Match Reports
UPHILL REUNIONS
Date: 17th March 2008Badminton Report for Reunion
UPHILL BADMINTON CLUBS
20-YEAR REUNION FOR JUNIORS
AND 30 YEARS FOR SENIORS
Uphill Badminton Club celebrated with a 20 year Junior reunion and 30 year Club Anniversary at the Winter Gardens Ballroom on Saturday evening, together with junior and senior trophy presentations and a disco. The members decorated the Ballroom in Clubs colours and all the tables had a leaflet on the junior and senior history and highlights, together with a folder of photographs and cuttings collected over the 30 years.
The proceedings started with Ken Stott the Avon Badminton Association Chairman congratulating the Club on its development over the years and the strength of its junior badminton and the number of juniors who have played for the Club and Avon County.
John Poole then welcomed some three hundred and fifty guests present and informed them that the event had come about thanks to the initiative, and fifteen months hard work, of Mark Edwards (Club Captain) and his team of Ellie Jewell, Paul Edwards and Caroline Poole. It was a wonderful celebration of the Uphill Club family and friends. He said it was satisfying to see the junior section of the Club grow from five players 20 years ago, to one hundred players today, making it one of the largest in the South West. Forty-eight juniors have played for Avon County and sixty-seven have played in the Clubs senior league teams. The voluntary unpaid time, help and dedication of the committee members, coaches, leaders, helpers and older juniors have made all of this possible.
There were votes of thanks to: - Peter Coleman and the Howards Motor Group for the generous financial support given for the junior end of season trophies for the last eight years and further support for the reunion.
Dave Heal for his generous donation for junior Club shirts.
Roy Burrows of Printing.com for providing all the printing for the reunion and anniversary.
Mention of the two Senior Club Captains who have come through the Junior Section was made next. Tim Andow from 1995 to 2000 and Mark Edwards our current Captain from 2002, both excellent Captains and ambassadors for the Club. Under Tims Captaincy the 1st team went from Division 3 to Division 1 in 1998. Since then the 1st team has remained in Division 1 and been League champions for the last 3 seasons and look like retaining it this season.
Both Tim and Mark are qualified Badminton England Coaches who have worked tirelessly on the Clubs committee and have taken a major part in the junior coaching and often taken a leading role.
Mark has always been totally dedicated to the Club since a young lad and since he started playing for the 1st team in 1996 has never missed a match, even during his years at Cardiff University, and has an unbroken run of 128 matches.
The junior presentations for the end of season tournament was then conducted by Badminton England coach Caroline, with help from Paul Edwards, junior representative on the senior committee, and kindly presented by John Edwards the South West Development Officer for Badminton England.
The following presentations to the juniors were made:
Group Winners and Runners-up Trophies for Singles were presented to:
Winners:Hannah Milnes, Bethan Dunning, Lelia Harrison, Jack Rickwood, James Gilmore,
Adam Caulfield, Daniel Brearley, Chloe Palmer, Laura Horseman, Lauren Rickwood,
Hannah Drake, Abbi Rickwood, Maceij Swierczy, Oliver Loud, Harry Grace, Scott Booth,
Megan Palmer, Emily Look, Taylor Topham, Sean Booth, Billy Fear, Tom Higgins,
Matthew Potts.
Runners-up:Josh Mills, Courtney Edwards, Oliver Mathew, Lucy Robinson, Megan Quantick, Emily Eades, Daniel Caulfield, Matthew Gilmore, Joseph Murphy, Daniel Murphy, Anna Bickell,
Maya Willis-Fry, Beth Morgan, Summer Devereux, Tarrant Shepherd, Hallam Bickell,
Stuart Harper, Jack Bowerman, Abbi Drake, Kate Robinson, Martin Brearley, Rachel Harding, Andrew Potts, Lewis Coles, Matthew Heal.
Group Winners and Runners-up Trophies for Doubles were presented to:
Winners:Bethan Dunning & Lily Spurling, Max Bretherton & Alistair Robinson,
Daniel Murphy & Ben Eades, Hannah Quantick & Maya Willis-Fry,
Rebecca Aldford & Helen Pound, Oliver Loud & Harry Grace,
Rachel Harding & Felicity Pritchard, Peter Ratcliffe & Andrew Potts,
Grant Kelly and Tom Higgins.
