Playing competitively
There are a number of opportunities for all players to play some form of competitive matches which are detailed below. All competitions are open to both adult and junior players. If you wish to take part in any of these events, please contact David Gough, our Club Captain.
Bury St. Edmunds League
Stowmarket Table Tennis Club has entered five teams in the Bury St. Edmunds District Table Tennis League – one team in Div. 1, three teams in Div. 2 and one team in Div. 3.
There is no official limit to the number of players in each team but they tend to have between five and eight – enough for each player to play a number of matches but enough to cover for absences for whatever reason.
In Divisions 1 & 2, three players play each game. Each player plays each of the opponents and two of each team play a doubles game, making 10 games in all.
In a Division 3 match, there are only two players on each side; there are therefore only 5 games overall.
In a season, each team plays every other team in their division 3 times. Therefore, against some teams you will play twice at home and once away and, against other teams, the reverse will be true. Overall each team will play the same number of home and away matches.
You can see details of Fixtures, Results, Player averages and Standings at the brand new Bury St. Edmunds League website.
Teams for 2018-19
| DIVISION | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 (Two-Player) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM | PUMAS | JAGUARS | LEOPARDS | TIGERS | LYNX |
| CAPTAIN | David Gough | Andy Bennett | Ian Bridgeman | Andrew Oakley | David Healy |
| PLAYERS | David Gough Nigel Howe Luke Davies-Stokes Jack Samson Chris Smith Martin Chamberlain Scott Day | Andy Bennett Mark Beaumont Ray Perry David Rickett Joe Kulesa Joe Kulesa Jnr Adrian Copping | Ian Bridgeman Keith George Marcus Hammond Lewis Hammond Carol Clarke Mel Reddit | Andrew Oakley Tony Giddens David Aldous Richard Stokes Nick Samson Mark Hyde Jamie Hyde | David Healy M Patel Ian Nathan |
Other competitions
Bury League tournament
Each year, there is a one-day tournament for players who have taken part in the league. There are a number of events, including a Handicap event, various doubles events, junior events, an event for over 50s. events for girls and women etc. This is another fun, but competitive, event.
Bury League Handicap Trophy
This includes two events:
- The Bury Free Press Shield
- The Saffron Shield
Teams who do not progress past Round 2 of the Bury Free Press Shield are automatically entered into the Saffron Shield.
These tournaments are both Handicap events – each player’s handicap is calculated from a review of their results in the respective Divisions.
Stowmarket Results in the Handicap Shields.
2015 – Tigers were runners-up in the Saffron Shield
2014 – Leopards won the Bury Free Press Shield, beating beat Pumas in the final
2013 – Pumas were runners-up in the Bury Free Press Shield
2012 – Leopards were runners-up in the Saffron Shield
Bury League Knockout Cup
Since the 2016-17 season, there has been an additional knockout cup (not handicap) between all Division 1 and Division 2 teams.
The Pumas were runners-up in 2017-18.
Club tournament
Each year, the club holds its own tournament, divided into sections. The finals are intended to be a social as well as a competitive event. Even if you don’t play competitively in the league, you should consider entering the club tournament which can be a bit of fun with no real pressure.
Other leagues.
Although we do not enter any teams in other leagues, a number of our members participate in other leagues, especially the Ipswich League.
You can see a list of other local leagues on the Table Tennis England (TTE) website here.
Junior Competitions
Details of our teams in the National Junior League, National Cadet League and the Suffolk & Cambs Border League can be found in the Junior section