In the few short months on the Committee, I had identified Dave Kane, the then communications officer as the person to implement the recruitment plan. I met with him, you won’t be surprised it was in a pub and he agreed to come on board. Best decision I ever made.

I similarly head hunted Neil Ferebee to do the social fundraising and sponsorship. Paul Morris became the Safeguarding Officer; Dami relieved me of my painstaking and time consuming Fixture Secretary duties. Ollie Mentessi came on board as Tournament Officer, latterly replaced by Noah Wright. Raman Rai came in as IT Manager and more latterly i/c Child/Junior coaching. Claire became our new joiner project manager. In short, all excellent appointments and over the last three years all have stepped up to the mark which has enabled us to get the club where we are today. Just to be clear, we are all unpaid volunteers who give up their free time to manage the club.

With the club growing in both numbers and income, work started early last year in making floodlights a reality. At this point I’d like to ask Dave Kane to come and join me please. Dave has been a colossal help to me since being Chairman and has project managed the floodlight/resurfacing works.

I always knew that this project would be particularly demanding. What you won’t know is that since it was so important for the club it was my intention to resign as Chairman in order to project manage it. However Dave with his previous BT experience offered to do it. Consequently the two of us have worked side by side on this over the past couple of years. Probably three main areas of work:-

• Numerous site meetings both pre and post implementation. Getting three quotes; agreeing timetables for the works and; liaising closely with the sports club especially since the work was done at the same time as the club house roofing.

• Production and submission of the Council planning application. We did this ourselves when quoted £3k by the contractor. A lot of hard work including writing a heritage statement as to how the lights would not impact upon Danson House as it remains a listed building.

• Submission of a comprehensive business plan as part of our lengthy and successful submission to the LTA for our £25k loan. Believe me when I tell you that dealing with the LTA is not a straightforward experience! Indeed we are still waiting for the loan to come through. Hopefully in a couple of weeks.

Lots, lots more but Dave produced all the documentation to satisfy both the Council and the LTA so thanks again Dave.

Anyway £70k lighter we now have resurfaced courts 3&4 and floodlights to enjoy. Yes we have to pay off the £25k LTA loan over the next 7 years but I want us to keep pushing for more. We need to get courts 1&2 resurfaced and new perimeter fencing. To achieve this we need your help. Please continue to encourage friends and family to join the club – it really has proven to be the best way to increase numbers. Please also try to support our fundraising events. Please support the tennis club as we advertise our pay and play initiative and look to facilitate junior coaching a couple of evenings a week.

Right, without any further ado could we all please assemble outside where Colin will turn on the lights and for those that want to the lights will remain on for a couple of hours for a Wednesday social. For those not partaking, please join me in returning to the bar where we will have some Prosecco and fabulous cakes prepared by Claire, Maria and Noah for you to enjoy.

I am absolutely thrilled, delighted and proud to advise that the following facility improvement works are about to commence at the club.

1) Resurfacing of courts 3&4

Work will commence from Monday 5th September and will take approximately three weeks. Preparatory work will take up the first two weeks, with the resurfacing commencing w/b 19th September.

Obviously these two courts will be closed to members during this three week period, but courts 1&2 will remain open for booking. Weather permitting the courts will be open for usage from 26 September. At this time they will be black cement courts, with tennis lines marked out. Colouring of the court and its surrounding area will follow after the floodlight installation on our other two courts is completed.

2) Floodlight installation on Courts 1&2

Weather permitting the works will commence on 26 September, upon completion of the resurfacing works. The work is expected to take three weeks.

During this three week period only courts 3&4 will be available to members. Once operational, members will be able to make bookings via Club Spark up to 9.30pm under the terms of the approved planning application received from Bexley Council.

Members should note that the cost of these works is £70,000 and will be financed by Tennis Club funds and an (expected) LTA loan of £25,000, repayable over seven years.

3) Moving forward

Unfortunately the current cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine have meant that quotes received a year ago for the above works increased by 35%. The Club are therefore unable to go ahead with plans to resurface courts 1&2 at this time.

Once the above works are completed, the priority for the club must be to aggressively fund raise so that we are able to resurface the remaining two courts. We have applied to the Lottery Commission for a grant in this respect, so fingers crossed.

I also consider that the perimeter fencing of our four courts need updating. If we can achieve these two improvements, we will, in my eyes at least, be a proper Tennis Club, with facilities the equal of Tennis Clubs in our local area.

Finally I must once again place on record my sincere thanks to Dave Kane, who has led on these facilities improvements in the last couple of years. He has been by my side throughout the process (submitting the Planning Application, attending numerous meetings with contractors, preparing the papers for the LTA loan etc) and this would not be happening without his massive input. Thanks Dave.

