WELCOME

On behalf of Scone Tennis Club I would like to welcome new members into our club this season. Such has been the growth, particularly in the junior section that I am not going to name people, but thank you for joining and I hope you are enjoying playing on the new tennis courts.

The court usage has been good and thanks are extended to the SPAR shop on Abbey Road for assisting STC in keeping the key for the court padlock. The system seems to be working well but the committee will continue to review this position.

Should any adult member wish a clubhouse key for £3 please let me know and I will arrange to get one delivered to you.

Please remember there is social tennis on a Friday night from around 7.30pm and that Sunday evenings is continuing as well for practice. 

OFFICIAL OPENING DAY - SAT 30 AUG 2008

A date for your diary – it has been confirmed that Judy Murray will open our courts on Saturday 30th August during the hours of 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Further details as to the format will be announced in due course. In the meantime please let Rosemary Price know (tel 813606 or email her) at r.j.g.price@dundee.ac.uk to confirm your attendance and also to let her know if you intend bringing a savoury or sweet for the buffet.

The Lord Provost will also be in attendance as well as other invited guests.

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

As a result of the official opening day announcement the Club Championships will be held the following weekend on 5^th – 7^th September.

The usual format will apply – Mens Singles on Friday 5^th, Ladies & Mens Doubles on Saturday 6^th, and Mixed Doubles on Sunday 7^th with all finals on Sunday afternoon from 2pm.

Please add your name to the list that is placed up on the clubhouse notice board by Sunday 31^st August.

JOHN JASPER MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT 2008

Around two dozen tennis players from Scone and Kinnoull Tennis clubs once again took part in the annual competition in memory of John Jasper on June 1^st.

Congratulations to Elaine Dewar from Scone and to George Stewart of Kinnoull who were the eventual winners.

A certificate and a thank you card from ENABLE and Jean Jasper have been place up on the club notice board this week.

Kind thanks are expressed to Jean Jasper for presenting the trophy.

TENNIS TAYSIDE LEAGUE RESULTS

Congratulations are extended to our Junior U-16 Team of Michael Davies, Fergus Butt, Oscar Mullins, Jake Tulloch, Shaun McIntosh & Fraser Belford in winning the Division 2 league – their second title in two years. Unfortunately the team is too old to enter in the league next season so we are very keen to get new players and keep these junior matches going.

For the first time in a long while STC entered a second mens team into the leagues and they did very well in gaining promotion to Div 6 next season at the first time of asking! Their highlight was beating the league winners to get promoted!

Sadly the mens first team got relegated from Division 2 but hope to bounce back next year.

The ladies teams did not do so well either – both teams got relegated to Div 2 and Div 5. 

P & D LEAGUE AND HENDERSON VASE GAMES

It is fair to say that the club had a varied experience playing in the Mixed League of the P&D. Some found it tough going in the 1^st Division but hopefully all will be keen to play next year in the lower league.

At the moment the mens and ladies matches have started. Contact Elaine Dewar & Allan Barwell if you are interested in playing. See the notices in the clubhouse. We have put in an extra mens team.

The Henderson Vase team is doing well in Div 2 of the Tennis Tayside leagues and have won all of their matches so far. Will be interesting to see if promotion to the top division can be obtained!

JUNIOR CLUB AND PARENT AND CHILD SECTION

As I mentioned earlier the number of juniors in the club is growing and many have gone along to the Friday evening sessions run by Douglas Gibson from 6pm. These will continue until further notice. Many thanks to the parents involved in helping out particularly Euan Rogers & Ian Hastie.

It is hoped to run a junior fun day towards the end of the season.

This year Douglas Gibson has been hosting a Parent & Child section on Saturday mornings and it has been going well and will also continue to run until further notice.

OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF

Club Shirt sales have gone well and many visiting teams have commented on how smart the teams look! For a ridiculously low price of £12 they are excellent value for money and if you wish to order one please contact any member of your committee.

The courts have been cleaned as best we can with the equipment we currently have. The council has been approached to look at the trees surrounding the fences and have been informed of the amount of debris that blows onto the courts. The clubhouse is tidy inside – please keep it that way - and the committee is aware of the need to repair the outside wall at the back of the club. CCTV signs are now up.

The “Friends of Scone” 50/50 draw continues to exist and will always welcome new members. £2 a month is all it takes with half the proceeds going to club funds and half to the raffle every month. Please contact me for more details although many of you do get regular emails from me.

UPCOMING EVENTS

With the new court surface and a good floodlighting system in place it is an ideal opportunity to extend our playing season into the winter months.

We will look at inviting other clubs from around the area for some form of play – more details to follow if we can get support from such clubs.

 The annual Perth & District Tournament is due to take place on Sunday 14th September at Strathallan School. There will also be the Tennis Tayside Midlands Centenary Trophy competition on Sunday 21st September at Broughty Ferry’s courts.

Finally, as a reminder, on behalf of the Club President we are looking forward to a good turnout from all members at the Official Opening Day and seeing you there.