Birmingham Badminton Bonanza 2012

The smash hit Birmingham Badminton Bonanza makes a welcome return to the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham this June offering a big weekend of friendly competition and family fun.

The world class arena, which plays host to the All England Open each year, opens its doors to badminton players of all ages, sporting ability and ethnicity on 23rd & 24th June as action over 28 courts takes centre stage.

This year there are 4 standards of game play to choose from with social, local club, local league and junior age group categories to play in.

So, if you are new to the world's fastest racket sport, learning the craft on court, a seasoned pro on the club circuit or a regular league player there is something to suit your wishes!

To download the information booklet and entry form click here. Alternatively, enter online by clicking here. The deadline for entries is Friday 25th May 2012.

Ladies Badminton Sessions

Welcoming Ladies

Forrest BC would like to invite you to enjoy a game or two of friendly badminton. These social sessions will be run by our own female club members who will be on hand to offer advice as well as an enjoyable atmosphere. We will provide the necessary rackets for those that have none. There is no catch, just turn up and play a game or two. We would be asking for a contribution of £2 per session.

Sessions will run from 8pm until 9.30pm. Starting from Wednesday 18th April at Bolton Arena.

For more information please contact Lisa Harrison. We look forward to seeing you down at the Arena.

Markland Hill Junior Badminton Tournament 2012

On Sunday 22nd April 2012, Markland Hill are running a junior badminton tournament. There will be two different age groups, U16s and U13s. The tournament will feature competitions for boys singles, girls singles, boys doubles and girls doubles. The entry fee is £4.50 per player per event and the deadline for entries is 17th April 2012.

For more information check out the poster here and the entry form can be downloaded here.

Liverpool Badminton Bonanza 2012

In its third year, the Liverpool Badminton Bonanza will once again be taking place at the ECHO Arena. This year it will be taking place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May 2012.

The bonanza sports all the normal competitions of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Each competition is split into a variety of abilities, including:

• Under 16 Bronze and Under 16 Social
• Adult Social, Club and League
• Over 40s Social, Club and League

To download the information booklet and entry form click here. Alternatively, enter online by clicking here. The deadline for entries is 4th May 2012.

Week 23 News

The Bolton Badminton League season has finished its fixtures with mixed fortunes for a couple of the biggest clubs.

In A Section, Bury has repeated its success of the last couple of seasons by taking the championship – two points away from former champions Markland Hill A.

But, while Forrest A finishes in third place, the club’s B team just escapes relegation with Markland Hill’s B team just one place above them. And for both clubs’ C teams, it’s back to B Section next season from the drop zone.

It’s the same story in B Section where DL Farnworth A hung on to take the divisional title by one point from Oakgate B, but with DL Farnworth B facing relegation along with Markland Hill D.

Deane A just failed in their bid for top-flight badminton, finishing in third place, but with fourth-placed Hawkshaw C completing their season’s fixtures with an exciting 10-8 win over Deane.

Forrest D kept up the pace in C Section to emerge worthy champions and collect the silverware, with former A Section side Metro A runners up and no doubt planning to move back up the divisions.

Another Deane side, the club’s B team, just missed out on promotion, and finished third - just two points away from promotion.

A superior games’ tally over GMT kept Forrest F in this section and pushed the Eccles based club into the relegation area but, ironically, Forrest E is relegated.

A better games’ score – mostly accrued during the first half of the season – has handed Westhoughton C the D Section title over Moorside B after the two clubs finished on identical match points.

Westhoughton C’s 17-1 win over third-placed Lads & Girls Club A finally did the damage for Moorside after the two have tussled for the No.1 slot all season.

Only Lads & Girls’ top couple Meyuni Augama and Sam Muschamp could make any headway against the strong Westhoughton side by splitting their opening mixed set.

Credit, however, must go to the Westhoughton side of Jackie Roberts, Linda Redford, Ruth Atherton, Anthony Hughes, Nigel Muddiman and Stephen Dixon for keeping their nerve to the final rally to clinch the title.

Week 22 News

The final matches of the current badminton season are proving tense for teams hoping to avoid relegation.

In C Section of the Bolton Badminton League – one of the most hotly contested divisions this season – Forrest F’s downward despair could easily turn to joy, thanks to two surprise results.

B Section has also thrown up some interesting clashes this season, and Park and Sharples B’s final meeting offered an excellent season finale for both teams. Park is just outside the promotion zone and Sharples just outside the relegation area, but both teams are very competitive which was obvious from the outset. Barbara Gillett and Phil Pilling did their usual reliable job at No.1 for Park taking the opening set.

Louise Enderby and David Saunders, however, have proved an equally successful pairing as top Sharples’ couple and came back with their set to level the scores. The experience of husband and wife Tina and John Boyes showed at third mixed as they took both games, but the seesawing of the mixed continued to leave the score at 5-5 going into the men’s and ladies’ doubles.

Park’s ladies’ predictably took all their games, but the men’s involved a major battle with Phil Pilling and John Boyes taking the first to 18 and David Saunders and Mal Garside winning the second 25-23. When the final men’s games went to Sharples, the scores were once more level, underlining the closeness of teams in this division.

Week 21 News

Forrest D have become C Section champions after a season in which they dropped only three points and led throughout.

Even if nearest challengers Metro A win both their remaining matches they can’t now catch Forrest on points. And they still need to contend with third-placed Deane B who are also pushing for promotion and who took the major scalp of Forrest D 10-8 in their latest clash.

Bury have clinched their championship title for another year – in spite of losing their unbeaten reputation this season in a 8-10 defeat to Oakgate A who are four places away from them. This once more shows the strength of the Oakgate club which has not only provided the occasional shock in A Section but which has its B team sitting comfortably in the promotion zone in B Section.

After DL Farnworth A took an early lead in the second division with Deane A snapping at their heels, Oakgate B quietly continued the business of winning matches to be a single point away from the lead and looking a certainty for A Section badminton next season.

After a stunning first half of the season, Westhoughton C loosened their hold on D section to drop into second place, latterly missing the strength and experience of former A Section player Alison Muddiman. Meanwhile, Moorside B have anchored their position at the top of the section and can look forward to C Section play next season.

Moorside’s latest victims were Lads & Girls Club B who put up a brave fight against the stronger side, but couldn’t prevent Moorside top couple Amanda Bracegirdle and Geoff Everitt taking the opening games to 17 and their second set to 14 and 7. Their team then had a clean sweep in the mixed doubles to take the points before the men’s and ladies’ games had even begun. Moorside continued in the same fashion in these sets, dropping only one – in the final men’s doubles’ set and thanks to determined play from Suneet Patel and Lee Bailey – but couldn’t prevent a 17-1 whitewash.

Westhoughton C, with two matches in hand, could still draw level with Moorside to take the trophy, but must first overcome third-placed Lads & Girls Club A next week. The Spa Road club’s top team has been enjoying its best-ever season but cannot catch the top two teams now. However, they could still find themselves in C Section if, as has happened in the past, division numbers or re-organisation cull more than two teams from the bottom division.

Upcoming Coach Education Courses in 2012

Interested in coaching badminton? The following is a list of the next coach education courses taking place in the North West.

• UKCC Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Badminton
  Starts 13th May 2012 @ Markland Hill Racquet Sports and Fitness Club, Bolton.
• UKCC Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Badminton
  Starts 21st April 2012 @ Bellevue Leisure Centre, Manchester.

If you are interested in attending the course or require more information contact coaching@badmintonengland.co.uk and check out badmintonengland.co.uk/coaching.

Lancashire ICC Matches at Bolton Arena

Come down and support Lancashire's 2nd team as they battle it out against Yorkshire in Inter County Championship Division 1 top of the table clash being held at Bolton Arena on Sunday 25th March. Starts at 12noon and will feature top local players Tom Monk, Mark Tuttle, Alan Clarkson, Darren Whitley and Lizie Holt. At 1pm you will also be able to watch Lancashire's 4th team who are in action against Derbyshire.

Cup Finals 2012

The cup finals for the 2011/12 season will be taking place on Wednesday 4th April at Bolton Arena.

Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup Final: Forrest B vs Park
Robert Cup Final: Metropolitan B vs Bolton Lads & Girls A

Players are asked to arrive by 7:45pm to enable a prompt start of play at 8pm. Bolton Arena has a viewing gallery so supporters are welcome to attend.

Week 20 News

With only a handful of matches left in the Bolton Badminton League Bury BC look like retaining the championship and finishing the season unbeaten.

The side has proved superior to all the A Section teams, conceding only 37 games so far and winning 251 to give them a maximum 32 points from 16 matches. In a repeat of last season’s results, Markland Hill A are likely to be runners up - they’re currently two points adrift but Bury have a match in hand - with Forrest A or Hawkshaw A in third place.

Markland Hill A staked their claim to top honours with a useful 14-4 win over Forrest A in their latest fixture. Forrest top couple Christine Seddon and Stuart Holden put up a tough fight in all their mixed games, ensuring one victory and losing another 23-25. For Markland Hill, their top couple Tracey Walker and Paul Hope kept a clean sheet but Forrest took both top ladies’ doubles. These, however, were their only remaining wins as Markland Hill cleared the board to ensure both points.

DL Farnworth A maintain their hold at the top of B Section with Oakgate B nearest challengers three points away but with a match in hand. The Farnworth team have lead the division for most of the season and cemented their promotion hopes with a 14-4 win over Markland Hill D. Oakgate, however, have a tricky fixture against fourth-placed Hawkshaw C next week to overcome before they can plan any A Section fixtures.

Metro A have their chance this week to cement their promotion hopes for B Section badminton when they take on fourth-placed Farnworth C at Metro’s Bolton Arena home. Leaders Forrest D have to play them as well but they must first overcome the notoriously difficult task of playing GMT away in a fortnight. Forrest, however, have a three point cushion and still look favourites for the C Section silverware.

The top two in D Section remain locked in a battle of points: Moorside B have 34 from 18 matches and Westhoughton C 32 from 17. This section is likely to go right to the wire as Westhoughton face the challenge of third-placed Lads and Girls Club A next week which could prove pivotal.

This section has proved extremely competitive this season, as the match between Moorside D and DL Farnworth D - two teams outside the promotion zone - showed. Judith Parker and Phil Wignall kicked off the scoring for Moorside, starting a run of mixed games which gave the home team a 7-3 lead, extending it to 9 games when both top ladies’ went their way.

Farnworth, however, refused to be beaten and fought back to take all the final men’s games. Unfortunately for them, Moorside won both the second ladies’ games to reach 11 and take both points from a match which featured close scores and competitive play throughout.

