As Januarys go, this has been a pretty good one for Mapperley Park Badminton Club, writes Andy Shaw
Both on and off the court, it’s been extremely positive…
Firstly off the court: the club has long been looking for an extra night in which to play, whether this is for training, summer club or matches. Our home (Mapperley Sports Village) will always be our home, however, due to a combination of demand from the public and our rapid growth in the last four years, they have been unable to provide us with a second night. This has led us to look elsewhere to find the extra court time we need. Finding an extra venue is hard work, especially when sports halls are used for activities other than the sport they are intended for.
So the good news…we are in a strong position to obtain an extra night at Arnold Hill School, in the fabulous new facility that has been built. This is an ideal ‘second’ location for us, as it is less than 10 minutes from Mapperley Sports Village and is still in the Gedling Borough area. I hope to have more news on this by the end of February.
Results wise, January has been a stellar month for the club. All three men’s teams continue to do well in their respective leagues.
The 3rd men’s remain unbeaten and top of division 3B after a tight 5-4 victory over St Giles. Sam Straw and Can Truong taking the decider. The 2nd men’s top division 2B with a 100% record after two wins in January. A 7-2 win away at Southwell was followed up by an 8-1 home victory against Byron. Adam Tyas and Gurj Singh taking all three rubbers vs Southwell. In the men’s premier division the 1st men’s secured two victories to guarantee the highest ever finish for any team at the club in its 30+ year history. An impressive 5-4 victory at home over Mansfield Oaktree, and an intense 7-2 win at local rivals Carlton, Andy Shaw and James Watkins taking a maximum in the local derby.
The 4th ladies recorded their first victory of the season with a 9-0 score line away at Nottingham Trent University. They were then unfortunate to lose 5-4 away at Bingham. Kara Gokova pulling out injured in the decider.
The 3rd ladies recorded their first win of the season with an 8-1 win over St Giles. Anji Henderson and Laura Jones taking all 3, along with Kath Sutton and Rhia Simmonds. The 1st ladies continued in their quest for the division 1 title with a convincing 8-1 win, also over St Giles. Helen Palmer making her 1st team debut, stepping in for the absent Louisa Truong.
The 6th mixed continue to do well in their opening season. A tight 5-4 loss at Crusader (Rob Richards and Lisa Straw taking a maximum) was followed by an impressive 9-0 away at Beeston Valley.
The 5th mixed recorded their first victory of the season in a 7-2 defeat of Boots. Claire McVeagh and Adam Tyas taking the maximum. They now need one victory from the last two matches to avoid relegation. The 4th team continue to have a steady season, a 5-4 win away at Beeston Valley, was followed by a 6-3 loss to Beeston Fields. With two matches left, they should end the season comfortably in mid table.
2nd mixed completed their season in fine style with a 9-0 victory at home to Chilwell. They now await other results to see if they have gained promotion into division 1. The 1st mixed played just their 2nd match of the season at home to Beeston Fields. A 7-2 loss was an unfair reflection on the match as six of nine rubbers went to a decider.
