Mixed season for table tennis squad
Holly scoops the league’s Junior Player award
West Lothian Table Tennis Club had mixed results in their 15th season in the Edinburgh and Lothians League.
That was to be expected given they fielded nine teams across the five divisions, but that in itself is a fine achievement and certainly goes to show how far the club has come since entering just a single team in the bottom division in 2002.
But while there was a full range of emotions throughout the club during the course of the campaign, the good news certainly outweighed the bad.
Team C were crowned Division One champions and will be promoted to the top flight, while Stan Stoodley was Division One’s Player of the Year.
Stuart Gibson won the Division Four Player of the Year trophy as well as the Players’ Player of the Year.
Holly Stephen showed why she’s a terrific prospect as she picked up the Junior Player Shield, while Team H reached the Handicap Cup final.
Team A were the club’s only Premier Division representatives and they impressed by finishing fourth.
Club champion Dariusz Szymczak also finished fourth the player rankings, winning 83 per cent of his games. Teammates Brian Hunter ( seventh) and Lukasz Kaska (12th) were also among the top dozen players in the league.
The club had three teams in Division One with the strength in depth making player selection difficult.
The B Team’s regular trio were made up of Stan Stoodley, Amjad Mohammed, and Dave Fletcher. They were considered favourites for promotion but faded after a great start and had to settle for third spot, surprisingly two places behind West Lothian C.
Lewis Hills led by example as his 86 per cent win rate was second in the division, behind Stoodley.
And Hills was ably assisted by junior champion Jamie Arnott, Andy Wyles and Barrie Hills.
Team D finished in the bottom half. Keith Mackay, Ian Wodecki, and Calum Stephen, competing at that level for the first time, were the main players.
There were also three West Lothian teams in Division Two, with results being slightly disappointing across the board.
Team E, as expected, finished above the other two teams but with only two regulars in Szymon Pawlik (56 per cent) and Mariusz Wilk (35 per cent). Both can be pleased with their first season at that level. Having lost their third player very early in the season, they were on the look out for reserves almost every week.
Team F’s season was somewhat baffling as a team featuring talented players in Sam Stanton, Steven Gray and Drew McLaren finished with surprisingly just five wins from their 22 league fixtures.
Finishing just above the relegation play- off spot was Team G, where veteran John McCulloch coached young Holly Stephen through her first season in Division Two.
The relegation of the club’s H Team in Division Three was the main disappointment of the season, for whom only Tommy Hammill (38 per cent) exceeded expectations.
Having been promoted last season, they do at least know all about Division Four and must be hopeful of a return at the first time of asking.
And Team I competed in Division Four in their maiden season and the pool of players, all new to competitive table tennis, did themselves proud.
The youngest of those players, Stuart Gibson, assumed the captaincy and led from the front, winning 88 per cent of his games. He was supported by fellow rookies Kenny Lambie and Neil Webb and they are a team who should be looking to take strides forward next year.