Free Table Tennis 50
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ENGLISH TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION? |
Free Table Tennis wishes all our readers
A Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year.
The season started with everybody scratching around for the Individual Membership – individuals signed up over the internet and leagues sent in completed I.M. application forms but many disappeared! Ah, the staff in Hastings could not cope with the influx of work – was that not predicted and the reason that previous administrations had spent forty years talking about it without ever planning to introduce it?
ALEX MURDOCH IS RUNNING SCARED
Just when Alex Murdoch was presiding over the biggest cock-up in ETTA history, Alex looked around for the person most likely to challenge him for the ETTA Chairmanship. Where does his eye alight? Ah yes, his predecessor.
Fearing for his future at the top table of English Table Tennis and his free seats at the Olympics, he saw the answer in changing the ETTA Rules in line with the ITTF Rules that do not allow top officials to be concerned in the sports trade.
When Alan Ransome became ETTA Chairman in 1991 he instigated the setting up of a Trade Committee, independent of the governing body, who would deal with all negotiations with the trade. Fifteen years ago we were informed by Chief Executive Richard Yule that the Government Sporting Bodies (whatever they were called at the time!) were happy that the procedures in place were sufficient to ensure that Ransome’s business interests did not conflict with ETTA’s duty of care to the membership. Richard ‘man for all seasons’ Yule now says that the Government Sporting Bodies are the prime movers of this change of policy. Is it my suspicious nature or is Richard Yule just parroting what the chairman wants him to say?
WHAT TO YOU WANT?
Someone
has asked that FTT be produced in .pdf format rather than the current Word
Document. It can be done, so would readers please advise their
preference.
SOME GOOD NEWS –
A couple of years ago I was very disappointed when the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth leagues decided to continue playing upto twenty-one points and the E.T.T.A. told them “You cannot join us as you don’t play according to the ETTA Laws i.e. eleven points”
According to the league websites, both leagues are now playing upto eleven points and are back as ETTA affiliated leagues. Both leagues have excellent websites and it is nice to welcome them back to the ETTA.
THE WAY THINGS ARE ... John Prean.
Many years ago I was involved in a very insignificant way with a small amateur theatre company and we had endless discussions about our future.
As we discussed the merits of Shaw or Coward, Ibson or O’Casey as possible vehicles for the talents of our group, one guy stood up and said “What we need are bums on seats” not debates about literary merits.
I am reminded of this as I contemplate our sport and its present state. The main need is new members who walk through the doors of our clubs and centres and, if we start there, all else will fall into place.
As the opposite has taken place and we have lost members for years, the future cannot be very bright.
Brian Halliday is quite right to criticise the results of our national teams and the support they are getting or not getting from the expensively assorted coaches and staff hired to help them get better and at last play a role on the international stage. If we did well in that area, it would create a lot of interest and some new people would emerge to play the game and make our leagues more interesting. Most of these are now at death's door since whole divisions are disappearing and the programme is steadily getting less interesting and competitive.
As the leagues get smaller, a point is reached where they are no longer viable and so they fold, recently a whole county has disappeared. These are not the signs of a healthy or growing sport. Some clubs and leagues have gone under, because there is no one to do the work and that may be how the county was lost.
One would feel better, if there were a governing body that at least appreciated these things, but it is the last thing on their minds. There is plenty of taxpayers’ money which is passed to us via quangos and the main ambition seems to be to convey to the quangos how wonderful everything is and they appear to believe this. Our leaders also seem to believe the story so long as they are there to run things rather than their critics whom they see as enemies.
In the meantime the sport is falling apart. Our standing in the world, as measured by the better players who circulate on the elite stages, World and European Championships, has never been lower. Successes would make us feel better, they would also make people take up the sport and bring our leagues back to meaningful numbers once more.
. . . Continued Next Page . . .
You may have heard all this before but basic truths do not change. At this time, when our needs are so obvious, our management has inflicted on us a new system which they call "Individual Membership”. Instead of the previous proven, trouble free system, they have imposed the current system via a pliable National Council.
