Congleton Lawn Tennis Club

13/11/2026

07/11/2026

Late Autumn 2026 Newsletter

🙋 Your Club Needs…
• shelving racks for the old clubhouse. If you have any secondhand racking or shelving – the kind often used in sheds and garages and are willing to donate it to the club please let Lindsay know on 07825417550.
• the lost property (mainly tennis tops and jackets) claimed from the games room. There are some really good items which surely somebody is missing. What is still there at the end of November will be taken to a charity shop.
• everybody to be vigilant about who is coming into the clubhouse. It seems that people are coming in to use the toilets. Please politely explain to anyone you don’t know, who is not in tennis gear or seemingly not a parent of a junior who is playing, that these are not public toilets.

🔄 Changes
• Organised Saturday afternoon social tennis (Saturday Monarch WhatsApp group) has been put on hold for the winter and we will consider the format for its return next season. In the meantime, the WhatsApp group is still available on the CLTC WhatsApp Community for you to organise your own players and book your own courts.

• WhatsApp Communities: Most of you will be subscribed to the CLTC WhatsApp Community. However, for those who are new to the club, or missed the initial opt-in and are not receiving WhatsApp messages from any of the groups in the WhatsApp Community, please get in touch (with your email address and phone number) with Rob McNinch (07498794304). There are lots of different groups within the community that you can opt-into to receive messages. For example, there are weekly messages to sign up to play in Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 groups plus Wednesday evening, Thursday Morning Fun Tennis and Saturday afternoon social tennis.

👏 Big Thank You
• This goes to Iain Melville and his team of volunteers who painted the long wall adjacent to court 4. Iain is also doing an amazing job of keeping the courts and grounds as tidy and leaf-free as possible. (Hang in there Iain, the worst months are nearly over!!!
• And to Russell Finch for once again organising us so efficiently into the Winter League and Foursomes competitions. Also for the successful Bonfire Tournament last week which was won by Adam Goodall and Peter Crowcroft, who defeated Fletcher Moseley and Ray Masson in the final.


😊 Nice Nudges / Polite Prompts
• Only members who have taken out the add-on subscription for the ball machine can use the ball machine.
• If you opened up the clubhouse, please set the alarm and lock up, or make sure somebody who is still playing on court has a key, when you leave. It happened again recently that there was nobody left at the club who had a key to lock up. This meant that a committee member had to turn out at night to lock up.

🎾 Doubles Tip of the Month
Attack the middle!
When you get a chance to play an attacking shot, try aiming between your two opponents rather than going for the sidelines.
Why does it work?
It creates uncertainty over who should take the ball.
It reduces the angles your opponents have to play.
It often produces a weaker return or a hurried shot.
There's less risk of hitting the ball out than when aiming close to the lines.
Try this: When you and your partner are both at the net, look for opportunities to volley firmly down the middle.
Remember: In doubles, the middle is often your best friend!
It's a simple tactic that club players can try straight away, and it can be surprisingly effective even against stronger opponents!

07/11/2026

04/11/2026

Organisers Report from tonight

CLTC held their annual Firework Tournament, sponsored by EPG Accountants Ltd, this evening. It was bloody freezing! 🥶 But a great evening was had by most of us. Not Adrian - who had to retire injured. Luckily Gill was able to fill in for a couple of rounds, before John heroically stepped in to complete the place. Ade - you didn’t win. The highest scorers were Adam Goodall, Peter Crowcroft, Fletcher Moseley and Ray Masson. In a nail-biting final, Adam and Peter prevailed to win the coveted prize of vouchers to replenish their carbs with Hightown Fish 🐟 & Chips🍟. Thanks to everyone for playing, particularly Andrei and Jo for stepping up at the last minute. And definitely Gill, who opened the bar, took the scores, played for a bit and then rustled up her husband to fill in. Not sure we’d have coped without her! Thanks everyone 🙏

04/11/2026

Wednesday 4th saw the official opening of our new floodlit tiger turf courts 7 8 and 9 by the deputy town mayor

Councillor Robert Douglas was welcomed to the club by chair Rob McNinch and gave a lovely speech about the club before declaring the courts open

The opening was followed by the clubs annual
fireworks fun tournament run by Eileen Grigg aided by Gill White

36 members took part and played timed sets with different partners scoring points during the evening

After six tounds the top four players went into the final
and Adam Goodall and Peter Crowcroft defeated Ray Masson and Fletcher Moseley in a championship tie break to take the prize vouchers courtesy of sponsors Hightown Fish & Chips

The winning point being a net cord serve from Adam - as net cords were allowed to count in an interesting rule change much to Rays disappointment

Eileen thanked the sponsors and she also provided sparklers for all players courtesy of EPG Accountants Ltd, Accountants and Tax Advisers

27/10/2026

Next club fundraiser

CLTC Poker Night - Saturday 28th November from
6pm
To include poker, roulette and black jack.