Dan Rodrigues Men's two team clinched the Division G title on Friday after a resounding 6-0 win away to Oakwood 3.

Our twos have won all their 8 games and are still to lose a rubber, having a score count of 41- 0 to date!!

They will be looking to make it a perfect 10 wins in the coming weeks, something our Over 60s team achieved last season.

Pictured from left to right are Dave Williams, Richard Everson, George Mentessi, Dan Rodrigues, Richard Fearn and Nathan Burchell.

Hopefully the club can win a couple of more divisions to make it a great awards night at the Boathouse in October.

Winter season

The Club entered a winter high seven teams in the North Kent/Kent leagues. We continued to build on our growing reputation as a coming force in Kent tennis. The club only lost one match at home all winter at fortress Park View Road.

Sundridge Park, currently Kent’s best club results wise, paid us the compliment of selecting their best teams in the three divisions in which we encountered them. Crucially all 3 matches against them were away. More about this particular pesky foe later.....

North Kent League.

Men’s 1 and Men’s 2 doubles teams both finished second in Divisions 2A & 3B respectively. The teams were thwarted by Sundridge Park (SP) 2&3. Men’s 1, enjoying excellent away support, played superbly and was a championship tie break away from a draw at SP.

Men’s 2 achieved a magnificent draw at SP to finish level on 9 points with them from their 5 matches played. In such circumstances the league winner is determined on count back of sets and/or games won in the match between the two sides. SP got first position by winning 4 more games in the 4 rubbers played. However as it was so close, there is a distinct possibility that our 3’s will be promoted to Division 2 next winter. This would be richly deserved.

Kent League.

Despite convincingly winning Division 5 in the summer, the Kent League remarkably only placed our Men’s 1 in Division 6B. Consequently all 5 matches were won with relative ease and Dami’s boys, having already secured promotion, play for silverware in a couple of weeks when they travel to Division 6A winners Chipstead. Bring the trophy home guys.

Vets 1 became the third of our teams to be thwarted by SP2. The team finished four points clear in second place in Division 3A having won 5 of their 6 fixtures. The team’s performance merited more. A 3-1 success away to Bexley 2 the undoubted highlight.
Vets 2 won two of their five fixtures to finish fifth in a highly competitive Division 4A. It was especially pleasing that both wins were against local clubs (Martin Dene and Shooters Hill).

The club fielded a Vets 3 team for the first time. Their performance in finishing third in Division 4B (two wins from the four played), confirmed the growing strength in depth of the vets squad. I predict an enjoyable summer ahead for this team – watch this space!

Finally the fledgling Men’s Over 60s were surprisingly placed in Division 2 of 4. Survival was thought to be the name of the game, but the team excelled with 3 wins from 5 to finish a creditable third. A victory at home versus second placed Tunbridge Wells was the standout result here.

Summer season

The season commences on 26th March and we will be fielding a truly remarkable 11 teams. Three men’s teams for the first time will be accompanied by our first ever midweek mixed vets team. Pleasingly there is also a mixed doubles team and I feel we are only a season away from fielding a long awaited women’s team. Three men’s vets teams, men’s over 60’s and men’s 1 additionally competing in both the Kent league and Kent AEGON tournament complete our line up.

Four of these teams have been promoted into higher divisions, following their on court achievements last summer. Consequently results may not be as good as last summer, but I believe the club can at the very least equal the three trophies won last summer.

Let the games begin!

SUCCESS ON THE COURT- REVIEW OF SUMMER 2021 SEASON

After the disappointment of the cancellation due to Covid 19 of both the Summer 2020 and Winter 2021 seasons, the Club made up for lost time with some excellent results and performances in both the Kent and North Kent Leagues.

We fielded seven teams, including a mixed doubles team for the first time in many a long year. Three teams won their leagues, whilst two finished runners up. With the membership nearly treble the size it was when we last competed 18 months ago, many new members debuted and I hope all new club players enjoyed the experience as they shared in our successes.

Kent League

In Division 5A our Men’s one incredibly won the league by the end of May, winning all four of their matches. This provided them with an opportunity for silverware by playing Division 5B winners Blackheath. Some of you will have heard that it was mission accomplished yesterday, so many congratulations to Dami and his team.

It was a case of so near and yet so far for the Men’s two, who had to settle for second place to Chilham in Division 6B. The title was quite literally lost on a single net cord – I know as the net cord (at set point to us), went against Steve Glenny and myself!

Last but not least our Mixed Doubles Team finished a creditable fourth in Division 6A, by winning two and drawing one of their six matches. A very promising first season – more please!