The Badminton Mile for Sport Relief 2012

On Saturday 24th March 2012, Wigan Sports Development will be supporting Sport Relief by encouraging everyone to take part in "The Badminton Mile" at Howe Bridge Sports Centre from 10am - 11am. To complete 1 mile, fundraisers will need to walk, jog or run 120 lengths of a Badminton court. This can be done individually or in a team (max 3 people). Prizes will be given for the winners in both categories.

For more info on setting up a Sport Relief Giving Page, visit http://www.sportrelief.com/faqs#_onlinesportreliefgivingpages.

If you have any questions please contact 01942 404982 or e-mail s.dixon@wlct.org.

Swizzels Matlow Silver Junior Badminton Tournament 2012

The Swizzels Matlow Silver Badminton Tournament is back for 2012! The tournament features singles competitions for boys and girls in 4 different age categories:

• Under 11s
• Under 13s
• Under 15s
• Under 18s

The tournament will be taking place on Friday 13th April 2012 (during the Easter holidays) starting from 9:30am at the National Cycling Centre (Manchester Velodrome), which has plenty of courts, seating and a cafe. The entry fee is only £3 per player with all players treated to plenty of Swizzles Matlow sweets.

The entry form can be downloaded here. The deadline for entries is Friday 30th March 2012.

Week 19 News

Deane A team are having one of their best seasons in the Bolton Badminton League with promotion to A Section in their sights and a place in the semi-final of the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup.

They were playing the semi at home against perennial fellow B Section side Park, which boasts some of the best ladies in B Section, and their position in the section’s promotion zone meant it was likely the handicap would favour Park so every point was important.

Deane started well with top couple Bharthi Bhudia and Suresh Patel taking the first set 18 and 12 before Park’s top couple Barbara Gillette and Phil Pilling won theirs to 9 and 17 to push Park’s score nicely. Jean Smith and Michael Wood did the most damage for Deane in the mixed with their remaining games, but the match was still anybody’s going into the men’s and ladies’ doubles.

Park’s top ladies’ partnership Barbara Gillette and Tina Boyes then inflicted real damage on Deane by taking the first ladies’ game to 8, although Bharthi Budia and Lisa Wintle came back to take the second to 19. Suresh Patel and Brian Strickland took both top men’s games for Deane 18 and 15 but when Park’s second ladies’ pairing, Tina with Barbara Nowell, took both second ladies’ games to 15 and 8, Deane must have sensed they were in trouble.

Michael Wood and Brian Strickland, however, took the second men’s games to 17 and 15 to make Deane’s score 320 but when the handicap envelope revealed +96 for Park, this gave them 422 points and a place in the final.

In the other semi-final in this cup competition, Forrest B – just outside the A Section relegation zone – played away at DL Farnworth B’s David Lloyd Centre base. Farnworth are in the B Section relegation zone so could expect help from the handicap.

Caroline Wood and Pete Taylor for Forrest took the opening set to 16 and 14 and Lisa Harrison and Will Wiseman helped their side even further with wins to 10 and 8 from their mixed games. Farnworth kept up the points’ tally wherever possible but were hard put to reach significant double figures in the mixed games.

They fared slightly better in the men’s and ladies’ games but Forrest had the bit between their teeth and finished as they started: racking up the points, to  reach 377. The handicap gave Farnworth +145 - not quite enough to beat their determined opponents and Forrest  now progress to the final next month.

In the Robert Cup competition, both Bolton Lads and Girls Club teams made it to the semi-final although the club’s B team match against Metro B was postponed until later this week. The club’s A team, which is currently third-placed in D Section, faced Forrest G four places below them. The handicap would favour Forrest, but it was vital that they kept scoring well to take advantage of it. Meyoni Algarmi and Shezad Khan started well for BLGC with wins to 14 and 15 but Forrest’s Louise Quayle and Ben Roberts immediately pulled back points with a win to 15 in their first mixed. Unfortunately for Forrest, BLGC’s Piomi Algama and Sam Muschamp hit back immediately, taking the second game to a very useful 6.

Apart from a shared top ladies, BLGC won all the level doubles including a men’s game to 9 and finished on 370 points. Forrest’s handicap proved to be +95 which took them to 340 but not enough to progress. Now, BLGC will be hoping to make this cup final an all club affair.

Week 18 News

Westhoughton A gave their team and club a boost when they hauled themselves well away from the B Section relegation zone in the Bolton Badminton League with two crucial wins.

Their clash against Markland Hill D was equally pivotal and both teams set off at the double, with home team Markland Hill’s top couple Kath Gorner and Gary Lowe just losing out 20-22 to Westhoughton’s Alison Muddiman and James Lawson. This set off a run of games for the visitors, stopped only temporarily by Pam Yates and Geoff Williams and by the end of the mixed doubles Westhoughton had ensured at least one point from nine games.

The top ladies’ set was shared but, apart from one of the hard-fought men’s, Markland Hill was severely restricted by Westhoughton and now find themselves facing relegation. Westhoughton settled themselves in mid-table with a useful 11-7 win against Sharples A.

In the same section, DL Farnworth B and Sharples B also had a critical clash but with a much closer result. Farnworth, playing at home, took the opening set in fine style thanks to Georgina Ryding and Andrew Clarke, but Louise Enderby and Andy Woods came back for the visitors to level the scores. Sharples just had the better of the mixed and were ahead 6-4 before the top ladies’ games were immediately shared.

Andy Woods and David Saunders took both top men’s to put Sharples in the driving seat and when Anne Marie Saunders and Marion Anderson took the first of the second ladies’ set, the match belonged to the visitors. Farnworth came back to take the final three games of the night but couldn’t prevent either both points going Sharples’ way or their progress towards C Section badminton next  season.

As Forrest D remain firmly entrenched at the top of C Section, the two closest teams are still pushing for their crack at B Section. So when Deane B entertained Metro A it was always going to be a tough match which kicked off with the opening set divided. Metro’s top couple Barbara Butterworth and Mike Horrocks pushed Metro into the lead with both their games and third couple Joanne Holden and Steve Foster added their two mixed.

Deane came back to snatch the next three games and leave the scores level, but competition continued in the opening ladies’ game when Anna Anderson and Bharthi Bhudia for Deane won the first 25-23 and the second to 17 to put the home side in front. The top men’s games were shared but when Janice Munns and Bharthi Bhudia took both second ladies’  games, Deane had the necessary 10 games for the points. They added both final men’s for a 12-6 scoreline and enhanced their promotion hopes. However, there is still a chance for Metro who have matches in hand over both the top teams in this section.

Moorside B have taken the top spot in D Section over Westhoughton C, although the latter have a match in hand. Moorside showed their strength in their home match against Metro B which proved highly competitive initially. Amanda Bracegirdle and Steve Gittens snatched both opening games 22-20, 21-18 to start Moorside scoring, and Lynn Barnard and Geoff Everitt added two more.

Metro showed their mettle by splitting the next two sets, but by the end of the mixed Moorside were ahead 6-4. Amanda Bracegirdle and Joanne Egan took both opening ladies, and Steve Gittins and Phil Wignall took both top men’s to clinch the points. Moorside continued with a clean sweep, and the match ran out 13-5 to maintain the team’s plans for C Section badminton.

Week 17 News

Bury BC stand at the top of the Bolton Badminton League as potential championship title holders after dismissing the challenge of nearest rivals Markland Hill for the second time.

The talented Bury side is now the only unbeaten team in the League as C Section leaders Forrest D drew one match and Westhoughton C – who have had the top of D Section to themselves for most of the season – lost one. Having twice played both Markland Hill A and third placed Forrest A, the biggest challenge for Bury remains fourth-placed Hawkshaw A whom they play this week.

D.L. Farnworth A remain in top spot in B Section but Oakgate B are just three points behind and with a match in hand and Deane A are also on 22 points to make the remaining run-up to promotion this season interesting.

Forrest D have also had a successful first half of the season at the top of C Section without dropping a point – until they entertained Metro A, currently lying third in the division but on 20 points and with three matches in hand over the leaders and second-placed Deane B. Pratibha Patel and Steve Irvine got Forrest off to the best possible start, taking both opening games to 11 and 9. The next set also went the visitors’ way before Metro third couple Joanne Holden and Steve Foster took both their mixed to kickstart their team’s campaign.

At the end of the mixed games, however, Forrest had a useful 7-3 lead and must have scented victory with just two more games to clinch one point and three for a win. However, Metro’s strength lies in its men’s and ladies and both top ladies’ immediately went their way. Top men’s and second ladies’ sets were shared but Metro kept up the pressure and pegged Forrest on 9 to clear the rest of the games and force a draw.

D Section has also been hotly contested this season, in spite of Westhoughton C’s runaway start and the current tussle with Moorside B at the top. Forrest G and Metro B showed exactly what League competition is all about when they enjoyed an exciting evening’s badminton at Bolton Arena. For Forrest, Lauren Gittins and Ben Roberts took the opening set in positive style before Metro forced Forrest to share the second and third sets.

Veteran Metro top pairing Carole and Dennis Corbett proved pivotal in taking both their second mixed games to edge Metro into a 6-4 lead. But Lauren Gittins and Steph Hill put Forrest back on track with the first of their top ladies 22-20. In spite of Metro taking the second of this set and forcing Forrest to share second ladies, Forrest caught up to 8-8 with just the final men’s games to play. Ronan Considine and Chris Latham put on a fine display here to take the first to 16 and then the second to 12 to ensure two points for Forrest from a nail biting match.

Week 16 News

Competition is hotting up in the Bolton Badminton League’s B Section where leaders DL Farnworth A and Oakgate B are vying for divisional honours.

Farnworth has had the best of the season so far but Oakgate has kept scoring and went into their home match with the leaders in their usual determined style.

The closeness of the two teams was immediately apparent in the opening game, which Oakgate clinched 23-21, and the rest of the mixed was shared out equally to put the teams at 5-5 going into the men’s and ladies’ doubles. Predictably, top ladies’ and men’s sets were both shared and second ladies’ went the same way.

When Andrew Clarke and Tim Barrow snatched the final men’s game 23-21 it looked like Farnworth might run out eventual winners, but K Gibbins and I Khan came back to take the last game of the night to 15 and force a draw. Farnworth now remain at No.1 in the division by a single point but both teams will now be looking for clean sheets to maintain their hopes of both silverware and promotion – and of reducing the threat of Deane A.

