Chairman's Report

(1999/2000 Season)

I very much hope you all approve of the new format for our Annual Report. The Board felt this was a fitting way to mark the new Millennium and we owe Mike Fenn a considerable debt of gratitude for all the work he has put into producing it. Three events in particular have marked this millennium year; the building of the four new courts at Westway; the ever increasing success of the Holmwoods School Championships; and the clean sweep of the Old Olavian club in all this year’s major competitions.

I am delighted to be able to write that the Westway project is now a fact - no longer an aspiration. The four courts are now being built; they are part of a whole new £10 million second phase development at Westway, which will comprise four new Clay Tennis courts, all weather football pitches and sophisticated Climbing Walls. The whole development is due to be completed by the end of May next year. It is possible that the Fives courts could be completed before that date.

By an extraordinary series of coincidences and good fortune, we have at last achieved what so many of us have striven for so many years - Fives courts in London, which are attached to a sports centre with its own on-site facilities. While we are still celebrating, I would particularly like to take this opportunity to thank Jim Cogan of Westminster School for his contribution. Jim was very much both the catalyst and salesman of the idea of getting courts built in Inner Cities. Without his persuasiveness, I very much doubt if we would be getting courts built at Westway.

For those of you, who do not know where Westway is, it is exactly under the roundabout where the ‘spur’ road from Shepherds Bush joins the A40; very accessible from most parts of London.

There is no doubt in my mind that this development is a major landmark for Eton Fives. It is just the opportunity that for years we have been waiting for to show that Eton Fives is not just an esoteric game played in a number of schools, but one which has as much relevance to sport as it had in the nineteenth century, when of course sporting facilities in schools were far less developed than they are now. I, personally, am worried that unless we are prepared to take our game forward to new opportunities it is in danger of slowly dying. As so many schools add to their sporting facilities and give increased opportunities to their pupils to participate in sports, which have high TV profiles, the position of Fives in schools’ sporting curriculum is in danger of being considerably reduced.

Westway is our opportunity to show that Fives really does have a place in the sporting curriculum. It is a unique opportunity and as such it is essential that we do not fluff it. The EFA is currently discussing what our role should be at Westway and how we can fulfil it. I am writing at the beginning of July, so it is very early days to give you any very firm ideas about exactly how Westway see the courts being used and what our involvement there should be. But it is almost certain that the courts will be available to clubs to use for matches and possibly practice days. Certainly, the EFA is going to be called upon to provide a considerable amount of coaching.

I am delighted to be able to report that Anthony Wagg has agreed to be the EFA director responsible for liaising with the management of Westway. In the meantime, I very much hope that he and I will be in a position at the AGM on 8th November to give you far fuller details of how we see our involvement at Westway developing.

In the meantime, would anyone, who might be interested in coaching at Westway, contact Anthony Wagg.

This year’s Championships were held at Eton. There were two hundred and twenty-eight pairs, of which there were nineteen girls’ pairs; just under six hundred participants from twenty-eight schools took part. It was a record entry.

I am not sure we blow our trumpet quite loud enough about the success Mark Williams and all those, who help him, have achieved with this competition. There cannot be that number of adult or school sporting activities which produce numbers on this scale. It says a lot about the degree of involvement and interest in the game at school level. We certainly owe a great debt to the schools, where the Championships are held, for all their help and co-operation. Some housemasters at these schools are prepared to keep their houses open for a week or so after the end of term so that competitors can be put up at reasonable costs.

These were the seventeenth Championships to have been sponsored by Holmwoods. The EFA is very appreciative of the continuous support they have given us. They very generously hosted a splendid Millennium dinner in the historic setting of College Hall, which Eton had allowed them to use for this event. The Provost, Vice-Provost and Head Master all attended as did our Patron, Lord Kingsdown. I know I speak for everyone, who was there, when I say what a memorable evening it was.

The Open Championship was won by Harrow, represented by Tom and Peter Dunbar. This was a notable win in that the Dunbars are the first pair of brothers to have won this tournament. I think that Peter may also be youngest winner in that he won the Under-14’s last year. It means he is even younger than James Toop was, when he won the competition for the first time. Like Neal Bailey in 1996, Tom also took all the Racquets prizes. So many of the very best Fives players seem able to combine it with excelling at other sports.