North Kent League

Having achieved promotion in 2019, our Men’s One performed credibly to finish third in Division B. A great year of consolidation then and some excellent team performances, most notably a three all draw at home to eventual Champions Bromley LTC.
After a slow start Men’s Two improved to finish fourth in Division G, however they were only a point away from second place.

It was heartbreak for the Vets Ones who finished second behind a very strong Park Langley in Division E. The loss of two key players for the final two matches versus Park Langley was undoubtedly the deciding factor here.

Hearty congratulations to our Vets Two team who saw off a late charge from David Lloyd Dartford to win Division G. Well done to Warrick and his team and I see no reason why they cannot gain successive promotions next Summer.

Finally my Over 60’s Men’s Team performed outstandingly well in their first season to win all 10 of their matches to comprehensively win Division C.

As some may often hear me say (and for those unfortunate ones who have heard me sing the full version as well), I make no apologies in shouting from the rooftops again that “WE’RE BEXLEYHEATH TENNIS CLUB, WE’RE ON OUR WAY BACK!”

Dave Williams
Chairman

12 September 2021

The inaugural Men's Over 60s team brought the first piece of silverware to the club this season by winning the North Kent league Division C today.

The team made it 8 wins out of 8 with a hard fought 3-1 win away to Old Wilsonians.
With two matches still to play, the team will be looking to make it a perfect 10 out of 10 victories.

It will be a lot tougher next Summer in Division B!

Pictured from left to right, Dave Williams, Tim Dalton, Paul Morris and Steve Frogley.
A massive shout out to Andy Kalinka, who played in the first five matches of the campaign.

1) REOPENING OF COURTS

As per the last newsletter, our courts will reopen for business on Monday 29th March. Please continue to book courts using the Club Spark booking process detailed on our website. The courts were power cleaned recently and all four of the existing benches repaired and painted “Wimbledon” green. Please be careful the first couple of times you play, especially if you have not been able to exercise much this last lockdown.

Please continue to observe social distancing rules, leave the court 10 minutes before your allotted time expires and take all your property with you when leaving. Please continue to use hand sanitiser before and after play. The tennis nets are set at the correct height so please do not adjust.

With Club summer league matches commencing on 17 April, I would urge those playing in our 5 box leagues to try to complete any outstanding matches before the end of April, where possible. In the unlikely event you have forgotten which league you are in please contact Ollie, our Tournament Organiser.

2) SOCIAL PLAY (THURSDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS)

To get you all back in the swing of things, our popular Thursday and Sunday morning 10-12 noon sessions will recommence from 1 April. Covid -19 restrictions still apply, so you must book your place through the relevant WhatsApp group and sign the covid book on the day. Throughout April, three courts will be available on a Sunday for social play. The covid-19 rule of 12 applies, so once our numbers reach 12 then further attendance will not be permissible. If you are not currently on one of these WhatsApp groups, and want to attend these sessions, then please let me know and I will add you.

Whilst Thursday social play is all year round, the Sunday social will last initially until the end of May. Our popular Wednesday evening social play will restart on 26th May. If there is sufficient interest from members, then we will look to continue social play on Sunday mornings beyond May.

Whilst operational arrangements are already in situ on Thursdays, we need a volunteer steward(s) to assist with arrangements on Sunday mornings. Duties include ensuring members sign the covid book, social distancing protocols are observed and matching, so far as possible, the playing abilities of members on the three courts. Should you feel able to be a volunteer steward then please let me know (details below).

3) MEMBERSHIP FEES

For ease of reference the fees, effective from 1 May can be viewed here or in the Membership section on this website.

4) SPORTS CLUB

Under the Government “roadmap”, the bar will reopen on 12th April. Hoorah, hic. You may not be aware that a portion of your membership fee goes towards the running of the Sports Club. Accordingly, I am pleased to advise that in addition to normal bar facilities, wef 19th April the Club will now be selling food at weekends. Saturday food will be available during the afternoon through to evening and on Sundays will be available in the morning through to the afternoon. The later will fit in nicely with the Sunday social!

Once fully up and running sausage rolls/steak bakes etc will be available throughout the weekend for people to purchase. The kitchen will also be open to purchase food on a Saturday evening/Sunday daytime. Items served will include pizza, chips, hot dogs, toasties, tea and coffee etc.

5) OLD TENNIS BALLS

Alfio and I recently returned 250 old balls to a ball recycling company and received back a cheque for £50 to further booster the Club’s coffers. Rather than throw your old tennis balls away, please bring any old unmarked ones back to the club to enable us to generate more money for the Club. Please leave in a plastic bag by the bench inside Court one.

See you on court.


Dave Williams
Chair
23rd March 2021