Deane A, meanwhile, also kept their sights set on A Section when they entertained Westhoughton A at home. Top Deane couple Janice Jackson and Suresh Patel took the first game of the night, but Westhoughton came back to take the second. Deane, though, had the best of the mixed games and were 7-3 leaders.

Janice Jackson and Teresa Gough proved why they are among the division’s most reliable ladies’ pairings by taking both their games, and team-mates Suresh Patel and Brian Strickland added one of their topmen’s to clinch the match. Westhoughton added two more ladies and a final men’s game for a 12-6 score line but Deane took another step towards their promotion chances.

Consistent ladies also helped Deane B’s position in their C Section clash against Sharples C. Deane also lie in third place in their division with unbeaten Forrest D still in control and Metro A in second spot. After sharing the opening set, Deane raced into a commanding lead in the mixed games and were 8-2 ahead going into the men’s and ladies’.

Here, the strong pairing of Bharthi Bhudia and Anna Anderson made no mistakes in taking both games to 9 and 12, ensuring two points for their team. Deane then cleaned up in the rest of the games for a useful 16-2 scoreline.

D Sections remains a closely - contested division with even the soaring lead of unbeaten Westhoughton C now being rivalled by Moorside B, although Westhoughton have a match in hand. Moorside C and Lads and Girls B are some distance from the promotion zone currently, but their latest fixture proved highly competitive.

The mixed games were shared throughout to leave them on level - pegging, but Rhian Vickers and June Whelan struck first in their top ladies’ doubles to put Moorside in the lead. Inayate Ali and Lee Bailey took the first of the top men’s for Lads and Girls Club but when Moorside’s second ladies’ duo took both ladies,the points belonged to their team.

Lads and Girls kept fighting and took the first of the final men’s, forcing the second to 21-23 and the 11-7 scoreline reflected a match which did both teams credit.

John Culshaw Badminton Tournament 2012

The John Culshaw Badminton Tournament is being organised by Blackburn and District Badminton Association and Hyndburn Borough Council. The tournament will take place on Sunday 11th March 2012 at Hyndburn Sports Centre, Accrington from 10am until 4pm.

The tournament is team based with each team consisting of 2 ladies and 2 men. Matches will be played in a round robin format with a mixture of mens, ladies and mixed matches.

The deadline for entries is Sunday 26th February 2012. Click here to download the entry form.

Annual Presentation 2011/12

The Bolton Badminton League's Annual Presentation Dance will be held on Friday 20th April 2012. Once again it will be held at Horwich RMI Club on Chorley New Road. Tickets cost £10. Players should order tickets via their club's secretary.

Week 15 News

Markland Hill A kept the pressure on reigning champions Bury A at the top of the Bolton League A Section.

The Bolton team are just two points behind Bury after both romped to victory in their latest outings.

Bury marched on with a 14-4 home win against Hawkshaw B when the leaders’ top couple, Nicki McGrath and Scott Webber, kept a clean sheet in the mixed doubles.

They extended their lead to 8-2 ahead after the mixed, when Nicki McGrath and Nicola Duerden put the match beyond Hawkshaw’s grasp with both top ladies’ games.

Hawkshaw added two men’s games to their tally, but the final score emphasised the gap between Bury and most of the other teams in the top division.

Markland Hill A kicked off the new year with an even more resounding 17-1 victory at visiting Oakgate A.

The home side’s top couple, Katrina McKeen and Simon Froud, pushed Markland Hill’s Wendy Higgin and Albert Mahoney before the visitors wrapped it up.

After this hiccup, Markland Hill stormed through the mixed games to clinch the points. They then took all but one of the men’s and ladies’ games, Oakgate’s Danny Lockey and Nyan Min taking one of the last men’s games for a 17-1 scoreline.

Forrest D retained their domination of C Section with a 15-3 win against Smithills A, and Moorside B kept up their promotion hopes with an 18-0 whitewash of DL Farnworth D.

But Moorside will have their work cut out to prevent unbeaten Westhoughton C, made up of some of the former Chowbent club players, from winning the league.

Members Day at Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2012

BADMINTON England are offering members the chance to apply for free tickets for Members Day (Tuesday 6th March 2012) at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships 2012. Tickets are limited to 2 per member and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

To apply for tickets email membership@badmintonengland.co.uk with the subject "RE: YAE Members Day Free Tickets" and provide the following information:

• Full Name
• BADMINTON England Membership Number
• Date of Birth
• Number of Tickets (1 or 2)
• Full address that tickets should be sent to

The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 5th February 2012. Tickets will then be distributed later in the month.

Tickets for all 6 days of the All England Championships are still available here. Members of BADMINTON England can use the promotion code "BEMAE12" to obtain a discount.

English National Badminton Championships 2012 - REMINDER

In just 3 weeks time the English National Badminton Championships will be taking place at Bolton Arena. The championships will take place 3rd - 5th February 2012 with the best players from across England competing to be crowned the National Champion. Tickets start from as little as £8 for Badminton England members. Tickets are available now so why not order yours now and watch some fantastic badminton thats available right on your door step!

Week 14 News

Deane A just need to keep their nerve to gift themselves A Section play in the Bolton Badminton League next season.

Just denied promotion from B Section last season, they are currently a solid second in this section behind runaway leaders DL Farnworth A and handed out a 14-4 defeat to DL Farnworth B in their latest fixture.

A mixture of youth and experience helped them to an early start, in spite of dogged persistence from Farnworth’s second mixed couple Irene Crompton and Ajith Babu  and top couple Lynda Marney and Andrew Clarke.

However, Deane went into the men’s and ladies with a commanding 7-3 lead and immediately guaranteed at least one point when Bharti Bhudia and Teresa Gough took both top ladies’ games before the team cruised to ultimate victory.

Forrest D cemented their lead at the top of C Section by fending off the challenge of third-placed DL Farnworth C – but they certainly didn’t have it all their own way.

The opening set was shared before Forrest’s top couple Gerry Carter and Ian Winrow took both their games. Further split games underlined the initial closeness of the sides, but Forrest’s second couple Pratibha Patel and Mark Allan nudged Forrest into a 6-4 lead with their final mixed games.

Forrest capitalised on this with both top ladies’ games, courtesy of Gerry Carter and Georgina King, but Farnworth came back when Jason Horsfall and Ajith Babu took both top men’s.

Now, Farnworth needed to take all the remaining games to snatch a win, but Forrest had other plans. They swept the board for a 12-6 win, to extend their unbeaten run.

GMT and Deane B are also pushing for promotion in the top half of C Section so their clash at GMT was pivotal.

The evening proved to be a classic nail-biter with sets either shared or close – and the battle of the No.1 couples went to an unprecedented 30-29 in the first game! Home second couple Gail Bygrave and Paul Barnes, however, managed both their final mixed to give GMT a slender 6-4 advantage going into the men’s and ladies’ games.

Deane immediately pulled this back with both top ladies, then added both top men’s.

When GMT’s second ladies’ pairing Gail Bygrave and Andrea McCabe won both their games, the points hinged on the final men’s set. Paul Barnes and Dave Fallows put up a tremendous fight but Kanti Mistry and Pravin Pindolia triumphed 17 and 13 to give Deane both points from an exciting 8-10 victory.

Week 13 News

At the Bolton Badminton League’s halfway stage Bury keep their two-point lead  in A Section and look confident of repeating last season’s championship success.

Markland Hill A are nearest challengers but Hawkshaw A have increased their points’ tally to take third spot, underlining their determination with a 18-0 win over Forrest C.

DL Farnworth A remain at the head of B Section although Oakgate B have pushed Deane A into third place, beating DL Farnworth B with a useful 13-5 scoreline.

At the other end of the section, Westhoughton A notched up a handy win over relegation rivals Sharples B. The mixed games see-sawed to emphasise the closeness of these two teams – the third couple’s first clash resulted in 26-24 – with only Sharples’ top couple Louise Enderby and David Saunders making their mark.

Westhoughton’s strength in the men’s and ladies, though, ensured they almost swept the board for a 14-4 win.

Forrest D continue their domination of C Section with Metro A the nearest threat. Metro didn’t have things all their own way, however, when they visited  Smithills A who are in the second half of the table.

Smithills’top couple Linda Singh and Malcolm Rolfe took the opening game before Carole Cooper and David Smith pulled one back. By the end of the mixed, however, it was Smithills who were in the lead 6-4.

Metro’s top ladies Barbara Butterworth and Joanne Holden battled to take the first ladies’ game 22-20 from Linda Singh and Diane Leigh, and then repeated the same scoreline in the second. And after the top men’s set was shared, Metro cleaned up the final four games to take the highly competitive match 11-7.

Westhoughton C retain their unbeaten grip on D Section with Moorside B and Bolton Lads & Girls A hot on their heels. Westhoughton, without Alison Muddiman but with useful experienced player Mandy Malloy, emphasised their superiority in this section with a 17-1 win over Smithills B.

Moorside B beat their own club’s D team 18-0 in a match where the D team’s No.1 man Stewart Hall gave a particularly creditable performance.

Bolton Lads & Girls B put up a tough fight against Metro C, four places above them in this section. The first match of the night went to 20-22 with Kirsty Patterson and Lee Bailey just losing out to Delia Topping and Derek Bold before taking the second.

Metro top couple Chris Everett and Mike Ollerton took all four of their games convincingly to push Metro’s score to 9-1 after the mixed . Lads and Girls continued  to push them, taking four of the men’s and ladies’ games, but couldn’t stop Metro emerging 15-3 winners.

Try Out Yonex Rackets

Maurice Robinson Sports will be running a Yonex promotion event on Saturday 17th December from 1-3pm at Bolton Arena. The event will give players a great chance to try all the different Yonex rackets, play games and have some fun.

Week 12 News - Cup Round 2

Bolton Lads and Girls Club’s two badminton teams enjoyed a successful run in the cup thanks to determined play and good handicapping.

The A team is currently third in D Section and the B team bottom, but both came out fighting for the Robert Cup clashes. The A team played Forrest E from the foot of C Section and, after closely fought games, the handicap was revealed at +20 – giving  Lads and Girls victory by a single point!

The B team could expect a better handicap against Moorside A from mid-table in C Section, and Moorside set off well with top couple Sue Beamer and Andrew Taylor taking the opening games 11 and 10.

As expected, Moorside dominated, but Lads and Girls kept up the scoring rate and when the handicap was announced at +250 this paid off.

Moorside’s B and C teams were drawn against each other, resulting in a very competitive match. Amanda Bracegirdle and Steve Gittins got the B team off the mark with their first mixed set to 12 and 10. C team top couple Judith Parker and David Wood, however, showed their mettle by taking their first game to 12 and  adding a further mixed game to keep the points coming.

