Table Tennis Club Perth

There are three strands to St Andrews Table Tennis Club – the Junior coaching group, the teams competing in the Dundee League and the Adult beginners/returners group. It would be difficult to know which group has most fun, but it would be hard to bet against this accolade going to the last named. In only its second season, the Adult group which meets at Kilrymont Community Use (Madras College Gym) has attracted players of a wide range of standards for a variety of reasons but there is no doubting the enjoyment factor as everyone has a go at mastering the mystery of the spins and the speed of the sport – so much so that it has been decided to continue the group into the summer term and so, when Kilrymont re-opens after the Easter break, the group will reconvene on Thursday 14th April from 6.00pm. New members are always welcome.

The junior group also had a fun session this week, inviting parents to stay and play rather than merely dropping off and disappearing. With family bragging rights at stake, hopefully none of the youngsters were docked their weekly pocket money for victories scored against pride-pricked parents. More serious business is scheduled for next week when the group members will compete to become the club junior champion and the holder of the Grove Trophy.

Now to the life and death exploits of New Kids in their fight to avoid relegation from Division Two. With nearest rivals Comets only picking up a single point in two matches, New Kids took the chance to draw level despite going down 4-6 away to Thumpers. Clyde Johnson was again the hero with three singles wins and victory in the doubles with Ian Smith. Don’t mention five setters to Ian though – fighting back from a two game deficit to 77 year old Jim Fleming, Ian won the third 17-15 and the fourth 11-9 only for his recovery to go unrewarded when he lost the decider 11-13 after having two match points. To rub salt in the wound, he later lost another 2-3 to Ian McLagan.