Club Archives

(Articles reproduced from the RFA Handbook)

2007-2008

The Executioners can look back on 2007/008 as the year success and silverware started really coming back to the club. We had our best performance in the Club Championship for several years and plenty of players returned from tournaments with trophies.  
 
Again, our star player was Will Ellison. Beginning with a strong performance at the London Open, he then went on to claim the notable scalp of former national champion Phil Bishop at the West of England Open. He also reached the semi-finals of the BUSA championships and (with fellow Executioner Marcus Bate) the semi-finals of the National Doubles championship. However, perhaps his best performance was at the Under 25 Championships, where he reached the semi-final of the singles, before teaming up with Steve Korris to take the doubles title.
 
However, Will wasn’t the only Executioner to write his name in the record books this season: we’re also proud to have the winner of the President’s Cup within our ranks. Indeed, this was a very successful tournament for the club, with three of the four semi-final pairs containing an Executioner. On one court, Alex Smith (with partner Bruce Hanton) lost by the narrowest of margins, while on the other, Andy Pringle (with Matt Hanney) lost out to Jon Abecassis (partnered by Phil Atkinson). Alex went to on to claim the Mate’s Plate in a three-game final, while Jon won the President’s Cup itself. 
 
On top of these successes, we’ve also seen Charles Lamb (partnered by Dave Hebden) finish as runner-up in the Doubles and Andy Pringle win the singles Plate at the Scottish Open, while club stalwart Dick Warner claimed a double at the National Vintage championships, winning both the singles and doubles plates. We also had three players – Tom Maconie, Will Ellison and Marcus Bate – qualify for the last 16 of the National Singles.
 
Little wonder, then, that with these three joined by Andy Pringle, the club had its best run in the Club Championship for some time. We scored a good win in our local derby against the Bank of England to reach the quarter-final, where another good showing took us past the White Rose Club and into the semi-finals. It was here our run came to an end, but we only lost to the eventual champions – Manchester’s Y Club – by a little over a dozen points.
 
Overall, though, what we can perhaps be most happy about is that we’re still seeing strong turnouts every Wednesday evening on club nights. We had the best part of 20 players enter the club’s singles ladder, and expected 14 to take part in the now-traditional end-of-season doubles tournament. A few more friendly matches might have been nice, but you can’t have everything.
 
Well, maybe next year…

2006-2007

As the Executioners close in on their 20th anniversary in 2008 (we think!), we can look back on 2006/7 as one of the most successful years in our recent history.

For a start, we had loads of people playing. Even with six courts at St Paul’s, it wasn’t unknown for people to have to wait for their turn on court. The reason was simply that a good crop of keen new players joined the club’s regulars.

Richard Mitchell and Riaz Dharamshi pulled on their gloves again after a few years away, and we must thank Guy Matthews for bringing along so many new faces. Indeed, thanks to him, we again have some former Exeter University players in the club – and an occasionally high level of political debate. Well, high in terms of volume, anyway…

It was particularly heart-warming to see two of these rookies reach the final of the club’s end of season doubles tournament (in which no less than seven pairs took part). Paul A’Hern carried his ageing and ailing partner, Andy Pringle, to the coveted title, while runner-up Paul Gregory (partnered by Marcus Bate) also picked up some silverware – for the club’s most improved player.

Also receiving trophies this year were the top two players in the club’s singles ladder. Tom Maconie deservedly finished in top spot after being cruelly denied it last year, while second-placed Will Ellison (who seems to be fitting his degree around fives matches) won the club’s Player of the Season trophy.
Mind you, that was no more than he deserved after a year in which his game has gone from strength. He has been a regular on the tournament circuit and capped a fine season by reaching the semi-finals of the National Doubles with Marcus Bate.

We’re also delighted that many Executioners have been strutting their stuff up and down the country in the name of fives – and, sometimes, on court. Seven of us joined the Jesters tour to Edinburgh, Alex Smith and Jez Sinton won the doubles Plate at the London Open, and Alex also picked up the Mate’s Plate at the President’s Cup. Andy Pringle reached a couple of doubles semi-finals, while UCL’s Dan Grant was runner-up in both the BUSA and the Under 25 tournaments.

Quite how we’ll celebrate our 20th anniversary next year we don’t know – come to think of it, we’re not entirely sure it is our 20th anniversary next year – but one of the suggestions is a Past versus Present match. So, if there any ex-Executioners out there who want to remind themselves of just how hot the courts are at St Paul’s, and how good the beer tastes at The Sun afterwards, please get in touch with me.

Lord knows how we’ll celebrate our 21st the year afterwards, though…

2005-2006

Last year, Saddam Hussein disrupted our season; this year, it was bicycles. And, at the risk of encouraging Dubya to launch a strike against Raleigh, we have to say the bikes caused more damage.

First, Alex Smith broke a scaphoid (the fives player’s equivalent of a footballer's metatarsal), and ended up with his right hand in plaster for almost six months.

Alex being Alex, though, this didn’t actually stop him playing, and despite his apparently crucial handicap, he still won a singles match on the Jesters’ tour to Scotland. Little wonder he also won the Executioners’ Most Competitve Player award.

The second bike accident, however, effectively cost Tom Maconie a trophy. After sitting in top spot on the club’s singles ladder for several months, a sudden puncture sent him crashing to the ground and into Casualty (the place, not the TV show!) in the last week of the season. As a result, he was unable to defend his position, and Andy Pringle finished in first place by default.