Steve Gittins and Phil Wignall restricted the top men’s scores to help the B team’s tally and Lyn Barnard and Joanne Egan took both second ladies to 8 and 7 to add more. The C team kept battling until the end, but when the +90 handicap was added to their score it fell short of the B team’s by 15 points.

Another club where two of the teams were drawn against each other in the cup was Sharples which has both its A and B teams in B Section, the A mid table and the B third from the bottom.

Both teams began well and the mixed was hard fought with several games close. The B team’s top lady Louise Enderby in particular had tough games. She and David Saunders’ clash with the A team’s top couple went to 25-23 and 21-15, and then she figured in the first of the top ladies’ games which resulted in 26-24.

The closeness of the match was reflected in the points’ tally:  339 for the B team to the A Team’s 341. But the B team’s handicap of +40 ultimately gave them progress to the quarter finals.

Forrest A are currently riding high in A Section so DL Farnworth B at the foot of B Section were bound to have good handicap help in the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup competition.

Christine Seddon and Stuart Holden gave Forrest a kickstart by winning their first game to 3 but Ireme Crompton and Mark Kirkman came back to score 14 in the second to set Farnworth scoring.

Forrest managed to restrict a couple of games to single figures in the mixed, and continued with top ladies to 6 and 8 but  Farnworth kept up the fight and were rewarded with a +290 handicap to give them 455 to Forrest’s creditable 378 and passage to the next round.

Week 11 News

Determined Deane A just missed promotion to the League’s top-flight last season but are currently on course for A Section badminton.

They’re comfortably behind B Section leaders DL Farnworth A, just a point away and with a match in hand over the leaders, and shrugging off promotion wannabes.

Markland Hill D were the latest victims when Deane visited the Heaton tennis club minus one lady. Having to concede all six second ladies’ games, however, spurred on the visitors who took five of the remaining mixed games to keep themselves in the match.

Deane’s remaining ladies – Teresa Gough and Bharthi Bhudia – proved their strength in the ladies by taking both games. The men responded to this lead with their two to ensure at least one point for Deane going into the final men’s set.

Markland Hill teens Jamie Booth and Stefan Halsall took the first game to 19, but the experience of Mike Wood and Brian Strickland told in the last game of the night. They won it to 14 to give Deane two points from a bravely fought fixture.

Markland Hill A currently lead A Section in a neck-and-neck fight with Bury, with Hawkshaw A still in contention three points adrift of the leaders but one point ahead of Forrest A.

So when Hawkshaw and Forrest clashed, it was always going to be an exciting evening’s badminton. June Lord and Matt Green started well for Hawkshaw with both their opening mixed games before Forrest top couple Christine Seddon and W Wiseman took both theirs.

Hawkshaw edged into a 6-4 lead after the mixed before sharing the top ladies’ set. Matt Green and Scott Heywood added two more for  Hawkshaw, and when Jenny Roy and Claire Edmondon took the first of the second ladies’ games, Hawkshaw had 10 games and both points.

The final two men’s also went to Hawkshaw for a 12-6 result, Forrest’s misery compounded when stalwart Ron Welsh suffered an injury in the last game of the night.

Farnworth C have their fingers crossed for promotion from C Section and are currently second behind high-fliers Forrest D. They nearly suffered a real upset, however, when they went to Bolton Arena to play Forrest F who are at the bottom of the section.

The visitors took the first three games before Forrest won one, sparking a plucky fightback. Farnworth were 6-4 ahead going into the men’s and ladies’ games and, after sharing top ladies’, took both top men’s

However, Brenda Shott and Lindsay Tait for Forrest won both second ladies’ games, and when Paul Skivington and Andy Worthington added a second men’s game the scores were 9-7 to Farnworth.

Jason Horsfall and Raj Kurian dug in to wrap up the match with the final game to 21 to give Farnworth a 10-8 victory and two points from a lucky escape.

Greater Manchester Sports Awards

The Greater Manchester Sports Awards took place on Friday 11th November 2011 at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club. Katharine Merry, former world 400m number one and an Olympic bronze medallist at Sydney 2000 was guest of honour and presented the trophies. Katharine is now a mentor to junior athletes as well as working in radio and TV, and as a trackside presenter at major events.

Each nominee had already won their borough awards and were hoping to become Greater Manchester winner in their category. Unfortunately Forrest Badminton Club lost out this time in the Club of The Year category to Charlestown Netball Club from Salford. However Hazel Johnson from Bolton Lads and Girls Badminton Club was successful in her category. Hazel won the Greater Manchester award for Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year. Congratulations Hazel!

Level 1 Badminton Coaching Course

A course teaching the UKCC Level 1 Certificate in Coaching Badminton is being held in March 2012 in Liverpool. Places are still available. Those interested should take a look at the information and application form on Badminton England's website.

Funding may be available for those that apply for the course before January. For more information contact Vicki Maltby.

North West Tri-Badminton Series 2011/12

The North West Tri-Badminton Series 2011/12 is an opportunity for teams of 4 or 5 players who play badminton socially (for example people who do not play in a league based club) to compete against other social players across the North West. Teams from No Strings Badminton, Back to Badminton and social badminton clubs are able to participate.

The event has already take place in Wigan in October and comes to Manchester on Sunday 29th January at Bellevue Leisure Centre. Entry for the Manchester event is now open with a deadline of 12th January. If you have any questions about the event please get in touch with Vicki Maltby from Badminton England.

The entry form can be downloaded here.

Week 10 News

Forrest D are one of the few teams currently unbeaten in the Bolton Badminton League and on course for promotion.

They came down from B Section last season but are looking for a swift return – as latest opponents mid-table Moorside A discovered when the two clashed at Moorside’s Smithills base.

Gerry Carter and Ian Winrow opened the scoring for the visitors, starting a run of games that Moorside third couple Lilian Croston and Steve Gatting managed to temporarily halt.

However, this proved to be Moorside’s only mixed success and Forrest were assured of a least a point before starting the men’s and ladies’ games with a 9-1 lead. They continued to dominate in both top ladies’ before top men’s doubles were shared. The final two men’s also went the home team’s way but they couldn’t prevent a 14-4 scoreline for Forrest and two more points towards the silverware.

C Section is particularly tight behind leaders Westhoughton C and several current matches ended in a draw. One of the most exciting was Forrest E’s home encounter with Westhoughton B when the home side set off at a gallop, taking the first four games.

Westhoughton fought back with the next four and by the end of the mixed the score was 5-5. The top ladies’ set was split before Mark Allan and Steve Tran took both top men’s for Forrest. Linda Redford and Louise Atherton kept Westhoughton in the hunt with both second ladies’ games – the second 26-24. The final men’s proved as exciting as the rest of the night. The first game went to Forrest 23-21 before the last game of the night was won by Westhoughton to level the score and share the points.

The close competition continues throughout all the league’s divisions, as a D Section fixture between Forrest G and Moorside D - both close to the bottom of the league - revealed.

Played at Forrest’s Arena home, it was Moorside D who scored the first double victory thanks to Moorside top couple Helen Williamson and Stuart Hall. Jean Goody and Simon Ball kept up the good work for Moorside with the first of their mixed, but Stephanie Hill and Ronan Considine got the first 21 for Forrest. When Helen and Stuart added two more and Jean and Simon another game, Moorside took 7-3 lead.

The top men’s and ladies’ set were divided but Forrest needed to take the rest to win and when Jean Goody and Hazel Pennington took one of the second ladies’ set, the points went to the visitors. Forrest won the final two men’s games but were kept out of the points for a 10-8 win thanks to Moorside’s earlier mixed performance.

Howe Bridge Badminton Junior and Social Tournament 2011

Howe Bridge Badminton Club will be holding a tournament for social (non-league players) and junior players (U16s, U14s and U12s). The tournament takes place on Sunday 11th December 2011 at Howe Bridge Leisure Centre, Eckersley Fold Lane, Atherton, Manchester, Lancashire M46 0RQ.

Singles - 9am
Doubles - 12 noon

• Men's & Ladies Singles (Social)
• Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (U16’s, U14’s & U12’s)
• Level Doubles (Social, U16’s, U14’s & U12’s)

Entry Fees (per player):

• Social events - £5 per event
• Junior Events - £4 per event

Entry Closing Date: Monday 5th December 2011

You can download the entry form here.

Badminton Player Survey

BADMINTON England are asking you to tell them about your experience of playing badminton – how and why you got involved; what you do now... and you could win one of five £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers in time for that trip to the shops for your Christmas shopping.

BADMINTON England is currently gathering information and data for their next funding submission to Sport England. To help them refine their future work, improve their services, identify new opportunities, improve the experience of everyone involved in badminton and raise standards of performance, they are keen to find out more about the experiences of badminton players in England.

The deadline for the survey is Wednesday 7^th December. All submissions will be entered into a free prize draw to win one of five £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers.

To complete the survey, click here.

Week 9 News

Determined Oakgate B want to repeat last season’s success in the Bolton Badminton League and earn themselves top-flight play.

The team didn’t drop a point as C Section champions but have found B Section much heavier going, losing one match and drawing one so far. They are, however, only a point or two off the leaders and showed fine form when they visited Sharples A.

Oakgate’s second mixed couple A Mason and K Gibbins led the way with their opening game to 16 before Sharples’ top couple R Dagnall and Martin Headley took the second back 24-22.

By the end of the hard-fought mixed sets, Oakgate had gone into a 7-3 lead. Sharples came back with both top ladies’ games but those were the last the home side managed and Oakgate took the match 13-5 and with two more points towards promotion hopes.

Meanwhile in A Section, Oakgate A had a tougher match against on form current champions Bury. They found themselves six games adrift before managing any mixed games, managing just three with two from their second couple A McKinly and D Lockey. Unfortunately for Oakgate, they won only one more, a second ladies’ game, to give Bury a largely untroubled 14-4 win.

While Westhoughton C are running away with D Section and unbeaten so far, the teams behind them are busy vying for important points towards promotion. Moorside B remain second but Bolton Lads and Girls Club A, having their best season so far, lie in third place.

They are just ahead of Smithills B but when Smithills visited the Lads and Girls Club’s Spa Road base, it was the home team that proved the stronger. Mayuni Algama and Shehzad Khan set the ball rolling with both their opening top mixed games before Moorside’s top couple Lorraine Shepherd and Kenneth Lee took one back 24-22.

