As most of you who read my blog know I play competitive Table Tennis have done for a lot of years and do ok. A lot of stuff I play nowadays is in the Veterans (over 40's) but I do play local league in York and its a decent little league which has 4 divisions of nine teams.
Over the last 30 years I've always played in the top division and for most of these for a team competing for the title. I've actually played for the winning team 11 or 12 times and the runners up on countless occasions also seeing many good players come and go.
The last four seasons however my team has struggled to stay up but instead of signing decent established players we decided to move young players up from the lower divisions and give them experience of playing at the higher level. Our team has now come of age and its time to have a crack at the title once again. My team mates are Richard who at 21 years old is just back from University and is one of the best players in the area & Nathan who is 19 and has come through the ranks and is improving all the time and coming to terms with the top league.
Neither of my team mates have played in a team competing for the title so maybe my experience in the pressure games will be a plus. They are both so fired up, wanting to win and want to train all the time which is a great attitude to have and what is needed.
My problem is at 50 years old keeping up with them, they have me training with them all the time its getting tough. Both are fit 6 foot plenty strapping lads but to be honest its great pushing myself to try keep up with them, hope I can last the season.
Our big rivals are Bootham who have won the title the last four years and have three players ranked in the top ten so it wont be easy. Another Club who will challenge are Coneysthorpe who have the leagues top player in their ranks.
Sure they'll be ups & down with all playing all 3 times in the season but we have started well. We won our opening two matches 9-1 & 8-2 when we had targeted 9-1 & 7-3 so we are one point ahead of schedule. I only know Boothams first result but they dropped a point more than we thought winning 7-3 when we had it down for 8-2. No much in it but its gonna be interesting when the main three play each other but points against others can just provide the buffer we need, I love big matches though really tests your charactor & determination, its what keeps me going.
On another point I had to laugh at the disgraceful behaviour of some of the Football supporters in recent weeks. Tottenham are a prime example when they abused Portsmouths Sol Cambell with racist chanting, they were compared to Nazi's. This is quite funny when you consider they get their support from the North London Jewish communities, half their own team is Black, what a bunch of numptys.
Had to also laugh at the Sheffield Wednesday supporters who have been coming on my team (Leeds) forums telling everyone they are coming to our Johnstone Paints cup match with Rotherham to confront our fans with violence. Now our fans are no angels but I just can't see a few hundred Wendies supporters confronting a few thousand Leeds fans, me thinks these are keyboard warriors doing the talking.
And yes I've also got to laugh at the self proclaimed best supporters in the land Newcastle (a massive 900 you're taking to Everton today isnt it) who hve chased Chairman Mike Ashley out of town. He is now trying to sell the Club, yes the bloke who as put millions of his own money is getting out as you wish. Sure some Nigerian consortium will probably buy you, I'm sure they'll do more for your club (laugh loudly), talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
But prize billing as got to go to the Portsmouth supporter who after 30 years of following his team eventually got his chance to see them in europe cos the qualified for the first time. The bloke spent a fortune for flights & hotel to see his team in Portugal only to find he had left his match ticket at home and didn't get in to see the game. Never mind you'll probably qualify again in another 30 years.
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