The Old Olavians won the Douglas Keeble Cup convincingly, and proved that they are the strongest club in depth. The only blemish to their season came when they lost 3-0 to their second team with a necessarily weakened team (it’s worth bearing in mind that they split the club in two to form a squad for each team). One or two clubs raised eyebrows, lest this result should affect relegation, but it didn’t affect the outcome. It is now an additional league rule that if a club has two teams in the same division, then they must play both fixtures by the end of January, or forfeit all points.
The Old Edwardians are to be congratulated on finishing second; a triumph for their organiser Courtney Friend. The Old Salopians sadly finished last and have reluctantly taken the decision to withdraw from the League for next season, hopefully as a temporary measure. This will leave just five teams in division one (reducing the total number of matches from 30 to 20), which should allow many of the leading players the space to play in the new Ladder Competition.
The top four teams finished within five points of one another in a splendid tussle at the top of division two, with the Old Ipswichians eventually triumphing by 2.5 points over Old Olavians 3. St Olave’s finished last, and are relegated to division three.
Reptonians/Stoics won division three by a considerable margin, and the Stoics have elected to be promoted to division two, whilst retaining the original side in division three. Windsor and Eton have decided to retire from the league for the time being, but we are pleased to welcome back the Abbey Club for next season. The Old Carthusian 2 team had to withdraw soon after the start of the season, and two clubs have been warned that the number of matches played last season was unacceptable.
It is pleasing to report that, after the initiatives at the end of last season, many more matches were played, and fewer pairs were conceded, as well as results being forwarded much more frequently. At the Secretaries meeting, it was decided to keep the penalty points and named player regulations unchanged for the coming season, although Clubs will need to provide full details of players in divisions two and three when sending in results, to enable more effective monitoring of the named player rule. The make up of the league for 2005-6 is therefore:
Division One
Old Olavians 1, Old Olavians 2, Old Edwardians, Old Harrovians, Old Etonians.
Division Two
Old Ipswichians, Old Olavians 2, Old Millhillians, Old Westminsters 1, Old Carthusians, EFA Club, Old Stoics.
Division Three
St Olave’s, Reptonians/Stoics, Goddington Club, Emanuels, Old Westminsters 2, Lancing Old Boys, Abbey Club.
C.M.B.W.
Report by Mark Williams
Constructed 11th January 2006 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk