PSOBLTA v Fitzwilliam LTC
Lost 8-1
PSOBLTA and Fitzwilliam LTC teams
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…Charles Dickens managed to sum up very concisely the Association’s weekend trip to Dublin for our annual match against the Fitzwilliam LTC. On 17 March 2017 (St Patrick’s Day), a team of six ventured over to Dublin for one of the highlight matches of the year.
PSOBLTA team:
1st pair: David Culshaw and Mike Llewellyn
2nd pair: Chris Jenkins and Tom Knapp
3rd pair: Edward Cooper and Jonathan Cooper
Fitzwilliam LTC team:
1st pair: James Cluskey and Cal Craven
2nd pair: Mark Carpenter and Brendan Dempsey
3rd pair: Patrick Dornan and Mike Johnston
After arriving fresh from our flight from Stansted, we were keen to get on court; sadly that was as close as we got to the opposition over the course of the weekend. Our first pair played some excellent tennis against the Fitzwilliam third pair and secured a win in two sets; however, our second and third pairs both lost and both in two tight sets; 2-1 to Fitzwilliam.
Keen to carry on the next round that evening, the teams battled away but sadly the Fitzwilliam team was too strong for the Pubs and secured three wins and in doing so, the match 5-1. In true Irish spirit, we decamped to the bar for some well-deserved (?!?!) Guinness and supper. Given it was St Patrick’s Day, the team felt it would be remiss to not venture to some local establishments and both teams enjoyed more drinks locally. Sorrows were soon drowned and a good night was had by all. Given the interesting sleeping arrangements booked for the weekend, a game of fives determined who got the hotel rooms (sadly Cooper senior lost and sofa 1 awaited).
On Saturday, bright, early and maybe not quite fresh-faced the last round of matches was played where once again Fitzwilliam came through victors with the final match result being 8-1. Once the tennis was completed, the main event commenced with an excellent afternoon of watching rugby (if we exclude the England result!) washed down with some drinks and a highly enjoyable formal meal (where committee member Conor Boden joined us and being Irish had a thoroughly enjoyable day and evening and early hours of the morning). With a final few drinks at the club, the night was young as certain members of the team showed they could swing their hips better than they could swing their racquets! Being the superb hosts that Fitzwilliam are, they even arranged Will Greenwood (recent PSOBLTA Annual Dinner speaker) and James Nesbitt to be in the same nightclub.
Courtney Salver presentation
Despite losing both the tennis and rugby, the whole team had a hugely entertaining and fun weekend and once again friendships formed with our good friends at Fitzwilliam, a club that has the Association holds in high esteem and built a great relationship with over the years.
However, after the result, there will be an internal inquest into the Pubs team and we look forward to welcoming the Fitz team in 2018 for a rejuvenated Pubs team!
Jonathan Cooper – PSOBLTA Match Manager