Although they had years to prepare it, they began with a complete mess and seem unable even to issue little cardboard membership cards. Leagues, already short of officials willing to do the work locally, thus had new duties imposed on them without so far any sign of support from the top or indication that there is anybody at head office who knows what is to be done in this muddle.
I shall not bore you with the ridiculous, completely unnecessary problems that have cropped up. It is clear that, whatever our needs, this was not one of them. So instead of being helped we are being hindered at local level.
Staff numbers, which once were 8 or so, seem to have risen to 50 – some say closer to one hundred, but simple schemes cannot apparently be operated. One is reminded of the late Soviet Union – so bossy, so full of red tape. Everybody had a job, nothing worked.
This journal is trying to point out what needs to be done and certainly better management is a prime need. We seem to be marching towards destruction. I am not saying that there are not some well run leagues, but overall our downhill journey is gathering pace. When the present chairman retires, as is rumoured he will do after the London Olympics, it is not certain that anyone will wish to take on the dismal legacy. The chances are it will be someone even less suited to the challenges that exist.
GRASS-ROOTS SECTION (PART TWENTY-SIX)
How many local leagues enforce the Laws of Table Tennis? Or, more specifically the correct service action!
When I started playing in the local league there were numerous experts (older players) keen to jump upon any dubious service actions and woe betide any young player failing to conform to their standards. Warnings were numerous and faults were called with gleeful abandon.
However the tide has turned and many of the older players now have the dubious action as they continue to serve as they always did before changes to the Laws made their actions illegal. Throwing the ball upwards (or even backwards) a couple of inches and then hitting the ball before it starts to fall are numerous, and the scorers (I refuse to call them umpires) let them get away with it. Why? Because they do not want to cause an upset and spoil the match atmosphere.
Unfortunately their example is being copied by the younger players. I chastised one young lad who replied “Why, it’s not a tournament!”
My local league used to have numerous qualified county umpires plus umpires of a similar capability. With regular county matches being played on a home or away basis, the county umpires were regularly utilised for the one match on a Saturday afternoon. BUT now most of the county matches in a division are held over one weekend often not in close proximity to the county and the family man umpire does not want to spend a whole weekend umpiring so inevitably he does not bother to qualify as a county umpire or even improve his umpiring skills.
Looking around my local league, I was appalled at the lack of quality umpires. Typical was the presence of parents (with little or no table tennis knowledge) umpiring the matches in which their children were playing. I would point out that there is no complaint of any of them being biased, just my point that people have to know the Laws in order to implement them.
What we require is for ALL players to gain a better understanding of the Laws, their interpretation and how to implement them. THEN warn and fault the offenders.
Please note that if the umpire sees the service is a fault then he should call a fault: there is no requirement to call a let and warn the player first. Only if the umpire is not certain that the service is legal should he call a let and warn the player.
Comments upon previous reports
Hi Howard
As usual I enjoyed reading FTT. And as usual you get straight to the point.
We agree that IM has been a nightmare and that even members who did have the right browser and who were able to pay direct as far ago as July, only received their membership card in October. The problem isn’t only browsers and high volume, it’s got to do with organisation and processes. Our league membership sec reports that every time he speaks to the ETTA he gets a different answer; The ETTA needs proper processes so that its staff can implement them simply and consistently.
Incidentally, you’ll have to change your preseason meeting criteria next year – all members will have their number, but will they have paid? We already made that distinction in West Cornwall. But acknowledging we don’t have the complication of multiple leagues like most others have.
Match start times is another problem.
Members (more specifically parents of younger members) have been complaining of late finishes; a 10 set match will last typically 2½ to 3 hours, perhaps longer for a close match in a higher division. We already have a rule stating that home clubs must be open and ready by 7.15 and that matches must start by 7.30. What the rules don’t say is what happens between 7.15 and 7.30 so we are recommending that if the visitors are present and ready by 7.20, they can have the last 10 minutes knocking up before the match starts. If they’re not present and ready by 7.20 then they forfeit the ‘full’ knocking up period, or even any knocking up. Even so, our first match didn’t start until 7.40 and finished at 10.30 add ten minutes for coffee and sausage rolls, home by 10.45 (if you live around the corner).