It was the home team, however which had the best of the mixed, moving into a useful 7-3 lead. They then capitalised on the men’s and ladies’ games, restricting Smithills to single figures in most of these, for a final 15-3 scoreline.

The league honoured three of its former officials at a special reception at the De Vere Whites Hotel. As league president Ray Schofield told assembled representatives from local clubs, Graham Crompton and Mike Jennings had each notched up more than 25 years helping run the league.

He praised their dedication and hard work which has helped keep the Bolton League strong when some other leagues had diminished. They each received engraved watches along with the league’s thanks and Helen Stuart, league treasure for five years who had also volunteered so much of her time, was also thanked and presented with an engraved crystal bowl.

Week 8 News

Unbeaten Bury dominate the top division of the Bolton Badminton League with former championship title-holders Hawkshaw A their latest victims.

They certainly didn’t have the match all their own way, however. Hawkshaw pushed Bury all the way and were 6-4 ahead after the mixed doubles. Strong Bury third couple Liz Holt and Scott Webber then ensured that all but one of the men’s and ladies’ games went their way, and Hawkshaw only managed to add one ladies’ game to their final tally for an 11-7 Bury win.

Markland Hill A, currently second-placed in A Section, also kept up their title threat with a 16-2 win over Hawkshaw B and third-placed Forrest A had the same scoreline over their C team.

DL Farnworth A are still just ahead of Deane A at the top of B Section and initially looked shaky in their home match against Sharples A. The teams were level after the mixed but solid play from home third couple J Owen and Tim Barrow ensured a final 12-6 Farnworth win.

At the other end of this section, Westhoughton A had their hopes boosted when visiting team Markland Hill D turned up without a third man, gifting them six games. The visitors, though, dug in to drop only two more games and snatch a 10-8 win from the nail-biting encounter.

DL Farnworth C are currently second in C Section and set off like an express train in their home clash with Sharples C. Farnworth top couple Georgina Ryding and Dave Forester took their opening set to 11 and 12, starting a run of games which left Farnworth 9-1 ahead after the mixed.

Linda Duckworth and Marion Anderson took the first of the top ladies’ games for Sharples, but the visitors were only able to add one more against a consistent side with Farnworth emerging 15-3 victors.

Metro A and Moorside A are both in the top half of this keenly-contested division, and this closeness of standard showed when they met at Moorside’s Smithills sports centre base. Judith Standish and Richard Beamer got the home side off to a good start with both their opening games and Moorside were  in a 6-4 lead after the mixed, but Metro started a run of games taking both top ladies’ – the second 29-27.  When David Smith and Steve Foster took the final two men’s games in a tight set, Metro had clinched the points 10-8.

Westhoughton C – formed from the old Chowbent badminton club – dominate D Section with Bolton Lads and Girls Club A in hot pursuit. Smithills B are among the top four teams pushing for promotion but had a fight on their hands against DL Farnworth D.

Games see-sawed during the mixed, but Smithills managed a 6-4 lead and, in spite of some very close games, kept a clean sheet to emerge 14-4 victors.

English National Badminton Championships 2012

This year the English National Badminton Championships come to Bolton Arena! The championships will take place 3rd - 5th February 2012 with the best players from across England competing to be crowned the National Champion. Tickets start from as little as £8 for Badminton England members. Tickets are available now so why not order yours now and watch some fantastic badminton thats available right on your door step!

Week 7 News - Robert Cup Round 1

Handicapped cup matches may give all teams a chance of success but in the Bolton Badminton League’s first round one team simply emphasised its supremacy.

Forrest D has already established a comfortable lead at the top of C Section. So when bottom team Smithills A visited Forrest’s Bolton Arena base, they must have been hoping for a decent handicap to boost their cup hopes.

Unfortunately, Forrest’s No.1 couple Jacquie Carter and Steve Irvine took the opening games to 8 and 9, and second home couple Elaine Power and Mark Allan then won theirs 11 and 3.

As points make prizes in this competition, Smithills had some work to do. But their third couple, Lesley Heyes and David Edwards, dug in to take the first of their mixed to 18, and Linda Singh and Malcolm Rolfe added their final two mixed to 14 and 12 to boost the Smithills’ cause.

Forrest, however, pushed ahead in the men’s and ladies’ games, losing just one (to 15), and ensuring wins in the rest in spite of Smithills battling throughout. When the handicaps’ envelope was opened at the end of the match, Smithills found that +120 was not quite enough to beat Forrest who took the match 353-343.

EDIT: Please note that since the writing of his column Forrest D have been disqualified. Smithills A will therefore go through to the next round of the Robert Cup.

In the same division, DL Farnworth C are in second place and Moorside A fourth so the two sides are evenly matched. Farnworth struck first when Julie Butler and Jason Horsfall took both opening games to 16, but it was Moorside who had the better of the mixed sets. They restricted  Farnworth to fairly low scores and ensured they kept their own high.

When they took the first ladies’ games 11 and 11 and the second 12 and 9, thanks to steady support from third lady Joanne Egan, they put themselves in the driving seat. Even both final men’s games going to Farnworth via sterling work from Jason Horsfall and Ajath Babu couldn’t make enough difference. When the handicap was revealed as scratch each, Moorside progressed to the next round 341-287.

The importance of fighting for every point was underlined by Bolton Lads and Girls Club B when they played Sharples C away.

The home side are currently at the bottom of C Section and BLGC B towards the bottom of D so the handicap was always going to favour the latter. Sharples set off at rate of knots taking first all the mixed and then all the men’s and ladies’ games, but BLGC lost 11 of their games to double figures and scored 19 in two to keep scores  high.

When the envelope revealed a handicap of +190 for BLGC, it took their score to 388 – just 10 in front of Sharples, giving the visitors a pass to the next round.

Deane B are mid-table in C Section and Metro A third so their cup clash was always going to be close. Deane took the initiative with Ann Hayton and Kanti Mistry taking the first mixed set but with all the remaining mixed shared and scores close they were neck and neck going into the men’s and ladies’.

Metro A was the stronger in the first four games, but Bharti Bhadia and Janice Munns  took both second ladies’ to keep Deane’s hopes alive. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and when the handicap was revealed as scratch each, Metro’s lead meant they won 354-320.

New Forrest Secretary

Please note that Forrest Badminton Club have appointed a new secretary. Up to date contact details are available on the "Clubs" page.

Week 6 News

Perseverance has proved to be the name of the game for Bolton Lads & Girls Club in the Bolton Badminton League.

The Spa Road club has endured several seasons when its teams have been propping up the league in the bottom section with no hope of silverware in sight. To members’ and organisers’ credit, they have continued their fight to fulfil all their fixtures creditably and earned themselves a reputation as battlers.

Now, however, they appear to be reaping the benefits. The club’s A and B teams are both in D Section but the A team currently head the league on 10 points with only one match lost and the B team are keeping away from the bottom two places.

The A team’s latest two fixtures have resulted in positive wins to 4 and 2, the former against Metro C and the latter away to DL Farnworth D where Lads Club’s top mixed couple Meyuni Alguma and Shezhad Khan were on particularly fine form.

Moorside B, however, pose the most dangerous challenge to their promotion hopes so far – beating them 12-6 in their first encounter of the season. The teams meet next in January in what could be a crucial clash for both.

This is, however, a tight section as the clash between mid-table Metro B and bottom-placed BLGC B showed. The first match of the night went 22-20 for away team Metro and several games went to 18 with good performances from home second couple Charlotte Hinsley and Inyatie Ali.

They could not, however, stop Metro from marching forwards to a 7-3 lead after the mixed and capitalising on it in the men’s and ladies’ with third couple Chris Everitt and Peter Holden providing underpinning strength for a 14-4 win.

Bury heads the league with Forrest A closest and Markland Hill’s A and B teams at their heels, while DL Farnworth A are at the top of B Section – just ahead of Deane A and Hawkshaw C on the same points.

Hawkshaw C’s latest clash was home against Sharples B  when visiting second couple Eileen Beeney and David Saunders snatched the opening two games and their top couple split the next two.

The home side, however, settled down to take a 7-3 lead after the mixed. The top ladies’ set was shared before Hawkshaw’s Steve Ramsbottom and R Knighton took both top men’s to ensure 10 games and both points. The match finished 14-4 to give Hawkshaw another step  towards the Section title.

Week 5 News

Bolton Badminton League champions Bury A dismissed the first challenge of the season from rivals Markland Hill A 11-7 in an exciting match.

Former Commonwealth gold medallist and current veterans' star Chris Hunt played his part in Markland Hill's wins along with Albert Mahoney, Syed Masood, Kathy Wain-Mahoney, Tracy Walker and Ruth Flatman. But the Bury side of Gordon Mitchell, Scott Webber, Darren Whitley, Nicola Duerden, Liz Holt and Nicola Burridge proved too strong in the end.

The teams were neck and neck for much of the match, but Bury pulled away to be 11-7 winners in an important clash.

Elsewhere in A Section, Forrest A continued their title bid with a 17-1 over Hawkshaw B, although Hawkshaw A inflicted a 14-4 defeat on Forrest B.

Sharples B and Markland Hill B had a real nail-biter in their B Section clash which was 5-5 after the mixed games. Louise Enderby and Marion Anderson took the first of the top ladies' games 22-20 before winning the second to 11 to push Sharples into the lead, but Markland Hill's top men's pair Paul Baker and Alan Powell took both theirs to level the scores once more.

When Marion with Eileen Beeney took both second ladies', Sharples needed just one more game for both points. But Alan Powell with Geoff Williams denied them the win, taking both final games to force a draw.

In C Section, GMT A at home had the mixed doubles almost all their own way against Smithills A to take a 9-1 lead with victory easily within their sights. Smithills, however, had other ideas and when Lynda Singh and Diane Leigh snatched the first ladies' game 25-23, this signalled a real fightback.

Smithills won the rest of the games in a great run of success to give a draw and shared points from a breathtaking encounter.

Smithills B started their home D Section match against Moorside D with a hiccup – their top couple lost the opening set to visiting second couple Jean Goody and Simon Ball – but made no mistake with the rest of the mixed to forge an 8-2 lead.

Moorside fought back to share the top ladies’ games, before Smithills put the match out of reach when top men Ken Blood and Tony Sames took both their games to 10. Jean Goody and Jayne Whelan put up a great fight for Moorside in their second ladies’ set taking both games 22-20, but couldn’t prevent Smithills adding two more from the final men’s for a 12-6 victory.

Week 4 News

Competition is running high at Sharples Badminton Club this season where two of its teams are both vying for the same Bolton Badminton League honours.

