15th September-07
Start of British League Premier Action

British League Premier Division action kicks off next weekend (Saturday/Sunday 22/23 September 2007) at the DHS London Progress Tournament Centre, Southall College, Beaconsfield Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB1 IDP at 11.00 o'clock on the Saturday and at 10.00 o'clock on the Sunday.

With nine teams taking part there will be four full weekends of play this Season with the other weekends scheduled as follows -

24/25 November 2007 at Halton Regional Table Tennis Centre, Widnes, Cheshire.

19/20 January 2008 at BATTS Team Peniel Table Tennis Club, Harlow, Essex.

12/13 April 2008 at Ormesby Table Tennis Club, Middlesbrough.

With three sides to be relegated the battle for survival will be every bit as intense as the battle for top honours.

DHS London Progress I will be bidding to win the title again for a historic tenth time on the trot, what would surely be a unique achievement anywhere in top class Sport. It is not 100 % certain whether their new number one player Chang Hong Jiang (Taiwan) will be available for the first weekend but even without his services a side comprising of 2007 European Veterans Mens Over 40 Champion Colum Slevin, Terry Young, Jason Sugrue, Marco Essomba and Darren Blake will still be very difficult to beat.

On paper Urban Progress I look capable of springing a few surprises, and if they can field their Hungarian triumvirate - David Csuti, Gergely Urban and Szabolcs Szentkiralyvolgyi (Szabolcs will do !.) they will certainly be in the mix. With support from Niall Cameron, Chris Lewis, Costas Papantoniou and Ashley Stokes they have a lot of depth as well.

Ormesby I, last year's third placers will be hoping to go one better although they begin their campaign disappointed that they have lost the services of England no. six Danny Reed who will be playing in the Danish National League. Even without the services of the country's most improved player an Ormesby squad comprising of David Meads, Michael Marsden, Nigel Eckersley , Damien Nicholls and Andy Wilson should still give a very good account of themselves. In David Meads, a magnificent Winner of the Boys Singles at the recent UK Schools Games they have an improving no. one and in Michael Marsden, the only player to beat Oxford Fire Place's Sun Jin last season they have another player who can really hit the heights.

BATTS Team Peniel I welcome Craig Bryant back to their team and their experienced first weekend squad will comprise of Bryant, John Holland, Ritchie Venner, Neil Charles and Clive Carthy. They will be looking to improve upon last year's fifth place.

Sycamore who finished a magnificent fourth last year have added two new players this season with Matthew Kenny and Chris Brown joining their ranks. Their top player Kevin Dolder is not available for the first weekend but a very stylish squad comprising Shaun Marples, Matt Kenny, Chris Brown, Adam Frost and Jason Ramage should still be capable of making a mark.

Ellenborough, sixth last year are the only team whose line-up remains unchanged and their squad will again comprise Lorestas Trumpauskas, Thomas Bennborn, Jon Nilsson, Jimmy Walsh and Gary Tendler. Team Captain Jimmy Walsh hopes that his team will be the tried and tested "Trumpie, Jon, Jimmy and Gary" formula for the first weekend of matches.

If promoted TTK Greenhouse are able to utilise the services of Andrew Rushton at number one then they too will be very difficult to beat. There is no need to eulogise the potential of any side with Gareth Herbert at number two !. All-action England no. four Lady Natalie Bawden should be interesting to watch whilst Alex Green already has valuable experience of playing in this Division and Henry Medellin will relish the opportunity to perform at this level .

Much the same can be said of promoted Drumchapel Glasgow I if Ryan Jenkins is available. Newcomer Sau Ayemojube gives them added strength at number two and with Stephen Jenkins, Craig Howieson, Abdul Wuraola and Gordon Clancy in their line-up they too will be a formidable side, and could perhaps be the "dark horses" in this Division. Craig Howieson certainly looks a very strong number four.

Oxford Fireplace Centre I will be without their Chinese Superstars this campaign, and without Sun Jin, Wu Yue Jiao and Zhao Jing Wei any team would struggle. Even more unfortunately, they have also lost the services of Scottish Internationals Gavin Rumgay and Stewart Crawford and unless they are able to sign on some additional players their listed line-up of Kevin Satchell, Eddie Roofe, Owen Clutterbuck and Ian Ferguson looks likely to find the going very tricky indeed.

The Saturday morning fixtures that stand out include two matches which could influence the whole Season - DHS London Progress I versus Ormesby I and Urban Progress I versus TTK Greenhouse I whilst London Progress will also be tested on Saturday afternoon when they face Urban Progress I. On Sunday morning look out for the matches between Drumchapel Glasgow I and TTK Greenhouse I and Ormesby I and Urban Progress I whilst the Sunday afternoon action features two more potential top-class clashes - Drumchapel Glasgow I versus DHS London Progress I and TTK Greenhouse I against BATTS Team Peniel I.

Steve Kerns
British League Press Officer