27/10/2026

From Liz Wardlaw

Thank you Congleton Lawn Tennis Club for a lovely evening with your junior members . I was proud to present the trophies in memory of my dad, Alex Burton. Always emotional but always a joy to be with you all. ❤️

27/10/2026

Thanks to Hightown Fish & Chips sponsors of our 2026 Fun Fireworks Tournament next week

This will take place on Wednesday 4th November and will replace the usual wednesday social session

The tournament starts at 6.30pm but there will be the official opening of the new floodlit tiger turf courts 7 8 and 9 from 6pm with the deputy town mayor in attendance - all members welcome

18/10/2026

A reminder of the legacy of Alec Burton who our junior awards are named after

This tribute was originally posted in 2023

The term legend is bandied about so much nowadays that it often loses its meaning but on Monday 6th March , Congleton Lawn Tennis club members were saddened to hear of the passing of Alec Burton who for many years was known as “Mr Congleton Tennis Club and was definitely a legend in terms of his impact on the club

Alec started playing tennis as a school boy in Scotland with the Lasswade Tennis Club, playing in the local league and in the army during National Service

He joined Congleton Tennis Club when he moved from Scotland in 1967.

Alec joined the club as an ordinary member but soon became a committee member and in 1975 he became the Hon Chairman of the Club, a position he held for 40 years.

In that time, he transformed the Club from having rundown facilities with a small exclusive and excluding membership to be a Club with marvellous facilities with a large inclusive membership, with the strap line “tennis for all ages and all abilities”.

Alec got the club back on to a firm financial footing by combining prudent management with enthusiastic fund raising.
He led from the front with painting, digging, concreting and erecting a new clubhouse, a second hand temporary building, in the late 1970s.

Without Alec the Club would have folded.

He carried on this enthusiasm driving the building of new courts, putting in floodlights and the crowning glory was the opening of a new brick built club house in 2008.​

However Alec’s contribution to the fabric of the Club was only a part of what achieved.

He single-handedly started a junior section to the club. He was the organiser, the coach, the mentor. He ran coaching sessions for hours at a time several evenings a week. He then inspired other people from the growing membership of the Club to join him and help.

It is fascinating to try to estimate how many juniors he encouraged to play tennis over the years. The answer must be in the thousands given the size of the junior membership for over 30 years.

Alec also ran many competitions for juniors including the South and Mid Cheshire Junior Tennis League and the Junior Cheshire Shield competition involving Clubs all over Cheshire. ​

Alec also had a proud record as a competitor on the court. He played in the South and Mid-Cheshire League for many years. And was mens club singles champion in 1972

His most enjoyable season seemed to be in his late 70s when he captained a team of himself and three juniors. He took great pride in seeing their performance improve week by week under his guidance.

Mens club captan Matt Parker recounts a story about the Cheshire Shield which is the most prestigious team competition in Cheshire

Despite it's many triumphs the club had never won this trophy , losing in the final numerous times because other clubs always paid "ringers" to play.

The clubs A team had changed into a younger team and it was all juniors that Alec had coached.

In the first year Congleton made the final again and despite the same old “ ringers" playing they managed to beat Brabyns.

Matt insisted that Alec collect the trophy and told him as much before the presentation

"What - you go get the bloody trophy,you're the captain” he replied

"No Alec its the trophy you wanted the most and without you none of this is possible” Matt answered

Matt had never known Alec to be silent for so long but he finally responded “Thank You - You've made me very happy”

It became a little tradition from then on then that every Cheshire Shield the team won he collected it and Matt knows he appreciated it.

In 2010 Alec received the Cheshire Sports Club of the year trophy on behalf of the club at the annual Sport Cheshire awards and a couple of years later he received the unsung hero award at the same awards

He was presented with an LTA Meritorious Award at the National Tennis Centre in 2014 by the LTA President, Kathy Sabin. This prestigious award was given to only six recipients throughout the UK that year. The citation for Alec's award mentioned his 40 years as chairman of CLTC as well as his service to tennis more widely in Cheshire.

In the same year he received his Cheshire County Merit Award

In 2018 Alec celebrated his 90th Birthday at the club and the skirl of bagpipes playing Scotland the Brave was heard over all the courts. Piper Gus Mackenzie played a stirring selection of Scottish tunes in Alex’s honour. Alec sported his kilt and sporran for the occasion.

In 2019 he was interviewed by Radio Stoke and delivered numerous stories about his life in tennis to the listeners

Whilst he became unable to compete on court in his later years he still attended the club , doing odd jobs here and there and attending the Hardy Perennials lunches

He was last present at the club in September 2022 for our annual presentation day - he presented Ruth Barton and Simon Darmon , the winners of the Burton Shield - the club mixed doubles championship named in his honour with their trophy and prizes

Despite his failing health he also insisted on being the one to make the presentations to Jack White and Holly Moore who were awarded the Burton Boys and Girls Shields as our most improved juniors in 2022 - he had funded the provision of these new awards himself continuing his involvement in junior tennis at the club and providing a fitting legacy to the juniors that meant so much to him

Without Alec’s efforts Jack and Holly may not have had a club to play at !!

There have been many tributes to Alec and comments left on the clubs social media channels - many individuals recounting the impact he had on not just their tennis but their lives

Alec was an inspiration to those that have worked with him over the years. He never stopped working to bring sport into the lives of people whatever their background or circumstances. He made an immense contribution to our club and to Congleton