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HISTORY OF MORETON TABLE TENNIS CLUB
The club is formed
Moreton Table Tennis Club was established during the summer of 2000 under the name of North Moreton Table Tennis Club. Several factors combined to make the setting up of a club timely. The ESSO Tigers (Milton Hill) Table Tennis Club, whose players included North Moreton parishioner Roger Haycock, was looking to relocate following the closure of the ESSO Sports and Social Club at Milton Hill at the end of the 1999/2000 season. Its Table Tennis Club had funds it wished to dispose of to support good table tennis causes and a table tennis table to give away. South Moreton School had a table that it had obtained from the Didcot & District TTA for school coaching which had been carried out by another parishioner, Roger Templeman for some years. However, the school suffering from lack of storage room, brought on by its success in attracting more pupils was happy to see the table go on a loan basis. Another factor was that the North Moreton village hall had recently been refurbished after previous fire damage, and its owners, the Parochial Church Council, were promoting its use for village activities. An old table tennis table was kept at the hall.
Roger Templeman was then Vice Chairman of DDTTA and playing for Sutton Courtenay TTC in the DDTTA league. He was keen to expand table tennis in the Didcot district and to provide a sporting facility in the Moreton villages. During July 2000, the two Rogers discussed possibilities of setting up a village club. They consulted with Keith Hutchence, the Chairman of North Moreton Parish Council, to explore use of North Moreton Village Hall as a venue and the possibility of financial support from the PC. As a result of these discussions and the interest expressed by another parishioner, Bob Price, the North Moreton Table Tennis Club was formed at an inaugural meeting on 4 September 2000. Bob was appointed Chairman, Roger T Secretary and Roger H Treasurer. Club rules were written. A bank account with Barclays Bank was opened on 21 September.
The 2000-
The first session of the club was held on 18 September 2000 by which time the ex-
Although NMTTC did not enter a team in the DDTTA league for the 2000/1 season, it affiliated to DDTTA. Some friendly matches were arranged with teams of novice players from the BRSA and Abingdon clubs. On 14 December the first DDTTA match was staged in North Moreton: a Handicap Shield match between Sutton G and NPD C. During the 2000/1 DDTTA season Roger T continued to play with Sutton and was a member of the team that won the Division 1 championship. Roger H and his former ESSO team-
The 2001-
North Moreton entered a team in DDTTA Division 4 in 2001/2. The registered players were Richard Redding (the captain), Bob and James Price, and Nick Redding, all new to the league. They were joined by the experienced Bert Butterfield, formerly of the Hagbourne club. The first league match was at home to RAL E on 20 September 2001. The team of Richard Redding, and Bob and James Price achieved a 5-
The 2002-
At the 2002 AGM, the club decided to adopt the name Moreton Table Tennis Club, and to transfer to a hall being built at South Moreton School (SMS). The North Moreton Village Hall was only big enough for one league match, the floor tended to be slippery and there was the inconvenience of having to store the tables on the elevated stage between sessions. Moreton entered two teams in the DDTTA 2002/3 league: Moreton A in Division 3, and Moreton B in Division 4. The A team comprised Paul Cheong, Bob Price, Richard Redding and Roger Templeman (transferred from Sutton), and two appearances by Bob Templeman. Moreton B was the juniors Joe Cheong, James Goldsby-
As the SMS hall was not completed on schedule, games were played at North Moreton until 25 November 2002 when Moreton B lost 9-
The 2003-
At the 2003 AGM, Paul Cheong took over as Treasurer from Roger Haycock. It was decided to enter 3 teams in the DDTTA league for the 2003/4 season. These were an A team in Division 3 composed of Paul Cheong, Roger Templeman, and Ian Royle (transferred on loan from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory). The principal players for the two Division 4 teams were: B team -
The 2004-
It was decided to enter 4 teams in the DDTTA league, with the three promoted teams all going up one division, and a new Division 4 team being formed. The decision was a bit of a gamble as far as the division 3 teams was concerned: Joe Cheong was promoted into the Division 2 team joining Paul Cheong and Roger Templeman and replacing Ian Royle who was reclaimed by RAL; Mike Dawes elected to stay in Division 4 and captain Moreton D. However player shortage was relieved when Tim Raby joined the C team having previously played in the Reading league: the others in C were Richard Redding, Bob Price and Roger Haycock. The B team was Richard Smith, Nick Redding and James Goldsby-
Junior coaching continued and Paul set up an Advanced Coaching group with weekly sessions with Joe Cheong, Nick Redding, Cameron Bowen and James Goldsby-
The 2004-
Final DDTTA league positions were:
Moreton A, Division 2 (12 teams), 3 rd (Paul Cheong 82%, Joe Cheong (78%) )
Moreton B, Division 3 (11 teams) , 9 th (Richard Smith 78%, Roger Templeman 50%)
Moreton C, Division 3 (11 teams), 10 th (Tim Raby 64%, Cameron Bowen 47%)
Moreton D, Division 4 (9 teams), 5 th (Luke Sherratt 89%, Cameron Bowen 83%, Andy Cook 69%)
Joe Cheong was DDTTA Closed Cadets Champion and Juniors Champion
The 2005-
Roger Templeman was DDTTA General Secretary, Rules Secretary and Publicity Officer. A comprehensive review of the DDTTA Rules was undertaken, and regular updates provided to the Herald Newspapers. Also MTTC Secretary.
