The Meaning of Success - Book Review
A reprint from The Table Tennis Collector

Who has heard of London Progress Table Tennis Club? A very familiar name indeed to English members of the Society—the remainder of you will, probably, be asking “who?”.

This is a book about England’s most successful table tennis club of recent years. They have been British League champions for the last seven years. That success has developed an arrogance and brashness that has created enemies in the corridors of power of English table tennis. Or so the author of the book, Jon Kaufman, claims. Kaufman, the unabashed manager of the club, certainly likes it that way. He has a vision of the future of English table tennis built around large clubs much along the lines of the European model. He craves to be likened to Caen TTC in France but knows he is a long way short. He attacks the ETTA for their narrow-mindedness and traditional style rather than embracing the developmental style that he thinks could bring English table tennis up to European standards. By and large, I agree will his ideals and vision.

This is a real table tennis book. Its pages, more than 200 of them, are all about table tennis and, in particular, the rise to stardom of Kaufman’s beloved Progress. All he wants to do is to get people playing “ping” and then to win. As he claims throughout “winning is everything, coming second is not an option”.

And yet, at times, it seems to be about everything other than table tennis. It is a real life drama, played out against the backdrop of the local ping pong club. This is far from the normal book on table tennis; there are no coaching techniques, there is no appendix of results, there is hardly a mention of a single match result. If you like your books to have lots of pretty pictures, forget it! There is not a graphic or photograph to be had. No, this is a book about people. It is crammed full with anecdotes about people. Not all of them are complimentary. Some of the names have even had to be changed. It is a book about an idealogy and, that being so, includes some political statement. More than anything it is celebration of a cultural mix. In a sport dominated in England by the white middle classes, London Progress is a club that prides itself on its varied ethnic mix, taking kids from the back street estates of inner London and making something of themselves. The large majority of the Progress players are from ethnic minorities, many are recent immigrants, some of them having fled war torn areas of Europe and Africa.

The book is a gripping story—it has all the parts necessary for a great film. It is about success. It is about constant battles against authority and financial poverty. It is about getting into scrapes and it is about having fun, but only after the match has been won. More than anything it is about people. Has it got everything—did I mention there is even a murder?

Kaufman knows what he is talking about. For some years he worked for the “enemy”, the ETTA, as London Region Development Officer. I have spoken to him on many occasions and he always makes good sense. He is passionate about table tennis. He is even more passionate about London Progress, “not so much a club, more of a concept”. It shows in his writing, and he writes very well. Entertainingly and challengingly.

I acquired my copy of the book from Kaufman himself when he visited my club, along with a bus full of kids from his Progress club, for a summer tournament. I wasn’t expecting much. I was wrong. It is the best read that I have had in ages and ranks in my opinion as one of the most readable table tennis books ever—up there alongside The Money Player.

The subject matter is perhaps a little too English to appeal to everyone, the characters portrayed will not mean much to non-English readers. However, the book comes with my hearty recommendation and can be obtained for the sum of GBP 10 from the author himself:

Jon Kaufman
Tel: +44 (0) 780-308 2661
jonk@ufman.fsnet.co.uk

Graham Trimming (Cippenham)

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Email Jon Kaufman now for your copy of a book that details what table tennis really is like in England today.