The A and B teams are in B Section; last season the former just missed out on promotion while the latter earned promotion as C Section runners up.

When a club has more than one team in the same division, while competition is fierce, the team structure usually means the top team always wins. But when they clashed for the first time this season, there was very nearly a selection upset.

The opening set went the A team’s way when Anne Marie Saunders and Andy Woods took both their top mixed, but Louise Enderby and John Pimblett immediately responded for the B team with both theirs as did team-mates Marion Anderson and Matt Duckworth.

Games were shared and by the end of the mixed, the score stood at 5-5 with the see-sawing continued through the men’s and ladies’. By the last men’s doubles, when Andy Woods and Mal Garside took the first to 15 it looked like the A team would snatch victory. But the B team’s Nick Hitchen and Matt Duckworth fought back in a last-minute thriller to take the final game of the night 22-20 to force a draw.

Bury A signalled their intentions to retain the league championship when they beat A Section newcomers Forrest C 16-2, although several close games could have resulted in a rather different scoreline.

Deane B moved into C Section this season having conceded only one match the whole of last season, and their determination is already visible in their results. They were in fine form away against Sharples C with second couple Anna Anderson and Nilesh Bhudia taking the opening set 12 and 12 and top couple Janice Munns and Kanti Mistry theirs to 17 and 10.

Only Sharples’ top mixed pairing Kath Heywood and Jim Rowan made any headway at all, and they just lost 21-23, 21-23 to Janice and Kanti. The points were all decided by the end of the mixed, but Sharples fought on with Jim Rowan and Dave Fairclough taking one of the top men’s games and Danielle Woods and Sheila Byrne just missing out on second ladies’. The 17-1 scoreline showed that Deane seem intent on going through C Section much as they did in D – but it’s still early days.

Forrest Ceilidh Event

Following on from last year's success, Forrest Badminton Club are holding another Ceilidh this Saturday. The event is open to all players in the League, their families and their friends. They don't even have to be badminton players, the more the merrier!

If you don't know what a Ceilidh is, check out wikipedia, last year's photo gallery and video 1, video 2 and video 3 from last year. It's a great laugh, you don't have to be good or even have danced before!

Date: Saturday 15th October
Time: 19:30 - 23:00
Venue: St. Mary's, Horwich
Adults: £8
Children: £4
Toll Bar Band.
Pasty and peas supper included.

Tickets are available from Brenda Shott. Send her an e-mail by clicking here, or give her a ring on 07786135632.

Badminton Success at Bolton Sports Awards 2010

On Friday 16th September 2011 at the Reebok Stadium, the annual Bolton Sport and Physical Activity Awards took place. Forrest Badminton Club were awarded Club of the Year from amongst 13 nominees.

Hazel Johnson also picked up the award for Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year from 5 nominees. Hazel plays for Bolton Lads and Girls Badminton Club and played as part of Team GB at the recent Special Olympics 2011 Summer World Games in Greece, winning 2 Gold and 1 Silver medal.

Congratulations to both Forrest Badminton Club and Hazel.

Markland Hill A Start Time

Please note that there is an error in the printed version of the Bolton Badminton League Handbook. The start time for Markland Hill A Team is 7:30pm, not 8:00pm.

Week 3 News

Former Bolton Badminton League champions Markalnd Hill A have made a determined start to regain the A Section crown.

After beating Hawkshaw A 13-5, they took on Forrest B away – and suffered an immediate hiccup when Forrest’s C Wood and P Taylor took the opening game to 19. This was, though, Forrest’s only success and the visitors’17-1 win provided useful points.

Markland Hill B faced a tougher challenge against Oakgate A away in A Section when the home side had the best of the mixed doubles 6-4. The next three ladies’ and men’s sets were shared but when mother and daughter partnership Becky and Ann Hurst took both second ladies’ games, Markland Hill’s hopes were boosted. The final men’s encounter gave one game a piece, resulting in a draw from a competitive night.

The Heaton club’s C team were not quite so lucky in their nail-biting top division home clash with Hawkshaw B. They trailed 4-6 after the mixed and Hawkshaw’s C Nelson and S Dawid-Puluch took both top ladies. When the visitors won the first of the second ladies’ set, both points were theirs for a 10-8 victory.

Markland Hill D in B Section fared better away to DL Farnworth B. They were 7-3 up going into the men’s and ladies’ games, but immediately lost top ladies’ to Linda Marney and Laura Bradley.

After top men’s were split, it was up to the visitors’ Pam Yates and Sylvia Gill to ensure both points with their second ladies’ win. The final men’s set was shared to give an 11-7 scoreline  to Markland Hill.

Deane B’s C Section home match with Smithills A was a taut affair. with Deane edging into a  6-4 lead. They then took both top ladies’, but Smithills’ wins in top men’s and second ladies let them reach nine games with a win in sight.

Nilesh Bhudia and Pravin Pindolia for Deane, however, dug in to take the final two games of the night and forced a draw.

The match between D Section sides Smithills B and Lads & Girls Club B was also hotly contested. After Smithills’ first couple Diane Hunt and Ken Blood took both opening games, Hazel Johnson and Lee Bailey came back for Lads Club with their mixed set.

Several close games later, the score was 6-4 for Smithills, but top ladies’ was immediately shared. Ken Blood and Tony Sames clinched at least one point for Smithills with their top men’s games, but Kirsty Patterson and Sam Sewart for Lads Club won both second ladies’.

Now Lads Club needed both final men’s games for a draw, and Smithills both to win. Kenneth Lee and Tony Sames, however, won both to 19 in a tough set to give Smithills 11-7 victory.

Week 2 News

Forrest E and Deane B both had a point to prove at their C Section clash in the Bolton Badminton League.

The former was down from B Section and the latter promoted as champions of D Section, so both wanted early season wins. The nature of this hard-fought match was apparent from the start as Elaine Powers and David Travis for Forrest and Anna Anderson and Nilesh Bhudia for Deane shared the opening set.

It was Forrest who had the best of the mixed at 7-3, but Deane quickly began making ground in the ladies’ and men’s games with Bharthi Bhudia, Anna and Janice Munns winning all their ladies.

By the final men’s Deane had to take both to draw and Forrest just one to win. Deane’s Nilesh with Pravin Pindolia dug in to take the first to 14, and then the second to 18 to share the points.

Honour was also at stake when Moorside D entertained Metro C in their D Section match. Cathy Hunt and Alan Parkinson took the opening games for the home team, but Chris Everitt and Mike Ollerton struck back for Metro straight away and kicked off a run of mixed games which put the visitors in a comfortable 7-3 lead.

Cathy Hunt and Helen Williamson took two back for Moorside with both top ladies, but then Metro started adding to their tally  and when Sue Jameson and Delia Topping took both third ladies Metro had clinched the points.

Graham Keeler and Jamie Belton fought hard in the final men’s for Moorside, taking the first 26-24 but lost the second and Metro took the 11-7 win.

In B Section, DL Farnworth A continued their winning run with a tough home match against Park. Farnworth was 6-4 ahead after the mixed and shared top ladies’ then  sterling work by Howard Ryding, Andrew Clarke and Tim Barrow in the men’s clinched the 12-6 victory.

When the first game of the night goes to 22-20 players know they’re in for a battle, and the clash between Markland Hill B at home to Hawkshaw A proved just that. Markland Hill edged into a 6-4 lead after the mixed but the next four games were shared before the visitors took both second ladies.

All rested on the final men’s and the experience of the home team’s Bill Hamblett and Graham Holt ensured at least one point, before Andy Newton and S Heywood came back for Hawkshaw to take the final game for a draw.

Bolton Claim North West Bragging Rights

Congratulations to the Bolton Performance Centre for winning the Raw and Developing competitions at last weekend's inaugral North West Inter Performance Centre Tournament.

The team based tournament was hosted by Manchester Performance Centre. It saw over 130 players from all 6 North West Performance Centres and some invitational entries from centres in Sheffield and the Potteries compete for regional bragging rights.

For a full run down of the results from the tournament check out the full article about the tournament on Badminton England's website.

Week 1 News

Oakgate A proved their top division pedigree in their opening match in the Bolton Badminton League against newly promoted Forrest C.

Mona Babouta and Nayan Min set Oakgate's pace, taking the first two mixed games and, although Judith Mealor and Tony Augustyniak came back for Forrest with both their games, the home side raced into a 7-3 lead.

Mona with Nicola McManus ensured at least one point for Oakgate with both top ladies and Nyan with Simon Froude clinched both points with top men’s and Oakgate went on to a 15-3 victory.

DL Farnworth A came down from A Section this season but plainly plan a swift return, dismissing the challenge from C Section runners-up Sharples B with a 18-0 win.

Deane A in this section showed their renewed promotion hopes when they played DL Farnworth B taking nine out of the 10 mixed games, with Julie Almond and Marcus Kirkman winning Farnworth’s only mixed. They fought back in the men’s and ladies but too late to stop Deane – comprising Janice Jackson, Jean Smith, Teresa Gough, Suresh Patel, Michael Wood and Brian Strickland – winning 12-6.

Smithills A won promotion from D Section last season but faced a tough match against Forrest F who finished mid-table. Dureen Dixon and Paul Skivington opened Fiorrest’s account with top mixed but Smithills immediately came back sharing the next two sets.

The mixed games see-sawed but when Brenda Shott and Paul Skivington took the final two they pushed Forrest into a 6-4 lead. Linda Singh and Diane Leigh evened up the score for Smithills with top ladies but with the rest shared, all rested on the final men’s. And Peter Lambert and Andrew Worthington snatched both for a 10-8 Forrest win from an exciting clash.

Smithills B had more success in their D Section match against Metro B, also very close – the second game had a 26-24 scoreline!  However, Smithills were ahead 7-3 after the mixed and, in spite of a spirited fightback by Metro taking all the ladies’ doubles, the scoreline gave Smithills a narrow 10-8 win.

Markland Hill BC is starting All Stars’ junior coaching on Saturday afternoons, 1.30pm to 4pm, from next Saturday (September 24th). It’s open to any juniors aged 5 to 18, with coaching for adults available at the same session so parents can also get involved. To find out more, call Debbie Rigby on 07732 823620 or email coach@allstarsbadminton.co.uk.

Check the Bolton News Every Tuesday

Don't forget to check the Bolton News every Tuesday for a run down of the week's results. If you have any content that you would like to contribute to the column please get in touch with Angela Brown on 01204 495552 or e-mail her at angela.kelly5@ntlworld.com.