Tom’s injury also excluded him from the traditional season-ending doubles tournament, with the unusual result that one “pairing” included three players. Even more unusually, Chris Saltmarsh didn’t win. Instead, after three and a half hours’ fierce competition, the trophies deservedly went to Angus Boyd and Will Pleming.

Will is one of several students to have joined the club’s regular Wednesday night sessions at St Paul’s, raising the numbers, and the quality of play, on court. Fellow student Dan Grant has had a particularly fine season, performing well in the Under 25s tournament and being selected for the BUSA representative team. Elsewhere, there have been Plate trophies for Chris Thomas, Jez Sinton and Richard Kemp, while Andy Pringle was runner-up in both the Owers Trophy and West of England doubles tournament.

We look forward to more of the same next season. Hopefully without the bike accidents, though…

2004-2005

The Executioners 2005 report should perhaps be subtitled, “Saddam - our part in his downfall.”

Never mind the fives, this year has seen the club play its part in world events, when the committee kindly allowed Paddy Lord to forego his duties as fixtures secretary to serve with the TA in Iraq.

However, Paddy’s a man dedicated to the cause and he returned safe and sound from Basra, just in time to enter the club’s now traditional end-of-season doubles tournament which, as is now also traditional, was won by Chris Saltmarsh – this time partnered by Richard Baty.

The five pairs who played in that competition provided a fittingly competitive  end to a season that has seen the club go from strength to strength. On more than one occasion, we have had all six of St Pauls’ courts in use at once on our Wednesday evening sessions, and more than 20 players signed up for the singles ladder.

We welcomed several new members, and it was one of them – Gareth Rees – who deservedly finished in first position. Indeed, he has had a very successful year on his return to fives, qualifying for the last 16 in the National Singles and reaching the semi-finals of the National Doubles.

He was one of eight Executioners in that competition, and just one of the growing number of club members making their mark in tournaments around the country. In Alex Smith and Andy Pringle, for example, we had two of the quarter finalists in the Scottish Open singles, while Ben Brookes was a beaten finalist in the President’s Cup.

We’re fast becoming plate specialists, too, with Richard Baty, Richard Kemp and new boy George McGairl all picking up silverware this year.

We’ll be looking for continued success next season. And, of course, if you know of any oil-rich despots in the Middle East who need, err, “taking care of”, you know there’s only one fives club to call.

2003-2004

Sometimes, dear reader, your wishes do come true…

Last year’s report said that, after a successful 2002-3, all the Executioners wanted in 2003-4 was more of the same. And, that’s exactly what happened!

We welcomed a few new members, regularly had at least a dozen players on court at our Wednesday sessions and expanded our fixture list. Our website, www.executioners.org.uk, went from strength to strength and we even had our own club T-shirts made up.

The second season of our singles ladder was every bit as keenly contested as the first. Some 20 players took part, and no less than half a dozen different players held the top spot at one stage or another.

Sadly, injury prevented Jez Fabes from defending his title, but it was only fitting that last year’s runner up, Tom Maconie, went one better this year, deservedly ending the season at number one.

As is now traditional, the end of the season was celebrated with a round-robin doubles tournament. And, as is now also traditional, Paddy Lord and Chris Saltmarsh won!

However, it’s testament to the organisational skills of Alex Smith and the depth of ability within the club that after six hours’ play, just 20 or so points separated all five pairs. And, it took an 11-5 win over Ben Brookes and Andy Pringle by Paddy and Chris in the last game of the day to secure them overall victory - by just two points.

Best of all, various Executioners used the skills perfected in the heat of St Paul’s to great effect in tournaments around the country.

Again, Jez Fabes deserves special mention, winning the under 25s doubles and finishing runner up in the singles. But, Tom Maconie, Chris Saltmarsh, Andy Pringle, Alex Smith, Nick Geere and Paddy and Simon Lord all picked up some silverware.

At the risk of repeating myself, all we want from next season is even more of the same. We always welcome new players and new fixtures. So, if you’re in or around London and fancy a game, do get in touch.

2002-2003

It’s been a year of firsts for the Executioners: our first singles ladder, our first club doubles tournament and the launch of our own website.

Scan the record books and they’ll show that, after some titanic battles with Tom Maconie, Jez Fabes emerged as our first ever Singles Ladder Champion. However, in true Executioners fashion, the season-closing doubles tournament was won by not two, but three players!

After Paddy Lord had to leave before the end of play to pack for his holiday (or something!), an injured Richard Baty gallantly stepped in to partner Chris Saltmarsh to victory. Congratulations to them and thanks to Alex Smith for his sterling work in organising both the tournament and, equally importantly, the dinner that followed.

Such strong competition and the club’s friendly welcome have seen regular high attendances St Pauls every Wednesday, and no less than 22 players signed up for the ladder. To make matters easier, the ladder has been held “virtually” on the 'net and, thanks to webmaster Martin Gee, players can even issue challenges via email from the website.

Executioners have also been every bit as competitive away from St Pauls. Special mention goes to Jez Fabes, winner of the plate in the National Singles and runner up in both the singles and doubles at the Under 25 championships. But, Alex Smith, Nick Geere and Andy Pringle have also picked up some trophies during the season.

Next year, our simple hope is for more of the same – of everything! We’re always keen for more players and, above all, we’d like to expand our fixture list.

Plenty of club members regularly turn out for the likes of the RFA and Jesters, but we’d like a lot more genuine Executioners matches. So, if anyone is interested in organising a fixture, please get in touch with us through the website, or call club President Andy Pringle.

The idea of a South West tour has even been mooted. So, pubs of Bristol and Exeter, you have been warned!