Best wishes
Bob Bridges
Howard replies – Thanks Bob, it’s good to know that your league has a rule covering the pre-match knocking up. The leagues that I have played in never had a rule and left it to the teams to behave in a sporting manner: unfortunately not every team is sporting while some are too concerned with their own requirements to consider the needs of the opposition.
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Howard
Why only half dozen issues in 2010? Have ETTA paid you off?
Regards, Rowden
Howard replies,
Actually Rowden this is the eighth issue of 2010. The ETTA has not paid me off, in fact they do not answer my questions nor acknowledge that I exist.
The absence of FTT for a couple of months has been for personal reasons as I am currently setting up a new overseas office for my business. However I hope to be back in England in April 2011.
Incidentally I think your website is brilliant – readers should look at www.protabletennis.net
Howard,
Just read FTT 49 as I do all of your publications.
I feel your comments with respect to the TableTennisTalk forums are somewhat mis-representative. Whilst there are some contributors to that forum who feel FTT is negative and critical, I would never refer the forum as biased in favour of Alex Murdoch. Indeed if anyone actually looks into some of the discussions held there it will become pretty clear that there are a whole range of topics and points of view covered.
I guess the issue with FTT tends to be that you choose to respond to most of the points made. FTT is your publication and therefore it is your right to do that. However it does tend to make the flavour of the whole thing a little one sided. If someone were to send in something they felt Alex or the ETTA had done well I suspect there would be a good chance that you would respond with your own thoughts (or at least that is the impression I get).
FTT and TTT are different media. TTT as an on-line forum allows a pretty quick exchange of views, which from what I have seen are not generally in favour of any one individual or set up. The good news is that people are reading your publication and it is generating discussion.
John
Hi John
Yes I quite agree about TTT, infact I have answered on that Forum. Actually I believe that the TTT Forum has started to become more critical of Alex and co just lately - or am I becoming selective about what I read?
I accept that I often write comments and that is where I am at risk. When I do not comment, I am accused of agreeing with the comments so I am in a no-win situation.
Another problem that I have is that I try and have eight pages of FTT without large empty spaces. So firstly, I rush in and write something while at the same time limiting myself to the space available so possibly not giving a complete enough picture (as in the case of the TTT Forum where I should have said that I was responding to one particular thread).
With regard to whether I would give my thoughts when, and if, someone writes in supporting Alex Murdoch - I think that would depend upon how it was said. Back when Alex was elected I supported him as Alan Ransome seemed to have run his course. While I am not a great supporter of Ransome, at least things happened during his chairmanship.
Thanks for your thoughts which are always welcome.
Incidentally there were two website forums, TableTennisTalk being one of
them, that started up very shortly after FTT started so I feel that I have
contributed to a greater discussion of our Sport.
Howard Middleton
Dear Howard
Thanks for the latest FTT report Howard, lots of interesting articles
especially the one about no practice before the league match. Back in the
glorious 70s we used to play matches which did not finish sometimes until 1am
the next morning, but no one bothered in those days as we had no cars and just
slept at the club before going to work on our bikes.
Things ain't what they used to be.
Re the ETTA magazine they could have kept it going if they gave it away free to members; that way they would have received a lot of revenue from advertising as they would have had a larger circulation. The USA magazine is done like this and they are very pleased with the circulation.
Barry Meisel
Howard replies
The idea of free issues of the Magazine to all members was one of the arguments made in favour of the introduction of Individual Membership. Then, as soon as Individual Membership was introduced, the magazine was discontinued.
I must admit to never sleeping overnight at a club. However I recall visiting one remote village club playing for a junior team and leading 4-3 on a foggy evening, when other club members arrived stating that the last bus would be at 9.30pm. We rushed through the final matches in order to catch the bus – and lost 4-6!
Seriously we are trying to encourage more players, especially youngsters, to play table tennis and 1am finishes would not achieve that!