Paul Cheong was DDTTA Divisional Championships Secretary and MTTC Treasurer.
Moreton won the Bidmead Cup
Joe Cheong was DDTTA Closed Junior Champion for 3rd consecutive year.
Final DDTTA League positions were:
Moreton A: Division 1 (12 teams), 9 th (Chris Hansell 80%, Roger Abbott 71%, Joe Cheong 27%, Paul Cheong 15%, Ross Saxby 67%)
Moreton B: Division 3 (12 teams) Champions (Cameron Bowen 88%, Tim Raby 77%, Richard Smith 75%)
Moreton C: Division 3 (12 teams) 7 th (Roger Templeman 67%, Ian Royle 53%, James Goldsby-
Moreton D: Division 4 (10 teams) Champions (Tak-
Moreton E: Division 4 (10 teams) 9 th (Richard Redding 72%, Bob Price 67%, Roger Haycock 78%, Martin (Fuz) Zolkiewicz 27%, Charlie Lane `3%, aslo Peter Howe, Nathan Cheong, Oliver Slattery, Jessica Cheong and Megan Redding
Cameron Bowen was awarded the Division 3 best player trophy.
The 2006-
Roger Templeman was DDTTA General Secretary, Rules Secretary and Publicity Officer.Also MTTC Secretary.
Paul Cheong was DDTTA Divisional Championships Secretary and County (OTTA) Representative, and MTTC Treasurer
Moreton D won the Handicap Shield and Moreton the Bidmead Cup.
In the DDTTA Closed Championships Joe Cheong was Juniors Champion for 4 th consecutive year, and won the Men's Doubles partnered by Nick Pattman (of the Abingdon Club)
MTTC expanded its DDTTA League participation to 9 teams with final positions:
The teams finished with the following positions:
Moreton A: Division 1 (10 teams) 8th (Joe Cheong 35%, Roger Abbott 48%, Paul Cheong 24%, Vittorio Ferrari 75%, Ross Saxby 67%)
Moreton B: Division 2 (11 teams) 8th (Mark Jones 86%, Tim Raby 41%, Richard Smith 31%, Derek Wavell 29%, Cameron Bowen 50%)
Moreton C: Division 3 (12 teams) 8th (James Goldsby-
Moreton D: Division 3 (12 teams) 11th (Roger Templeman 80%, Nick Redding 45%, Andy Cook 28%, Tak-
Moreton E: Division 4 (12 teams) 6th (Bob Price 71%, Martin Zolkiewicz 56%, Mike Dawes 31%, Peter Howe 87%, Roger Templeman 100%)
Moreton F: Division 4 (12 teams) 12th (Charlie Lane 54%, Nathan Cheong 17%, Jessica Cheong 16%, Dave Lane 7%)
Moreton G: Division 5 (8 teams) 6th (John Evans 100%, Sam Evans 28%, Roger Haycock 100%, Richard Redding 100%, Megan Redding 22%, Josh Neal 13%)
Moreton H: Division 5 (8 teams) Champions (Tom Gray 78%, Sam Crowther 56%, Andy Boyd 100%, James McCrea 11%)
Moreton I: Division 5 (8 teams) 7th (Anthony Stiff 54%, Bob Howarth 73%, Heather Saysell 30%, Sam Templeman 56%, Tom Wigg 42%, Jamie Flynn 33%)
John Evans was awarded best player in Division 5 trophy.
The 2007-