A very satisfying weekend at Blackpool saw reigning champions, London Progress, move towards their eighth successive British league title. Has any sporting club ever won its respective national title for eight successive years? Could this be one for the Guinness Book of Records?

Four matches brought maximum points for the champions but not before a major scare against Cleveland rivals, Ormesby. Having disposed of an under-strength Darlington 7-1 on the Saturday morning, Progress found themselves three sets down to Ormesby in the afternoon. Any other team in the country would surely have capitulated at this point. Not Progress! As if playing out a script from a Boys Own Annual, the London heroes swept back to claim the match 5-3. This seemed to break the spirit of the young title pretenders and they faded throughout the weekend with a series of draws that left them six point behind the lead.

For the second year running however, Ormseby have been without their No1 through the ineptitude of the table tennis governing body. Last year the ETTA decided to allow a clash between a British League weekend and the National Junior Championships thus ruling our Drinkall from what might have proved a decisive intervention for his club. This season Drinkall is whisked away to China for a training camp again denying the Cleveland youngsters a fair stab at the title. Yes, Drinkall's world class training is vital for English table tennis but so is the health of the British League. After the usual platitudes at last years AGM about giving the League more status, once again actions on the ground have not matched fine words.

Sunday was a walk in the park for the Progress boys as they dismissed Barnet
and Horsham without breaking sweat. Only Darlington are within touching distance of Progress but the gap is still a formidable three points. You won't find many bookies still taking bets on the title this year!

Whichever way you look at the Progress squad, you get the feeling they will always have something a little extra than their opponents. This was the case seven years ago when they narrowly defeated Horsham and then Darlington in their first two title wins. In those days it was Blake and Herbert who were the bedrock of the team with Sugrue and Essomba playing supporting roles.
Over the next five years the team saw a succession of great stars, including Cris Sladden, Tomak Gretschell, Christian Hundhausen, Tajudeen Agunbiade and of course the unforgettable Andrew Eden. But in between all these great characters there were the two foundation pillars of the team, Marco Essomba and team captain, Jason Sugrue. It was and is these two players that provide the continuity and stability of the team. For not only do they turn out year after year for the glamorous big matches, but they, as true Progress heroes, turn out in the cold winter nights to play the less than glamorous local league matches that are still the bread and butter of any great club It is these two who are helping to create young Progress stars of the future. It is these two that create that special Progress feeling that great players like Terry Young are able to warm to.

This season sees two new stars join the Progress champions, the young Darius Knight who just gets better by the day and the highly experienced Colum Slavin who is quietly waiting in the wings ready should he be required. But with Blake back in the team for the last couple of seasons, there is a great sense of continuity that is essential for any winning team. After this weekend, is it too early to be whispering about ten in a row.


Jon Kaufman