60 years of system that made the grade

BACK in 1960, when the Leicester and District League began to grow and grow, it became obvious that an accurate method of handicapping was required. I started working on a system which replicated the then chess system, where the level of opposition was the main factor – quality not quantity, writes John

Bowness.

This coming season is the 60th anniversary of local table tennis adopting the system after three years of in-depth trials and testing. At the same time the English Table Tennis Association had to agree to take it on board nationally, to have all leagues using the same system, extending this to national competitions and leagues.

Alas, along came the bane of the national scene over many years, a takeover by a group who felt they could run things better, so that the expanding grading idea was shelved, although quite a number of leagues did adopt it at the time.

In Leicester it has thrived, with all handicap competitions using the gradings as their base, with the idea that the human element, involving as it can do, a certain bias, is completely eliminated.

The past four years have been a very difficult period to keep track of, but the gradings survive. This season’s makes interesting reading, with an unbeaten player in division one at the top.

My initial system had a failsafe adjustment which ensures that a core average is maintained. I have applied this so that these numbers are 21 more than they would be if released officially.

The idea behind this was multipurposed but did involve two major landmark levels – one being a 300 barrier at the top and the other to ensure that no-one falls below 50.

Leicester Top Ten: 351 Abhishek Sudhakar (Lough Unicorn); 343 Chris Rogers (Knighton Park); 331 David Arrowsmith (Unicorn); 327 Luke Greenfield (Uni); 301 Adam Pettitt (Uni); 296 Mat Hobday (Electricity); 289 Karen Smith (KP, top woman); 288 Reza Kiani (KP); 287 Sandor Koch (Uni); 287 James Berry (KP).

Daniel Broner (Unicorn) is 11th on 286, registered in division two, but with his figure boosted by a few excellent results in the top division.

Other divisional leaders: Div 2: 273 Vishal Parmar (Abbots Road); Div 3: 207 Mike James (Holwell); Div 4: 208 Dave Seeds (Winstanley); Div 5: 181 Tim Smith (Holwell).