Hello Howard,
Thank you for
continued inclusion in FTT which I always find interesting and thought
provoking.
My congratulations go to the England's' Men's Team in finishing runners up to Singapore
in the Team Commonwealth Games, an excellent result and in particular praise
must go to Liam Pitchford's whose excellent win over the Singapore no 1 was a
meritorious victory for someone of such a tender age who is still improving. He
certainly is (in my opinion) the
best of the bunch to watch out for as far as potential is concerned and if the
rapid improvement continues that has seen him catapulted into the England Team,
I believe he is the only one at present, who offers a serious threat, to break
in to the world's top elite Table Tennis Players.
Having said this, I feel I must comment on the atrocious behaviour of our no 1
ranked player, whose antics at the end of each point by shouting, raising a
fist in the air and often parading around in what I can at best only describe
as ungentlemanly behaviour, in my view,
serves to bring the game into ridicule & disrepute.
I detest this sort of behaviour, as everyone else that I have spoken to, agrees
with as well and goodness knows what sort of example this sets for other
aspiring young players we are trying to attract to our sport.
I believe that the umpires should stamp out such intolerable, provocative
behaviour/bad sportsmanship, as this should not feature in table tennis as I
know it.
Thankfully this appears not to be the norm.
I wonder what other readers of FTT think of this and would be interested to
find out if I am in the minority over this issue.
Best Regards
Dave Harvey
Gloucestershire Table Tennis
Howard comments – what do other readers think of the raised fist salute to winning a point?
Was the Commonwealth performance really that good?
We used to send a ‘reserve team’ to this event to give them experience.
Dear Howard,
Thank you for FTT, it is always interesting to see varied points of view.
I certainly do not subscribe to the opinion that Alex Murdoch and his volunteer team at ETTA are ineffective and have done nothing. The following at least surely have some merit.
*Commonwealth Games-a good strong performance with promise of more to come from both men and women with a number of medals to show for the effort.
*Team numbers in Leagues have increased in Leagues, apparently. This is to be welcomed and is the first reversal to an annual decline for at least 25 years I would guess.
*Individual Registration is now being processed. When Info is validated and finalised it will be the first time that ETTA will have had a proper membership snapshot in its history.
Nobody would subscribe to the view that everything is perfect, far from it .There is still much to be done e.g. completing IR and ensuring a robust efficient ongoing admin system for it which is not overly burdensome on grass roots; a better understanding by ETTA employed staff of grass roots - in particular both a recognition is that they are supposed to serve us and not vice versa (a common misunderstanding of appointees of quangos such as Sport England), and a raising of recruitment standards to enable ETTA staff to respond properly to grass roots who for obvious reasons contain many volunteers of much broader and higher standard backgrounds.
On the whole I think that Alex and his volunteers are making reasonable progress and I think the best way of progressing is to put any specific contentious matters to Alex first but if he will not deal with the matter then we all have a ready forum in FTT to ask why. Such an approach may actually encourage Alex to respond. At this moment he may be taking the view that whatever he says may be twisted so silence is best.
Whether this is right or wrong I do not know. What I can say is that I have always found Alex to be receptive to approach even when I have a violent disagreement with him.
Whatever I sincerely hope that he continues to both give to and get encouragement from grass roots.
Regards,
David
Humble
Howard responds –
You say “Team numbers in Leagues have increased in Leagues, apparently”. Unfortunately the figures produced by the ETTA are very misleading if you only compare one season with the previous season as shown in the Annual Report. Two seasons ago, the introduction of insurance meant that leagues that sent in their affiliation fees without the insurance fee element did not qualify for voting rights and were not included amongst the official figures. The result was a large decrease in the membership figures when, in fact, most still existed but had purely paid their insurance fees at a later date. Last season, the leagues had become more organised and paid the insurance fee element on time and were included such that the official ETTA figures appeared to have gained ‘new’ leagues. In fact, the figures were still below those of two seasons previously.
I would suggest that we still lost members last season although the loss for the previous season was not as large as the figures would suggest. I note that we have lost a complete county this season!