This section of the site is not currently maintained. Southport has 3 town teams and anyone wishing to try out for the teams is always welcome to do so ... please check the handbook for contacts. The fixtures for our three Southport town teams are available through the Badminton World website. The latest tables can be viewed by clicking on the "Table" tab at the foot of that screen. After viewing, close the window to return to this page.
Anyone involved in the town teams is welcome to send reports/updates to griceyv1@btinternet.com for posting on the site.
ARCHIVE REPORTS
Mixed Fortunes for Town Teams
March 2002
The 1st Team have only played two matches to date, losing 7-4 away to Manchester 1 but winning 6-5 at home to Bolton 1, although in the latter Southport had to concede 2nd men's doubles when Steve Hurst badly pulled a calf muscle, and then had to concede one of the mixed when Steve Almond suffered a recurrence of a shoulder injury!
After three good home results for the 2nd Team, their away form has been poor mainly due to the unavailability of key players. They lost 8-3 to Manchester 2 on 25th November and lost 7-4 to Bolton 2 on 23rd February. Their one remaining match against Widnes 1 was postponed from 9th December and will now be played on Sunday 10th March at The Heath School at 1 pm.
The 3rd Team bounced back from their opening fixture 10-1 defeat at the hands of Southport 2 to win 6-5 away to Wigan 2 on 2nd December and then beat Blackpool 2 by the same score at the Drill Hall on 13th January. Since then, the matches have been tougher and the team lost 9-2 at home to Manchester 2 on 27th January and again 9-2 away to Widnes 1 on 24th February.
The 3rd Team's match against Bolton 2 should have been played on 2nd February but, disappointingly, not enough men were willing to play on that Saturday night! This match will now have to be played on 7th April.
Town 2nd Team Look Good
November 2001
On Sunday 28th October the Town 2nd team won their second match of the season 9-2, beating Blackpool 2 at the Drill Hall. This more than reversed a 7-4 defeat away to the same team last season. The two events lost were at second men's singles and second men's doubles, although the latter was close with the Blackpool pair just winning the third end 15-13 against Mark Waggett and Andrew Rigby.
On Sunday 4th November, the 2nd team won again with the same 9-2 scoreline, this time against Wigan 2, achieving a 100% home record for the season as the team's remaining three matches are all away. Andrew Rigby replaced the unavailable John Machin at first men's singles and won comfortably but the hardest working member of the team was Belinda Miller who was persuaded to play the ladies singles, losing in two games, but then won second ladies doubles with Sharon Taylor in three games and third mixed doubles with Geoff Simpson 15-10, 14-17, 15-12.
Southport 2 and 3 Clash
October 2001
After gaining promotion from Division 4 to Division 3 of the LCBA Inter-League League at the end of last season, Southport 3 found themselves up against Southport 2 in their first match of the season at the Drill Hall on Sunday 7th October.
Despite many good performances from the third team players, the second team won 10-1. Joe Steele continued his excellent run of form in the singles from last season to win the the third team's only event and Joe also played a part in the closest event of the match where he and Jonathan Howell lost 17-14 to Nigel Sankey and Andrew Rigby in the third game of second men's doubles.
If both teams play to their potential this season there is no reason why the third team shouldn't retain their Division 3 status and the second team win promotion to Division 2.
Mixed Fortunes for Southport 1
April 2001
Southport 1 made the journey to Markland Hill to play Bolton 1 on Sunday 11th March and won 7-4. Team captain Steve Hurst returned to the side after missing the first half of the season through injury to play his 93rd 1st team match and saw his side win two of the three singles events through Jane Bridge and John Abdous. This was followed by success in all four level doubles events through Debbie Rigby & Sue Hurst, Jane Bridge & Debbie Balmforth, Steve Almond & John Abdous and Steve himself & Andy Pickles.
Southport were thus 6-1 up with only the mixed to play and only needed to win one more event to take the full 3 points, but lost first, second and third mixed before John Abdous & Sue Hurst won briskly at fourth. John's three wins in the match were the highlight of a fairly solid team performance.
Meanwhile, Southport 1's last match of the season against Liverpool 1 at Kirkby Sports Centre on Sunday 8th April was probably the most difficult to get a team out for. Three of the team were away playing for Lancashire in a veterans event and another three were unable to play due to work commitments after a late switch of start time by Liverpool from 2pm to 11am.
Only one of the first team was able to play but then arrived at Kirkby too late to take part and only Janet Morton of the whole second team squad was able to play. Fortunately, as with the second team's last match, third team players came to the rescue and enabled the fixture to be completed. Janet Morton and Janet Moore were the only members of the team to have represented the first team on a previous occasion while Jonathon Howell, David Steele, Joe Steele, Martin Stoker and Sharon Core all made their debuts.
Perhaps predictably, Liverpool won 10-1, with Jonathon Howell winning his singles to save the team from the dreaded tin hat!