Dear FTC member
Your tennis club committee hopes you are well and getting some tennis in as spring finally arrives. Here’s a brief rundown on the latest at FTC…
Welcome to new members and Summer Family Members!
We had a terrific response to our post-lockdown membership drive and the club now has 188 adult members, plus a real influx of junior players as well. On behalf of everyone at FTC, a warm welcome to the club. Please make full use of the club’s facilities – the online court booking, free floodlights, mix-in club sessions and league and club competitions – and any questions do ask any member – they will be pleased to help. Ivor Smith, membership secretary
Family Friday tennis starts 4 June
These are new tennis sessions for parents/grandparents and the more junior tennis players in their family where everyone will have a chance to take part in a range of tennis-themed fun and games together. All ages and abilities welcome, with free ice creams, soft drinks and snacks. There is no need to book, just turn up with your rackets. Courts are booked for the first session from 4-5.30pm on Friday 4 June; more Family Fridays will follow. Please note this is not a creche and children cannot be left unattended. Debbie Jupe, FTC development officer
We have our own defibrillator
We are delighted to advise you that the club now has its own defibrillator. The committee decided that the best way to spend an anonymous donation was to buy this potential life-saving equipment in commemoration of all the work done for the club by past chairman Peter Burnand. A plaque to this effect will be put up in the clubhouse in due course. The defi is located in the clubhouse in the big cupboard – every member should have a key to the clubhouse. It is a semi-automatic machine and should anyone ever have to use it, the machine once switched on tells you exactly what to do. The club has also paid for several members to have training in its use. Pammi Haylett, welfare officer
Clubhouse, club balls and public bookings latest
The Government has set Monday 21 June as the date for the lifting of all remaining Covid restrictions and if this happens then the club will be ready to take another step back to normality. The clubhouse can again be used, club balls will again be provided free for members to use at club sessions and the club will once again be open to court bookings from non-members. But please note that all this is not yet guaranteed. Until it is, remember that the clubhouse remains closed to all except committee members, coach and members needing access to the defib. Pammi Haylett, welfare officer
Save the date: Saturday 26 June Summer BBQ
To celebrate lifting of all rules please come and enjoy unrestricted socialising with a BBQ and glass of Pimms on Saturday 26 June from midday, during the Saturday club session which will take place as normal but with the courts booked until 2pm for extra play. There will be a small charge, just to cover costs, and a booking form will follow next week. We need volunteers to help make this long-awaited event a big success. If you can help please email Nicola at [email protected]. Nicola Dawtrey, social secretary
FTC Championships update
Entry for this year’s competitions closed in early May and the draw made. The draw for each competition has been forwarded to all competitors. It also appears on the Clubhouse window next to the signing in book.
Entry numbers as follows:-
- Men’s Singles 15.
- Ladies singles 6.
- Men’s doubles 16 pairs.
- Ladies doubles 10 pairs.
- Mixed doubles 16 pairs.
All competitors have a copy of the rules which state that the name(s) that appear first for drawn matches must organise the time and date with their opponents. In reality, it doesn’t matter who does the organising as long as it is done before the deadlines. The deadline for first round matches is 20th June.
Match results are to be forwarded to the organisers. Matches not played by the deadline will be decided by the toss of a coin!
Finals day will be Saturday 4th September.
Entries are still open for the over 60 (Vets) Mixed Doubles tournament which will be played over one day on Sunday 5th September. Anyone wishing to enter, can still do so, just find yourself a partner and put your name down. Tournament organisers are Kate Gurl [email protected]
And Jazz Kimbell [email protected] Jazz Kimbell, fixtures secretary
Tickets to Wimbledon this year
The championships are going ahead this year (28 June – 11 July) but with reduced visitor capacity which has meant that tickets will not be allocated to affiliated clubs like Fishbourne. However, the LTA has now confirmed that instead of running a ticket ballot, FTC members will be eligible to buy tickets during June in an online sale open only to Advantage Play+ members – as an affiliated club, that’s us, at least those members who have registered with the LTA. More details about the LTA Advantage Wimbledon Ticket Sale are promised soon, meanwhile check out the LTA website or look at AELTC’s online sale for more info.
American Tournaments
There will be no American Tournament this coming Sunday 30 May so the courts will be available for the usual club session.
We have managed five of these popular Sunday afternoon tournaments so far and more are planned in June and July.
The next one will be on Sunday 6th June 2-4pm. Watch out for the email about it: remember you have to sign up to take part because numbers are limited.
Remember to pay your guest fees!
It is great to have members playing with their guests, but PLEASE remember to pay to pay your guest fees. The guest fee is £3 per hour per guest or £6 with floodlights, capped at £6 (£12 with lights) so it is never more expensive than the public rate. Payment should be made by the host member online to the usual bank details:
Sort Code 09 01 53
Account No. 33095480
Quote your surname/guest as reference.
And wedding bells are coming…
Members have already been advised that FTC’s coach Alex Bone is getting married on 10 July, and this is now the last call for anyone who would like to contribute to a present for the happy couple from the club. We have had an amazing response already. The money is will go towards their honeymoon fund. Debbie Jupe is coordinating so please transfer your contribution online to account name D E Jupe, account No 17294320, sort code 56 00 64. Please use the reference AB and your name so we can add it to a card.
Best wishes from the FTC committee
