We now have a Club calendar for next year listing all the proposed club lunches and tournaments taking place here and at Newport – our nearest accessible neighbour.
It is draft so subject to change. If anyone has any suggestions to make this more useful please get in touch with me at secretary.colchestercroquet@gmail.com
It will have links to enter the tournaments directly from the page, when they become available, to avoid having to negotiate the Croquet Org (CO) website. For tournaments outside of Colchester and Newport you’ll still need to visit the ‘Compete’ section of the CO website to view and enter.
Every year, the Club enters a team in the EACF GC Handicap League. In 2023, our team topped the Eastern League, won the semifinal, but narrowly missed out in the final. This year, we again finished top of the league, won the semifinal, and this time claimed victory in the final on 28th September at Wrest Park against Newport Oaks. This marks the first time Colchester has won the competition in its 20-year history!
Playing in the league is an excellent opportunity for newer players to gain valuable experience in a competitive yet friendly environment. To build on the club’s success and give more members the chance to participate, We are exploring the possibility of entering two teams next year. Several clubs, including Chelmsford and Maldon, already do this.
Half the matches are played at home, and half are away, so some travel will be necessary. In 2024, league opponents were two teams from Maldon (playing in Hatfield Peverel), one from Chelmsford, and one from Southchurch (Rettendon) and one from Sudbury. The semi finals have been held at Newport (near Saffron Walden) for the past two years
Each team consists of four players, with no individual handicap boundaries, although the team’s combined handicap must be greater than 20. This allows for a good mix of high and low handicappers. In each match a player competes in five games – one doubles and four singles. Matches typically run from 10 a.m. to around 4 p.m, with a break for lunch, so a reasonable level of physical fitness is required.
To field two teams, we need a MINIMUM pool of eight players per team – 16 in total – to account for holidays and other commitments. Players may only represent one handicap team, and team members cannot be shared between teams.
Participating in a team requires a commitment to spend a full day playing croquet up to half a dozen times throughout the summer. That said, the other teams are great company and provide an excellent Tea. It’s always a lot of fun and a rewarding and truly worthwhile experience.
Importantly, we also need a dedicated captain for the second team. The role involves:
Coordinating with other clubs to schedule League matches
Selecting the team according to the handicap guidelines
Organising transport for away matches
Hosting home matches, including scorekeeping and timekeeping
If you’re interested in playing or taking on a captaincy role, please contact Marilyn Wood.
Last year the Colchester team, captained by Steven Scrase, reached the final of the EACF Handicap League at Wrest Park, only to come a close second to Meldreth. This year, we scoured the globe for a truly multinational team to avenge that defeat – Marilyn Wood from Wales, Alex Wood from Scotland, Marion de Landmeter from Holland and Kev Croot from England.
Thankfully the apocalyptic floods of recent days abated, on a lovely sunny autumn day, the team faced Newport Oaks. Team handicaps of both teams were similar, leading to many long, hard-fought games – the record went to Marion, who, in a real test of physical and mental endurance, finally overcame her opponent after an hour and fifty minutes!
Oaks got off to a fast start but were pulled back to all square by lunchtime. Colchester grabbed a two-game lead in the first block of the afternoon and held on to the lead to seal a 10-8 win with the last game of the day. The six o’clock finish had us wondering if our phone torches could be used to floodlight the last few games!
The final hoop score of 105-100 to Colchester, showed how narrow the margin was between the teams.
This is Colchester’s first title win in the 20th anniversary year of the competition. Well done to the winning team and shout out to everyone who played in earlier rounds – Stephen Scrase, Patrick de Burca, Hugh Brown, Patricia Drinkwater and Chris Clarke. Without their contributions in the league stage, we would not have reached the final.
As always, the match was played in a very friendly (but competitive) spirit and we look forward to renewing the rivalry next year.
The team now goes forward to the National GC Handicap team event in 2025.
This Sunday our B-Level team made a valiant (and very memorable) appearance in the EACF B-Level final, squaring off against Leighton Winslade at the Newport Croquet Club grounds. While the outcome may not rank among the club’s proudest achievements, it’s sure to go down as one of our most talked about moments.
The near-win, with a final score of 5 games to 13, was just part of the experience. Two players, each losing 7-0 in one match, offered their own unique take on the game. Some might see it as “losing,” but they viewed it more as a statement – challenging the conventional importance of numbers.
While the other team focused on winning, our team explored the more philosophical aspects of croquet, embracing the idea that success can be subjective. They took a minimalist approach, opting to avoid the complexities of scoring and positioning, and instead focused on enjoying the match.
Croquet has always been a sport of gentlemanly conduct, refined skill, and admittedly confusing rules. On this wet and overcast day, our team embraced all of these traditions, except perhaps the refined skill, but definitely the confusing rules – with four ball-swaps in one game alone.
In the end, they may not have won, but they left the tournament with their heads held high (helped by not having to carry any trophies). The thrill of competition and the camaraderie of teammates were enough. And if we’re honest, that’s what sport is really about, aside from maybe winning, which they’re still working on.
Of course, the day wasn’t without its highlights. The post-match tea provided by Newport Croquet Club was, as always, impeccable, and they managed to walk away with the highly-coveted invisible consolation ribbon. Sure, the other team might have taken home the trophy, but they left with something even better – stories. After all, what’s more entertaining than an epic 7-0 defeat? Twice?
Next up for the team: preparing for next year’s tournament, where they’ll work on their mallet swings, maybe aim for a hoop or two, and perfecting the all-important skill of post-game tea consumption.
Joking aside, congratulations to Marian (captain), Michael, Hugh and Kevin for getting to the final.