I know that all members of the EFA would wish to join me in congratulating the Old Olavian Club on their truly outstanding performance this year. They enjoyed what must have been one of the most successful years any club has had. They were easy winners of the League, winning all their matches; they won the Alan Barber Cup; the EFA Trophy; and James Toop and Matthew Wiseman were worthy winners of the Kinnaird, bringing to an end the domination over the last eight years of Mason & Mole and Wass & Halstead. Toop and Wiseman must surely be one of the youngest Kinnaird winning pairs.

It is a fitting tribute to Howard Wiseman as much of this success must be attributable to his coaching and enthusiasm for the game.

It was good to see that the Old Millhillians performed well having been promoted to Division 2; while the Old Aldenhamians won Division 3 in their first year back in the League. The Old Ipswichians produced an interesting result; their second team won Division 2, while their first team finished last in Division 1!

The Old Cholmeleians, the Old Citizens and the Old Reptonians have been struggling in recent years to get sides out. They have decided with support from the EFA to try out the 'Match Management' system. At the same time the Cholmeleians and Citizens plan to make more use of boys , who are still at school.

Progress on the development of the Courts at Cambridge continues to be slow. The most likely site is still that on the west side of Cambridge close to exit thirteen of the motorway. The good news is that our courts would be part of a sports centre.

In the meantime Fives at both Universities appears to be flourishing.James Toop has brought considerable enthusiasm and skill to Oxford; Cambridge have just undertaken their first visit to Zuoz.

It is encouraging to report that Fives is being now being played at Marlborough, Sevenoaks, St Edwards, Oxford and the Royal Grammar School at High Wycombe.

The trustees of the Charitable Trust arranged a day at Torry Hill to mark the 75th anniversary of the building of the court at the Patron’s home. On what turned out to be the first day of spring, we were splendidly entertained by Robin and Rose Kingsdown for lunch and tea, between which four of the fitter former players tested out the court, which played remarkably well, considering that the Patron reports it does not receive a great deal of maintenance!

We continue to keep in close touch with the RFA. I was very honoured to be asked as a guest to their Millennium dinner, which was a very hospitable evening held at the Bank of England’s sports ground, where there are Rugby Fives courts on which the RFA’s County Championship was being played that weekend. Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the Test Match special commentator and Times cricket correspondent was the guest speaker. He was at school at Marlborough and is keen supporter of Rugby Fives.

One of the interesting points, which emerged from the evening, is that the RFA are currently looking at the advisability of introducing coaching standards. This is a point, which the EFA is also going to have to pursue, particularly given our involvement at Westway.

This has been a quiet year for the Trust, but once again I would very like to stress how much we owe to the Trust and to those of you who have supported it. Without the Trust there is no way the EFA could have carried out so many initiatives during the last few years.

I am sorry to have to report Martin Shortland-Jones was rushed into hospital at the beginning of May for an operation on his back. He is now at home. I know that you would all want to join me in wishing him and Anne all our best wishes.

Once again I would like to thank the directors for their involvement and support during the year. There are few carrots offered for being a director, yet all give a considerable amount of their precious personal time. Much of the day-to-day burden falls on Mike Fenn and Martin Powell. Mike Fenn has been been tireless as Administrator and Secretary; one of his major objectives during the last year was to get the website up and working. He has certainly achieved this. Martin has guided our finances from the transition of being an association to an incorporated company.

I would also like to thank all those, who are not currently on the Board but run competitions on our behalf: particularly Martin Samuel for running the Kinnaird: Howard Wiseman for the Ladies and Mixed Championships; Peter Knowles for the Over 40's and Dan Hawkins for the Under 25's.

Ken Hughes has undertaken a major task in that he is producing a clear and concise version of our Articles of Association, which can be given as part of a welcome pack to every new EFA member. As part of this task, he is also drawing together a unified version of all the laws of the game.

Mark Williams continues to chair the Competitions sub-Committee. In conjunction with Ken Hughes he and his sub-Committee are currently looking at the laws of the game. It is possible that at the AGM, they may raise some suggestions for alterations. If this is the case, I hasten to assure you that you will be circulated, at the time you receive the Annual Report, with full details of any proposals they may have.

During the year, Jamie Fleming resigned as a director as he is taking a year off to travel; in his place the directors appointed Chris Cooley, who therefore stands for election at the AGM.

The Board have also decided to propose at the AGM, that Rodney Knight should be appointd a Vice-President. We feel this is a much deserved appointment. During his time as Secretary of the EFA, Rodney put a great deal of time and effort into the game.

Michael Constantinidi

Constructed by Mike Fenn
28th October 2000
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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