Watfordttblog

Table Tennis is all about good movement!

I was chatting today with Urfi (Gergely) a well known Hungarian coach in the area and Head coach for Urban Progress TTPro about footwear for Table Tennis.

The conversation started when I brought up the need for some new Table Tennis footwear myself. My current shoes have the battle scars of a few hard games and I'm starting to wear out my socks and toes as well now (picture right).

Urfi's advice was that so long as the shoes have a good rubber sole and not the plastic variety then they should be ok. The lighter the shoe the less likely to last, the heavier the shoe the more difficult to move. Good rubber soles provide the best grip on most floors and assist good movement. It is absolutely essential to have footwear you can rely on to perform under the pressure of match play situations.

To be honest it all comes down to personal preference, good squash or badminton shoes are as equally serviceable as expensive table tennis shoes.

One things for certain, I need to make the investment pretty soon or i'll end up a few centimetres shorter come the start of next season! 

Teams and Players pages

We are now adding the Teams and Players section of the Blog. At the moment this is just labelled 'Players' this will be changed soon.

On this page we are listing all the contact details that are normally found in the handbook for easy reference and additionally links to players profile pages.

Now of course many of you won't want a profile page but for those that do we can record details about your Table Tennis playing career and a little more about yourself, what you do for a living and even a link to your website if appropriate. We can also include pictures and videos of you in league games or receiving trophies. A special note for those of you receiving trophies at this years presentation evening don't forget to take your camera along and get a picture for the Blog!! send all pictures and stories either to otis.ogle@ipsx.co.uk or chris.ogle@ipsx.co.uk.

To check out an example page of how profiles look, go to the Players tab in the navigation bar and then scroll to the bottom where you will see West Watford Conservative Club. There I have placed my own profile and made a start on Howards.

Lets make the league interesting and introduce yourselves to fellow players, lets have as many profiles as possible and be known as the 'friendliest league in England'. 

Watford players set to represent Herts. in 2009/10

Ann Feraday who looks after the county veterans teams has recently advised us of those players from Watford who are to represent the county in the over 40's competition in 2009/10.

The county first team will feature Glen Wilkes, Stuart Seaholme and Sally Bax, whilst the third and fourth teams will include Chris Ogle, Roger Pyle, Larry Gregory and Geof Bax.

Well done to Roger Pyle for his selection, in just what will be his second season, following a 23 year lay-off and back playing county table tennis is a great achievement!

Watford continues to be well represented at county level proving that Table Table is alive and kicking here in our town!

Don't forget if you or someone you know is making news about Table Tennis in and around Watford then send to otis.ogle@ipsx.co.uk or chris.ogle@ipsx.co.uk and let's get your Table Tennis news stories published today!

Bruce Lee - Table Tennis but not as we know it !

David Edwards might have a thing to say about the legality of the Table Tennis bat being used by Bruce Lee... nevertheless a pretty useful addition to any Watford league team !!

Bruce Lee's take on Table Tennis

Thanks to Jeannette Maybanks for this tracking down this clip and posting on to us!

Remember if you have anything about Table Tennis that you would like to share with others, whether it be your experience, a story that has come to your attention then let us have it and we'll get it posted onto the site for you!

William Maybanks in action against Darius Knight

Many of you might remember a few years back a small lad who could just see over the Table Tennis table with brown curly hair playing against his mother. Well he's grown up a bit now and Watford's very own Table Tennis hero William Maybanks is playing pretty decent stuff these days!

Below you can see William taking on one of the top English players Darius Knight and causing all sorts of problems for Darius. Although Will eventually lost you can see the start of something special here, Watfords very own Rocky Balboa!

Check out the whole William Maybanks vs. Darius Knight match right here!

Let all of us who know William Maybanks get right behind him as he prepares now 3 years ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games. You can follow Will's progress read his updates direct from his phone from Training Camps and competitions around Europe on http://www.willmeon.com

We can all help William achieve his dream and be able to boast that we did our part. Enjoy with him the emotions and excitement of being part of the greatest sports show on earth! Visit WillMeOn make a £10 donation and get recognised on Will's Special Tracksuit ! Don't be the only one in Watford not on it !!