On Friday, under the beautiful Autumn sunshine, Pam Hopper hosted one of the final tournaments of the season – her annual GC Level Play Inter-Club Invitational. Four players each from Colchester, Chelmsford, Maldon, and Southchurch competed for a stunning trophy, hand-crafted by Pam’s husband.
As always, the tournament was played in a competitive yet friendly spirit, with participants well-acquainted from local leagues. The usual format of three round-robin stages in the morning was followed in the afternoon by quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a thrilling final match between Walter Hall from Maldon and Alex Wood from Colchester.
Congratulations to Alex Wood, who emerged victorious!
A huge thank you to Pam (and her husband) for organising this wonderful event, which truly showcases the best our club has to offer.
Marilyn Wood will be organising the GC Winter League again this year, following the success of last year’s inaugural event. The rules will remain largely the same (details provided below), with one significant change: to participate, you must now have an official GC handicap.
Don’t worry, obtaining a handicap is quick and easy, taking less than 30 minutes. To schedule an assessment, please reach out to Ian Cumming via the GC WhatsApp group or by email at ian@graham-cumming.com. If you are awaiting an official handicap but would like to sign up, you can still do so. Simply write “Handicap pending” and notify Marilyn once Ian Cumming has assessed you.
League Format:
The league phase will begin once the courts are converted to their winter format, expected in early November.
We will accept up to 32 players, divided into 4 leagues of 8 players each.
Within each league, players will compete against all others in a singles match, resulting in a maximum of 7 matches per player.
Each match will be the best of three games.
The winner of each league match will receive one point, while the loser will receive none.
The winner and runner-up of each league will advance to a knockout stage in February and March to determine the overall champion.
Important Notes:
Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you enter, please make every effort to play as many league matches as possible. While playing all your matches is not mandatory, your chances of winning your league increase with every match played and won.
To register, send an email with your name and official GC handicap to km_wood@hotmail.co.uk or add your details to the sign-up sheet in the Clubhouse.
Please also note that, in line with club winter rules, NO JUMP SHOTS ARE ALLOWED to avoid damaging the greens. If a deliberate jump shot is played, it will be treated as a fault and all balls will be replaced and any hoops run will be cancelled.
Winter League 2024 – Rules
Players must have an official GC handicap.
Players are expected to arrange their own matches at mutually convenient times, booking courts in advance. Be prepared to double-bank, using secondary colours if necessary.
All matches will be singles, played off handicap under Advantage Play rules. The first player to start will be determined by a coin toss. .
Each match will be best of three games and will not affect your handicap.
Results must be recorded on the league sheets in the Clubhouse and emailed to cccresults@gmail.com. Please write your score first (e.g., a 7-5 win would be recorded as 7-5; a loss as 5-7).
League matches must be completed by Sunday, 16th February, to allow time for the knockout stage.
Knockout Stage:
The top two players from each league will advance to the knockout phase. In the event of a tie, standings will be determined by the number of games won, and if still tied, by net hoops. Marilyn will handle the calculations, so it is essential that all scores are recorded accurately.
Quarterfinals: The league winner will face the runner-up of another league.
Semifinals: The four winners of the quarterfinals will advance.
Final: The two semifinal winners will compete for the title of Winter League Champion.
For any further clarification, feel free to contact Marilyn at km_wood@hotmail.co.uk.
On a chilly September day, the B Level team faced Bury St Edmunds in the final match of the season. A win for Colchester would secure them the top spot on the Eastern Division table and a place in the final. The Bury St Edmunds’ courts, set on the outfield of a cricket pitch, present a unique challenge with their slopes, dips, and bumps. These conditions made stop shots difficult, slow shots hard to judge, clearances unpredictable, and hoop running a true test—not just for the visitors, but for the home team as well.
The outcome of the match came down to the final game: Michael Manning versus Barbara Plested. Unaware of the stakes, Michael ran the final hoop to a round of applause from his fellow competitors. Colchester triumphed with a 10-8 victory, with another incredibly narrow hoop margin of 102 to 95.
A big thank you to the Bury St Edmunds’ team for the great games, fantastic tea, and excellent company. Congratulations to the Colchester team—Marian Manning (Captain), Michael, Celia, and Kevin—for a hard-fought win.
The East Anglian Croquet Federation B Level final will be played at Newport on Sunday 22nd September, where they face the Western Division winners; Leighton Linslade.
In a repeat of last year’s semi-final, Colchester again faced Unity (Sudbury) at Newport on Sunday 8th September. Unfortunately, the glorious sunshine of last year was absent, as the day began with thunder and lightning, followed by showers throughout.
Eager to escape the persistent drizzle, Colchester raced to an impressive 8-2 lead by lunchtime. Whatever Sudbury had in their sandwiches, it worked, as they came out swinging after lunch, winning the first block. But Colchester rallied in the final block to secure a 12-6 victory, with an incredibly narrow hoop margin of 99-97.
The match was played in great spirits and expertly hosted by Newport Club members, who also treated everyone to homemade sausage rolls and scones for match tea.
Congratulations to the team—Marilyn (Captain), Alex, Kevin, and Marion. A special mention goes to Marion, who, in her first team appearance, overcame her nerves to win two of her singles matches against tough opposition.
Their final match of the season will be the East Anglian Croquet Federation final at Wrest Park on 28th September, where they’ll face the Newport Oaks team. They’re not expecting Newport to be quite as friendly then!
Join us for our annual BBQ on Sunday, August 11th! We’ll be serving burgers, sausages, teas, coffees, and offering gluten-free and vegetarian options.
Our main goal is to introduce people to croquet in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with the hope of gaining new members. Flyers are available in the clubhouse for distribution wherever you think potential members might be found.
All ages are welcome and we’d love for you to bring a friend who might enjoy croquet and encourage them to join.
