Marlborough Millenium Tournament

Howard Wiseman reports:

This event was a one-off! Organised over one year ahead of time, Julian Pinner entered for the wrong year! The aim was to unite, in the year of the Millennium, players from both codes of Fives, into a friendly weekend event in which everyone enjoyed and shared each other's code of Fives.

This was also to be a luxurious weekend for all those "better halves" otherwise known as Fives widows, who must surely be rewarded for all the times we have been allowed out until late whilst playing Fives. As a result, the setting was the beautiful Marlborough College, together with the luxurious comfort of the Swindon Marriott Hotel, venue for the Banquet on the Saturday night, and the official Hotel for the event. Whilst the Fives was being played, the ladies and families were able to enjoy the health centre and swimming pool facilities for free in the hotel, and the shuttle coach service that was laid on between the Hotel and the Fives courts enabled everyone to re-unite for all meals, without any need to drive!

The entry was a superb mix of players from all codes of Fives. The Rossall Old Boys were well represented - their first outing to Fives courts outside Rossall. Forty-four players entered the draw. This resulted in almost eighty people at the banquet, and well in excess of one hundred passing through the Marlborough Fives Courts complex as players or spectators. The Banquet was superb, set against the unforgettable musical background of Bass Accordion, Double Bass, and Musical Saw!

The appetite for Fives and more Fives was amazing. The mixture of uncontrollable laughter on courts where everyone was trying their hardest to win, was at time intoxicating to watch. Eton Fives - according to many Rugby and Rossall Fives players was just the best game they had ever played "its absolutely the Dog's Bollocks!" as one player stated! All sorts of rules were in place to make sure that even the worst scores were turned into good ones, and that everyone was in with a chance of making it through to the final (unless, I am told, you were unlucky enough to partner Sanjay!?). For nearly all of the Eton players, this was also their first experience of Rugby Fives - the most serious games certainly took place on the Rugby courts, because everyone was able to work out what they were meant to be doing!

The Fives was concluded with the four players who had accumulated the highest number of points across the weekend : the results are shown below.

Winners:

Robin Nagy (Rugby Group A) & William Powell (Eton Group B) beat James Toop (Eton Group A) & Douglas Rice (Rugby Group B) 15-14. The first eight points were played on an Eton Court. The score was 8-5 in Robin and William's favour at the change over. The remainder of the final was played on a Rugby court, to a full audience of eighty spectators. The score was soon levelled at 9-9, and was close to the finish.

Many thanks for the superb help and service of Rosemary Fairgreaves and Matthew Arnott at Marlborough College, together with the catering staff at both the Swindon Marriott and Marlborough College. The Musicians were superb. The Fives playing was unforgettable! A great weekend.

There was a large demand for the Marlborough tournament to become a regular event. REFCA have decided to run this Tournament every other year. This will overlap with the Rossall Open which will also be biennial.