You can check out the first article "Season begins with a clash of the big guns" online here.

Wigan Badminton Bonanza 2011

The Wigan Badminton Bonanza 2011 will be taking place on Saturday 8th (Adults) and Sunday 9th October (Juniors) at Robin Park Indoor Sports Centre. Men's and ladies singles, men's and ladies doubles and mixed doubles competitions are on offer. The deadline for entries is Friday 30th September.

Competitions are open to anyone (as long as you haven't played at county or nation level) and include separate social sections for those who haven't played in a league before.

See the entry form for more details. You can download the entry form here.

Silver Medal for Adcock and Bankier at World Badminton Championships 2011

Last week England's Chris Adcock and Scotland's Imogen Bankier won silver in the mixed doubles competition at the Yonex BWF World Badminton Championships 2011. The championships were held 8th - 14th August at Wembley Arena, the venue for next year's Olympic Games. Chris and Imogen had an amazing week beating the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 15th seeds to reach the final against the chinese 1st seeds. An amazing accomplishment, well done.

If you missed the action you can check out all of their matches online through BadmintonWorld.tv:

• R64: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. Toby Ng/Grace Gao
• R32: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. S.Anugritayawon/K.Voravichitchaikul [8]
• R16: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. Shintaro Ikeda/Reiko Shiota [15]
• QF: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. Jiaming Tao/Tian Qing [4]
• SF: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. Tantowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir [2]
• FINAL: Chris Adcock/Imogen Bankier vs. Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei [1]

Bolton Badminton League Open Mixed Doubles Tournament 2011

Bolton Badminton League are holding an open mixed doubles competition on Saturday 3rd September 2011. The event will run all day from 10am until approximately 5pm at Markland Hill Lawn Tennis Club.

The day will be split into two phases, a round robin consisting of at least 3 rounds and a knock out phase. Each player is guaranteed to play at least 8 games.

Sandwiches and bar/refreshments will be available throughout the day. Entry fee is £15 per person. Please enter with a partner to keep the number of men and women even. Deadline for entries is noon, Saturday 20th August 2011.

The entry form can be downloaded here.

Hazel takes 2 gold and 1 silver at Special Olympics

Congratulations to Hazel Johnson from Bolton Lads and Girls Badminton Club who won 2 Gold and 1 Silver medal at the recent Special Olympics 2011 Summer World Games in Greece. Hazel was one of 3 English badminton players who travelled out to Greece last month to join over 7,500 other athletes from 186 nations competing across 26 sports. Hazel took gold in the Division F2 Ladies Singles and also in the Division F3 Ladies Doubles. She also claimed a silver in the Division XDS Mixed Doubles.

You can read the full article about Hazel's success on Badminton England's website.

UPDATE: Hazel appeared on BBC Radio Manchester on 20th August talking about Badminton and the medals she won. You can listen to it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00jkjhh. The interview can be found from 01:30:00 until 01:35:00.

Bolton Performance Centre Open Day

Bolton Performance Centre are holding an open day on Saturday 16th July at Bolton Arena from 1pm til 3pm. Several of the coaches from the Performance Centre will be in attendance and will be doing lots of different skills and activities with the juniors, playing an exhibition match and playing games with them. All juniors are welcome and it is totally free!

If you have any questions or require more information you can contact Alan Clarkson or Ron Welsh.

Badminton England Projects

BADMINTON England, through the excitement of the Olympic Games, are working to develop more opportunities for people to play badminton. Such as:

• No Strings Social Badminton opportunities www.nostringsbadminton.co.uk
• Helping to develop and grow senior and junior clubs
• Create more opportunities such as Singles League, Social Badminton competitions and more coaches and volunteers.

If you wish to know more about any projects we are currently involved in, please contact vickimaltby@badmintonengland.co.uk.

Play Badminton This Summer

The Bolton Badminton League season may be over but there are still plenty of opportunities to play badminton this summer. Take a look below at some of the places still running throughout summer.

Know of any other sessions running this summer and want them listed here? Let us know by e-mailing us.

Junior Coaching

Forrest Badminton Club
Fridays, Bolton Arena, £2
7-8pm Beginners, 8-9pm Intermediates
More information available here.

Adult Coaching

Forrest Badminton Club
Fridays, Bolton Arena
8-9pm Coaching (£3), 9-10pm Practice Matches (£2)
Contact Ray Schofield.

No Strings

No Strings sessions are organised by Badminton England. No commitment required and all abilities welcome, even if you have never played before. Simply turn up and pay to play.

University of Bolton
Mondays 6-7:30pm, Fridays 4-6pm
More information here and here.

Horwich Leisure Centre
Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30pm, £2
More information available here.

Harper Green Community Leisure Centre
Fridays, 5:30-7:30pm, £2
More information available here.

Club Nights

If you have already played in a league before then these sessions are the perfect opportunity to get involved with a club ready to compete in September. If you are already a member of a club then why not come down and play against someone different?

Smithills Badminton Club
Mondays, 8-10pm, Horwich Leisure Centre, £4
Contact Lorraine Shepherd.

Moorside Badminton Club
Mondays, 7:30-9:30pm, Smithills Sports Centre, £4
Contact Sue Beamer.

Forrest Badminton Club
Wednesdays, 8-10pm, Bolton Arena, £5
League experience required, otherwise please consider our adult coaching.
More information available here.

D.L. Farnworth Badminton Club
Wednesdays, 7:00pm, David Lloyd Bolton, £2

Bury Badminton Club
Wednesdays, 7:15, Bury Drill Hall, £3
Contact Steve Ramsbottom on 07966 512708.

Sharples Badminton Club
Thursdays, 7:30-8:30pm, Sharples Leisure Centre, £2
Please contact beforehand to check availability. Time and courts will be extended subject to demand.
Contact Kath Heywood.

GMT Badminton Club
Thursdays, 7:30, Eccles Congregational Church, £3 - first session free
Contact Geoff Bygrave.

Markland Hill Badminton Club
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30-10pm, Markland Hill Lawn Tennis Club, £5
Adults only, no beginners.
Contact Angela Brown.

Deane Badminton Club
Fridays, 7:30-9:30pm, Horwich Leisure Centre, Adults £4, Juniors £1
Contact Kanti Mistry or call on 07702714777.

Oakgate Badminton Club
Fridays, 7-10pm, Castlebrook High School, £3
Contact Ken McMahon.

Competitions

Wigan Singles League
Manchester Singles League
Liverpool, London, Birmingham Badminton Bonanzas

Watch Superseries Badminton Tournaments Online LIVE

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) Superseries is a 12 tournament series designed to attract the top 32 players from around the world. This year 5 of the tournaments were specially selected to form the Premier Series events which included the Yonex All England Superseries Premier 2011.

It is now possible to watch these super series tournaments live online via The Badminton World TV's Youtube channel. This weekend saw the first tournament, the 2011 Li-Ning Singapore Open, streamed online.

Future online streaming for the 5 Premier Superseries will begin from the round of 16 matches, while the remaining 7 legs of the Superseries will showcase TV-court matches from the quarterfinals day to the finals. At least 5 matches will be streamed on each day.

For more information, check out the official BWF announcement.

Wigan Singles League 2011

Following the success of previous Wigan Singles Leagues, the Wigan Badminton Development Group are pleased to announce the dates of this year's league.

The League is open to players of all ages and abilities, including social and county players. There are separate sections for Social and League players. Places are limited in both sections, so to guarantee your place in the league make sure you complete your entry form and return as soon as possible. Closing date for entries is Friday 29th July 2011.

The League will run from Friday 5th August to Friday 9th September, players will be required to attend all 6 weeks and promotion / relegation will occur after week 3.

Friday 5th August to Friday 9th September
Westleigh High School, Westleigh Lane, Leigh, WN7 5NL
6-8pm : Social
8-10pm : League
£5 entry fee, £3 weekly match fee.

Download Poster and Entry Form Here

For more information or to enter the league, contact Richard Smith on 01942 488480 or e-mail r.smith@wlct.org.

Exclusive Badminton England Members Tour 2011

Badminton England are inviting their members to an exclusive 'members only' training session with Olympic Silver Medallists and World, Commonwealth and European Champions Gail Emms MBE and Nathan Robertson. Gail and Nathan will be joined on court by Andy Allford - Team Leader and fitness coach for the GB Badminton Squad heading to London 2012.

Gail, Nathan and Andy annually tour the country organising master classes to help inspire badminton players of all ages improve their game and learn medal winning techniques and tactics. And the great news is that one of these exclusive sessions will be taking place in Manchester at a highly discounted rate!

Sunday 28th August
Belle Vue Leisure Centre, Manchester
£10 per person
09:30 - 11:30 Junior Club Members (JCM)
12:00 - 14:00 Premier Club Junior Members (Forrest Junior Badminton Club, Bolton Lads and Girls Junior Club)
15:00 - 17:00 Senior Club Members (SCM)

To ensure each session is intimate and exclusive, places are restricted to only 30 players. During each session you will cover the four main areas needed to be a great player; Mental , Technical, Tactical and Physical. These are special 'members only' showcase events that have been organised specifically with Badminton England members in mind. With a mixture of coaching drills, fun games and a chance to play against the Silver Olympic Champions the 2 hour session will be one to remember! BADMINTON England goodies will also be provided to all our members that take part.

With limited numbers all places are available on a first come, first serve bases and we must receive payment with a fully completed application form including a valid membership number.

To download your order form now CLICK HERE and book your place today.

Bolton Under 19s Inter League Team

On Sunday 8th May, Bolton Badminton League took two under 19s teams to Southport to compete in an inter-league tournament. There they played against teams from Mid Lancs and Southport. The teams were made up of junior players from Forrest, Deane, Sharples, Bolton Lads and Girls.

Manchester Badminton Singles League

Open to all. Men and Ladies. Social and League players. To be played on Sundays 10am - midday at Belle Vue Sports Centre on:

• 22nd May
• 29th May
• 5th June
• 12th June
• 19th June
• 26th June

£5 Registration, £3 per day. For more information e-mail Dave Jackson.
Download info page - Download entry form

Badminton Bonanza Series 2011

1000 PLAYERS. 62 COURTS. 3 VENUES.

BADMINTON England have announced the 2011 BADMINTON Bonanza Series taking place this summer. 3 family friendly large scale open public badminton events that take 'mass participation gameplay' to the next level...

The 2011 BADMINTON BONANZA SERIES will showcase all the benefits of badminton in a relaxed, laid back environment that encourages beginners and casual badminton players of all ages and ability back onto court with a racket in hand.