Runners-up:Lelia Harrison & Sophie Tolley, Jack Rickwood & Owen Miles,
Daniel Brearley & Matthew Gilmore, Hannah D & Anna Bickell,
Kaylee Davey & Victoria Look, Jack Bowerman & Hallam Bickell,
Emily Look & Emily Walker, Martin Brearley & Sean Booth,
Robin Curry & Adam Dainty.
Certificates for 100% attendance: - Robin Curry, Kaylee Davey, Caroline Higgins, Tom Higgins, Grant Kelly.
Photo of major Trophy winners :- L to R back: - Luke Morgan, Anna Bickell, Grant Kelly and Matthew Gilmore.
Front: - Rachel Harding, Tom Higgins and Emily Walker.
Trophy for the most improved girl player under 10yrs: - Anna Bickell
Trophy for the most improved boy player under 10yrs: - Matthew Gilmore
The Roy Curry Cup for the most improved boy player under 13yrs: - Emily Walker
The Roy Curry Cup for the most improved girl player under 13yrs: -Luke Morgan
The Caroline Shield for the most improved girl player in the Club: -Rachel Harding
The Brown Shield for the most improved boy player in the Club: - Tom Higgins
The Poole Cup for the Sports Person of the Year: -Grant Kelly
Photo of all the tournament winners and Runners up.
Five senior juniors, Grant Kelly, Robin Curry, Lewis Coles, Tom Higgins and Adam Dainty were given awards for their help every Saturday. Gifts were given to leaders Mary Palmer, Lynn Pope, Paul Edwards and coach Mark Edwards, in recognition of all their coaching throughout the season. Junior members of the Club also presented flowers to the sponsor's wives.
Eddie Prest the Club Chairman then introduced special guests, June & Geoff Malborn, Secretary and Chairman of the North Somerset Badminton League and Jack Lanning who has always supported the Club. He then introduced six of the past Chairmen, some of the past Club Captains and several of the original group that started the Club in 1978.
Eddie then announced the winners of the Senior Club trophies which were presented by John Poole with assistance from Ellie Jewell as follows: -
Ladies Doubles: - Winners- Nicole Blunden & Ruth Harding
Runners Up- Caroline Poole & Denise Burton
Mens Doubles: -Winners- Nigel Judge & Matt Cole
Runners Up- Scott Horsnell & Grant Kelly
Mixed Doubles: -Winners- Fiona Singleton & Paul Edwards
Runners Up- Ruth Harding & Matt Cole
Junior 'Hot Shot' Shield- Scott Horsnell
Slimeridge ShieldWinner- Matt Cole
Runner Up - Paul Edwards
Rex Minchington presented the 'Chris Minchington Trophy' to the winner Ruth Harding andthe runners up plate to Caroline Poole.
Debby Curry presented the 'Roy Curry Trophy' to: - joint winners Ruth Harding and Mark Edwards.
The final presentation was by Club Captain Mark Edwards who called up Ellie Hart and Paul Edwards to receive a small gift in recognition of all they did to make this event such a success.
He commented on the strength of the Club resulting from the players who have come through the junior section and played in the league teams, and that six of them have played in the first team and won the North Somerset League title for the last three years, and that five of the present club committee have come through the junior section and the Club Captains for the last twelve years.
He then said 'this success is down to Caroline and John Poole putting in thousands of hours of voluntary unpaid time. Not just the three hours every Saturday throughout the season, but the Sunday family nights at the cricket club, the running of U'15's and U'18's league teams on a Sunday morning, until most of the other junior teams folded, the transporting of the juniors to county tournaments and the running of our junior league team in the senior club. In addition to this they also ran after school sessions at Wyvern and Broadoak schools for several years and many of those students are now playing at Uphill. Both have served for many years on the Club committee and been loyal members for over 54 years in total and were awarded honorary life membership in 2001. The passion and devotion they have given to the Club is greatly appreciated by all Club members both young and old'.
Finally Catherine Look and her team conducted a very efficient raffle, with many lovely prizes from a host of individuals and local businesses, to bring the formalities of the evening to a close.