Foreword

As Administrator the main part of my time is spent each year in collating and preparing information in the production of this annual report, maintaining and enlarging the EFA website and in the recruitment of new members. In addition regular contact is maintained with schools, club secretaries and others on a hundred and one different issues in oiling the machinery of the Association. In this task the position of EFA Secretary, member of the Charitable Trust Committee and the recently created Eton and Rugby Fives Forum has been most beneficial as I seek to provide a professional contribution to the Association and the membership.

Overall membership of the EFA continues to increase despite the larger deletion than usual this year of several members who have not paid a subscription for the past two years. In the last three years recruitment has been thirty-nine, forty-seven and thirty-four respectively, with losses through resignation, non-renewal and death averaging 14 per annum.

School Fives

Eton Fives continues to flourish at school level. Howard Wiseman's Coaching Agency continues to provide coaching, mainly by gap year students, at some dozen schools. Ian Hutchinson also undertakes coaching in the London area. Much of their work is supported financially from EFA membership subscriptions and donations received from the Eton Fives Charitable Trust.

During the past twelve months I have endeavoured to resurrect the game at St. Bartholomews School Newbury and at Hymers College Hull but sadly to date have received no response from either to my two letters. At Wrekin College Fives is being played occasionally by staff members but there appears to be a lack of revival at student level. On a more positive note Fives at Oakham has been given a kick start by the School investing £10,000 towards a court refurbishment programme, £1,000 having been donated by the Eton Fives Charitable Trust, and the appointment of Alex Aldous an enthusiastic 'converted' Rugby Fives player. Matches are planned with Uppingham, subject to the re-opening of their courts, and other midland and northern schools. Further good news is the completion during the summer of the sixteenth court at Eton, promised in 1978 at the time of demolition of the eighteen courts to provide a site for the indoor swimming pool.

Club and University Fives

Spurred on by the planned rebuilding programme at Stowe the Old Stoics have 're-formed' their club under the leadership of Jurgen Hutter, an enthusiastic young Stoic. The Stoics have joined forces with the Reptonians (new Secretary Sam Basu) in the third division of the league to provide support to each other in a programme of club revitalisation. Richard Black has once again taken on the mantle of Secretary of Lancing Old Boys as they endeavour to rebuild. Mark Herring, Old Berkhamstedian and the new coach at Westway, is to take on the responsibility for the EFA Club league side, otherwise there is no change at club secretary level.

It is noticeable, in this busy world, that the number of annual club fixtures has declined from six hundred some ten years ago to four hundred last season, a decrease in eighty-four league matches (there were four leagues in 1992) and one hundred and sixteen 'friendlies'. Hopefully the ship has now steadied as we witness a regrouping by several clubs and greater use made of the match management system, a great saving in club organisational time, so ably run by Anne Wiseman. Perhaps a more pro-active stance is required by our Club Secretaries in order to ensure a safe future for the game we all hold so dear and to build upon the encouraging signs at school and university levels?

On the University front Seb Cooley ran a successful Universities Championship at Edgbaston; an excellent six pair Varsity match had the fifty or so spectators enthralled with the close competitive matches; Chris Cooley supervised a successful Under 25s; and all tournaments and competitions included large numbers of University players. Students secured some nineteen places in individual and club finals and featured on the winning side twelve times with Seb Cooley winning four, Tom Dunbar, Chris Cooley and James Toop two each. Sanjaya Ranasinghe is the new Oxford Secretary with Tom Dunbar as Captain, and Tom Fletcher at Cambridge with Reuben Arasaratnam as Captain.

Advertising and support

The generosity of those members and friends who agreed to take advertising space in this report has helped to mitigate the production costs. Their contribution is much appreciated as is the valuable support I have received from Club Secretaries, Masters-in-Charge, members of the EFA Board, the Eton Fives Charitable Trust, Howard Wiseman and many others during the past twelve months.

M.R.F.



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Administrator's Report 2001-2002 by Mike Fenn
Finalised 12th September 2002
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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