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
2021-2022 season
At long last, we are set to re-start the Bury St Edmunds table tennis league – from the week starting Monday 20th September, 2021.
For the 2021-2022 season, Stowmarket Table Tennis Club has entered five teams – one team in Div. 1, three teams in Div. 2 and one team in Div. 3.
Players and Captains are listed in the table below.
You can see details of Fixtures, Results, Player averages and Standings on the Bury St. Edmunds League website.
Format
In Divisions 1 & 2, there are three players on each team. Each player plays each of the opponents and two of each team play a doubles game, making 10 games in all in a team match.
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.
Teams for 2021-22
| DIVISION | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 (Two-Player) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM | PUMAS | JAGUARS | LEOPARDS | TIGERS | BOBCATS |
| CAPTAIN | David Gough | Andrew Oakley | Ian Bridgeman | Joe Kulesa | David Healy |
| PLAYERS | David Gough Nigel Howe Martin Chamberlain Andy Bennett Chris Smith Luke Davies-Stokes | Andrew Oakley Tony Giddens David Aldous Mark Beaumont James Tindle Mark Cook Manoj Patel Richard Stokes | Ian Bridgeman Keith George Marcus Hammond Lewis Hammond Carol Clarke Mel Reddit Terry Betts | Joe Kulesa Nick Samson Joseph Kulesa (Jnr.) Mark Hyde Jamie Hyde Alex Gosling | David Healy Julia Brook Adrian Copping Ian Nathan Leigh Wyman |
Other competitions
Suffolk Senior Super Series tournaments
Senior 1-star ranking events are Table Tennis England approved tournaments, open to all, at which winning matches can win you national ranking points. The higher ranked player you beat, the more points you earn and the higher up the national ranking table you climb.
The Suffolk Senior Super Series is a series of such tournaments and three of them have been scheduled to take place at Stowupland:
- Sunday 17th October, 2021 9.30 – 5pm – The Suffolk Senior Super Series (1) (details below)
- Sunday 14th November, 2021 9.30 – 5pm – The Suffolk Senior Super Series (2)
- Sunday 16thJanuary, 2022 9.30 – 5pm – The Suffolk Senior Super Series (3)
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