And for those wanting a little more in the way of friendly on court competition? Well, the 2011 BADMINTON Bonanza Series is also open to low to mid level league players hoping for some competitive gameplay.

However the BADMINTON Bonanza works for you, they will be rolling into 3 English cities from early June so get involved.

1) Echo Arena, Liverpool - 12 June 2011
Sunday 12th June 2011 10am - 7pm.
18 Courts.
Adults: Singles £10, Doubles £8
Juniors: Singles £8, Doubles £6
Download entry form
Enter online

2) Sobell Leisure Centre, London - 9 July 2011
Sunday 9th July 2011 9am - 7pm.
16 Courts.
Adults: Singles £10, Doubles £8
Download entry form
Enter online

3) National Indoor Arena, Birmingham - 16 & 17 July 2011
Saturday 16th July 2011 and Sunday 17th July 2011 10am - 7pm.
28 Courts.
Adults: Singles £10, Doubles £8
Juniors: Singles £8, Doubles £6
Download entry form
Enter online

Upcoming Coach Education Courses

UKCC Level 1 Badminton Coaching
Lancashire
Blackpool and Fylde College, Ashfield Road, Bispham, Blackpool, FY2 0HB
Starts 10th September 2011
For information go to: www.badmintonengland.co.uk/coaching

UKCC Level 2 Badminton Coaching
Greater Manchester
Horwich Leisure Centre, Lostock Lane, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 5PY
Starts 17th September 2011
For information go to: www.badmintonengland.co.uk/coaching

Disability Badminton Coaching Course
Yorkshire
Unversity of York - Sports Centre
Starts 2nd July
For information email: daviddewey@badmintonengland.co.uk

Cup Final Results 2010/11

Congratulations to Forrest C for beating Forrest A in the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup Final, 397 - 378.

Congratulations also go to Forrest G for beating Deane B in the Robert Cup Final, 365 - 360.

Forrest C
Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup 2011 Winners

Forrest G
Robert Cup 2011 Winners

Forrest A
Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup 2011 Runners Up

Deane B
Robert Cup 2011 Runners Up

Cup Finals 2010/11

The Cup Finals for the 2010/11 season will take place tomorrow (Wednesday 6th April) at Bolton Arena from 8pm. Spectators are welcome to attend.

Forrest A will play against Forrest C in the final of the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup. Forrest G will play against Deane B in the final of the Robert Cup.

Good luck to all those taking part.

Annual Presentation Dance 2010/11

The Bolton Badminton League Annual Presentation Dance for the 2010/11 season will be held on Friday 15th April 2011. Once again, it will be held at Horwich RMI Club on Chorley New Road. The bar will be open from 7:30pm until midnight. Presentations will commence from 8:30pm prompt followed by a buffet supper.

Tickets are priced at £10 and can be obtained by posting a cheque (made payable to Bolton Badminton League) and the name of your club to either:

• B.A. Schofield, 177 Bolton Road, Anderton, Chorley, PR6 9HW
• M. Jennings, 27 Wilson Fold, Lostock, BL6 4LS

As the buffet needs to be ordered beforehand, please make sure all ticket orders have been received before Friday 8th April 2011.

No Strings Sessions

The No Strings sessions previously mentioned below will now take place every Sunday at Horwich Leisure Centre from 5:30pm until 6:30pm.

It's easy to get involved, just turn up! All ages and abilites are welcome. If you have any questions you can get in touch with us here

No Strings Sessions

A new 'No Strings' badminton session is coming to the Bolton area. Hosted by Bolton Badminton League, the first three sessions will take place on Monday 6th / 13th / 20th December at Markland Hill Lawn Tennis Club (Victoria Road, Heaton, BL1 5AN) starting from 8pm until 9.30pm.

It's easy to get involved, just turn up! Courts and shuttles will be provided and you can even hire or borrow a racket if you don't already have one. All ages and abilites are welcome.

The sessions are a great way to meet new friends or have a hit with existing friends. Maybe you want to drop shot your way to a lower dress size, burn off those cheeky friday night pints with the lads or fill your free time when the kids are off swimming. Someone will be on hand to coordinate the session who could even give you tips on how to improve your game or let you know about all the other badminton opportunities in the local area. Whatever you are after, these 'No Strings' sessions are a great and friendly way to get playing badminton.

Don't forget that all you have to do is turn up, but if you do have any questions you can get in touch with us here

Team Withdrawl - Hawkshaw C

Please note that Hawkshaw C have withdrawn from Section A of the League.

Team Withdrawl - Westhoughton A

Please note that Westhoughton A have withdrawn from the League.

Welcome to the 2010-2011 Season

This season we have 43 teams competing in the Bolton Badminton League across 4 sections.

The website has now been updated with all the relevant information for the new season. Please pay particular attention to the following details that have changed since last season:

• G.M.T. have joined the league and will be playing at Eccles Congregational Church on Thursdays, starting at 7:15.
• Markland Hill's A team will now be playing on a Wednesday, starting at 7:30.
• Markland Hill's B team will now be playing on a Tuesday.
• Metro's A team will now be playing on a Friday.
• Park will now play their matches at Sharples Leisure Centre.

Good luck to all teams!

Cup Final Results

Congratulations to Deane A for beating Forrest B in the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup Final, 374 - 370.

Congratulations also go to Moorside D for beating Forrest C in the Robert Cup Final, 421 - 373.

Deane A
Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup 2010 Winners

Moorside D
Robert Cup 2010 Winners

Forrest B
Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup 2010 Runners Up

Forrest C
Robert Cup 2010 Runners Up

Robert Cup Final Videos

Nearest Court is Mixed 1x1 - Judith Mealor & Tony Augustyniak (Forrest C) vs Lillian Croston & Luke Murray (Moorside D)
Far Court is Mixed 3x3 - Karen Holden & Mahendra Patel (Forrest C) vs Amanda Bracegirdle & Matt Barton (Moorside D)

Bolton Badminton League Update

This past week in A Section, the Racketeers and Bury A both claimed 18-0 wins, but elsewhere in the top division there were some close encounters.

On Wednesday, sixth placed Markland Hill B faced seventh placed Hawkshaw B at Markland Hills LTC. The visitors took an early lead thanks to Jenny Roe and Richard Smith as they beat Cheryl Parry and Chris Taylor 21-13, 21-15. Hawkshaw's first couple, Laura Egan and Andy Newton claimed their first game 21-18 against Jo Denner and Graham Holt, however Denner and Holt fought back and took the second game to 16. After providing Hawkshaw with an early lead, Markland Hill began to fight back and lead 6-4 following the mixed.

There were several close games in the men's and ladies level doubles as the next six games were all split to similar scores, Markland Hill winning the first, and Hawkshaw winning the second. Smith partnering Chris Smith faced the experienced Holt and Alan Edgley at second men's, but the Hawkshaw men proved too strong as they won both games to earn the visitors a 9-9 draw.

Another close match in A section saw Forrest A take on Markland Hill A. Markland Hills second couple, Tracy Walker and Ian Waters were 20-16 up in the first game against Forrest Debbie Rigby and Matthew Green, however, the home side won the service back and with some steady serving followed by several hard fought rallies they claimed the next 6 points and eventually took the game 23-21. Rigby and Green went on to claim the second 21-12.

In a strong display at third mixed, Caroline Everitt and Gary Bradshaw beat Ruth Flatman and Billy Hamblett 21-9, 21-7.

At top mixed Rigby and Green faced Kath Wain-Mahoney and former European Champion Chris Hunt. Markland Hill claimed the first game 21-18 producing a come back from being 18-13 down. Forrest's Rigby and Green were determined to keep the lead in the second game as they stayed two - three points ahead throughout the game and sealed a much deserved victory 21-19.

Following the mixed, the match was tied 5-5. In the levels, Markland Hills Wain-Mahoney and Flatman claimed the first game 21-14, but the Forrest ladies rallied back to take the second 23-21. At top men's, Green and Bradshaw claimed the first game of men's doubles 21-14 against the former ranked world number 2, Hunt, who was Partnering Hamblett. Hunt and Hamblett won the second game to the same score line. Markland Hill then went on to win the remaining four games to win the match 11-7.

In B section, third placed Park secured two points as they beat Markland Hill D 13-5 at Hayward Sports Centre, and second placed Forrest B, missing a man, defeated Sharples A 10-8 at Sharples Sports Centre.

In E section, Sharples D look to have secured promotion as they beat Bolton Lads and Girls Club A 12-6, and now move four points clear of second placed Moorside C.

Abi Stewart and Rajan Patel claimed the opening games for BLGC 21-19, 21-11 against Sharples' Pauline Teasdale and David Saunders. Sharples lead 6-4 after the mixed and they went on to win six of the eight level doubles. In a close battle, BLGC's Matt Blinkhorn and Dan Hodgson managed to take the final men's game of the evening 23-21.

Next week in A section, the title chase draws to a close as the top four teams are in action as Markland Hill A face Bury A and the Racketeers face Hawkshaw A.

Annual Presentation Dance

The Annual Presentation Dance will be held on Friday 23rd April 2010, at Horwich RMI, 7.30pm - midnight, with the presentation commencing at 8.30pm. Tickets are £10 and includes a buffet supper.

Tickets are available from:
Ann Schofield, 177 Bolton Road, Anderton, Chorley, PR6 9HW
Mike Jennings, 27 Wilson Fold, Lostock, BL6 4LS

Tickets need to be ordered by Friday 16th April, and any order needs to include a stamped self addressed envelope with the application. Cheques should be made payable to the Bolton Badminton League.

Please encourage your Club members to attend especially those are to collect awards. Come and support your teams, your Club members and the League.

League Nights

Bolton Badminton League will be hosting a series of sessions aimed at encouraging more people to get involved playing badminton. As well as being able to play a few games of badminton for free, representatives from the League and local clubs will be present so that people can learn about the opportunities available for coaching and both social and competitive play in the local area.

The first two sessions will take place on Tuesday 8th December and Tuesday 15th December starting at 19:30 at Markland Hill Lawn Tennis Club, Victoria Road, Heaton, Bolton, BL1 5AN.

For more information, please contact Ray Schofield on 01257 480961.

Cup Details

The fixtures for the Jane Fletcher Memorial Cup and the Robert Cup are now available along with the results of the first round of the Robert Cup.

Regular weekly updates of results for all sections of the league will recommence on Monday.

Team Withdrawls

Please note that the following teams have withdrawn from the League:

Bury B - Section A
Metropolitan A - Setion B
Sharples B - Section C
Markland Hill F - Section D