Southern Veteran Masters

Last weekend the Southern Veteran Masters was held at the K2 Stadium, Crawley in Sussex. Quite a few of Watfords vets took part with varying success. Sally Bax just back playing after an injury in January, played in the O50's and O60's. In the O50's she lost in the plate final 14-12 in the fifth. In the O60's lost in first round proper. Geof Bax lost in two quarter finals, in O70's and O60's plate. Other players were Tony Dias, Dennis Robinson, Richard Bellamy, and Gerry Hawkins. No details yet.

Geof Bax.

Seasons final Standings!

The Oxhey Hall club have enjoyed a successful season with both teams being promoted. The 'B'team were also the winners of the Vice Presidents Cup. Watling 'C' were the Div Two Champions coming with a late rush to pip Oxhey Hall 'A' who had led the division for most of the season. Audit 'B' were runners up in Div Three, although their 'C' team had chased them all the way. West Watford also had a good season, with both teams being runners up in their divisions, Premier, and Div One. The 'A' team also won the Challenge Cup vs Bats, whilst the 'B' team were runners up in the Ross Cup to Eagles. This season was a much more competitive one than in recent years, with quite a few new players helping to add strenght to the League.

Geof Bax

Geof Bax first to add Comments on Watford Blog

In the famous words of Simon Cowell, you work at Watford Hospital you're over 70 years old and then you did that !!!

Geof Bax showed the Watford Table Tennis players a thing or two today and not on the Table Tennis table! Geof was the first to make a comment on the new Watford Table Tennis Blog one week after it was released !

Geof the evergreen of Table Tennis in Watford showed today that he is up there with the young'uns when it comes to technology too!  Well done Geof, thanks for the updates and about what you and other Watford Veteran's have been up to at tournaments!

So come on the rest of ya..... Geof has shown you the way. If you have a news story relating to Table Tennis then let us have it, email it to otis.ogle@ipsx.co.uk or chris.ogle@ipsx.co.uk and don't let all the others have the glory, grab some for yourself too !

If you want to comment on an existing Blog post then you can do that straight away at the end of that particular story and it goes up immediately. Please keep it clean and polite otherwise we will mediate the post and remove it.... you have been warned !

Pin Wei Chinese Restaurant sponsors Jets Table Tennis Club

The Pin Wei chinese restaurant in High Street, Abbots Langley has sponsored the Jets Table Tennis Club!

The Sponsorship deal is the part funding of Table Tennis shirts which can now be purchased via the Club and the proceeds of which go to develop Table Tennis at the Queens school. China is of course the best Table Tennis nation in the world and Table Tennis is their national sport so it is great that Pin Wei are helping us to develop Table Tennis here in Watford.

Pin Wei also offer a 10% discount to anyone playing in the Watford league, to obtain your discount card just contact Stuart Seaholme on 020 8386 3701 or email : sseaholme@hotmail.co.uk.

The discount promotion will run until the 30th November 2009 and there is no limit to the number of visits or the number of cards that the league can issue. Please support our sponsor and have a fantastic meal at Pin Wei Chinese Restaurant. Check out the menu by clicking the link, Chinese, Thai favourites and Japanese food all available.

Rule changes proposed for the AGM

Below are two rule changes that have been received and that are being proposed for the Watford and District Table Tennis League. These changes if agreed would come into force for the 2009/10 season.

10 (A)  after “7.30pm”  add “and must start by 7.45pm even if only 1 player from each team is present”

11 (A) after “ plus the doubles.” Insert  “thereby conceding 3 singles sets. If both sides have 2 players then only four singles shall be played so both sides concede 2 sets.”

The AGM is being held on Monday 18th May at Queens School Bushey at 8pm. If you have any suggestions or proposals for changes in the Watford & District Table Tennis league rules, or would like to raise any points for discussion please forward to David Edwards on dedwards@tabletennis.fsnet.co.uk or Stuart Seaholme on sseaholme@hotmail.co.uk at least one week prior to the meeting.