Club Legends

Left to right: Alan Rees, Denis Neale and Geoff Moore

The above team won the First Division of the Middlesbrough and District Table Tennis League in ???

The photo was taken at the Middlesbrough Y.M.C.A.

ALAN RANSOME, EDDIE CASSIDY AND DENIS NEALE

Alan and Denis meet up with Eddie Cassidy (centre) at the Ormesby Club on Thursday November 13 2014.

Eddie who played at the old Ormesby Club on Meadow Lane with Alan and Denis has lived on the Isle of Man for many years.

Denis, who hadn’t seen Eddie since they played at Ormesby had a good time chatting about their early playing days.

DENIS, ALAN AND NICKY MEET UP ONCE AGAIN AND THIS TIME AT THE DONCASTER DOME

Yet another meeting of the ‘Famous Three’ this time at the Under 11-14 National Championships in Doncaster on June 1st 2014

THREE QUARTERS FULL

Nicky Jarvis, Alan Ransome and Denis Neale three of the four players who played in the hugely successful Ormesby team that won the European Club Cup in 1972, met up at the Stockton 4* in November 2008..

BIRTHDAY HONOUR FOR BOB RANSOME

The picture above was taken at a presentation to celebrate Bob Ransome’s 70th birthday in 1981. Players from the club can been seen presenting Bob with a silver rose bowl.

Pictured above left to right: Keith Rodger, Nicky Jarvis, Steve Mills, Bob Ransome, Alan Ransome and Donald Parker.

The inscription on the rose bowl is as follows:

PRESENTED TO – R E (BOB) RANSOME

On the Occasion of his 70th Birthday

IN APPRECIATION

ORMESBY TABLE TENNIS CLUB

27th AUGUST 1981 

 


 

MR BOB RANSOME 

 

 

Mr Bob Ransome, the late father of Alan, proudly showing off the banner which displays the many successes the Ormesby Club had during the 1971-72 season, the highlight of which was winning the European Club Cup.

1971-72 proved to be an excellent year for the Ormesby Club for as well as winning the European Club Cup they won the English Club Cup, Yorkshire League, N E England Summer League, North Yorkshire League and the Middlesbrough League.

TROPHIES WON DURING 1971-72

At the English Closed Championships in 1971-72 all four semi-finalists were from Ormesby, Trevor Taylor, David Alderson, Denis Neale and Alan Ransome.

At the Scottish Open Championships again, all four semi-finalists were from the Ormesby Club, Denis Neale, David Alderson, Jimmy Walker and Alan Ransome.

The Junior players also won the Yorkshire League and the Yorkshire Cup.


 

ALAN RANSOME

 

 

Alan Ransome pictured above right taking a coaching sessions at the old Ormesby Club in 1969.

The four children next to Alan from right to left are David Alderson, Dave Atkins, Pat Clements and Ann McCready. Front row left Peter Docherty and front row third left Les Atkins.

If anyone can remember the names of the other children in the picture we would love to know.

 


 

DENIS NEALE

The picture of Denis Neale was taken in January 1969

Denis Neale was one of the founder members of the Ormesby Club in around 1957. He started playing table tennis at the Newport Boys’ Club in Midlesbrough but quickly combined with Alan Ransome to practice almost every day when the club facilities in Meadow Close were established with just one table. Denis’s outstanding speed, together with his strong tactical awareness meant that he rapidly accelerated up the England junior rankings and, together with Chester Barnes, was part of a very strong England Junior team. In 1960, together with Alan and Malcolm Corking were the first team to represent Ormesby in the newly established North East Summer League.

It was not long before Denis became a regular member of the England senior team. His first major selection was the European Championships in Malmo, Sweden, in 1964 when remarkably in the team event he beat the No. 1 player from each of the best five countries.

Denis was part of the Ormesby team which dominated English table tennis for more than a decade including winning the European Club cup in 1972,

Overall Denis played more that 400 times for England and won the National Men’s Singles title on six occasions.

Although retiring from international table tenns, Denis has continued to play in various competitions and is recognised as one of England’s leading coaches, particularly from a tactical perspective. He captained the England team several times in the 1990’s. Denis currently lives in Sheffield and spends much of his time coaching players at tournaments around the country. 


NICKY JARVIS

The picture of Nicky Jarvis was taken in April 1971.

Nicky is one of the most talented players ever to come through the Ormesby Club. Nicky started playing at St Mary’s College in Middlesbrough and the Redcar Boys’ club, but quickly joined the Ormesby Club and leaped up the England rankings to be the No. 1 junior player. Nicky was part of the Ormesby team which dominated English table tennis, winning the National Club Championship ten years in a row and the European Club cup in 1972.

Nicky was a regular member of the England team for several years and was the English Closed Champion. He married another England team member at the time, Linda Howard from Surrey and moved down to live in Guildford,

Nicky is regarded as one of England’s leading coaches and, with his teams at the Peniel Academy in Essex, has won many national schools’ titles.

Whilst at Ormesby, Nicky was also a talented footballer and the skill has been carried over to his son, Matthew, who is a reguler member of the Premiership team, Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing on the left wing.


JOHN PHELPS – IAN GOODMAN – RAY DARCY

The three young lads pictured above were the original Ormesby Junior Boys team from around 1960/61.

Ray Darcy on the right of the picture still plays regularly in the Middlesbrough & District League Table Tennis League for North East Tyres & Exhausts.

 


 

MALCOLM CORKING

Seen in the picture above, which was taken around 1960, Malcolm Corking played for Ormesby Table Tennis Club in their first ever team in the North East Summer Table Tennis League.

Malcolm played to a very high standard for Yorkshire Veterans and was regularly in the top 5 of the Veterans ETTA computer rankings.

Malcolm is now passing his table tennis skills on to the children at the coaching sessions he runs in the Stockton area. Malcolm still plays in the Stockton Table Tennis League.