PLAYERS completed their season last Monday with the finals of the Bury District Table Tennis League end-of-season tournament and presentation of trophies at ELPM Social Club. The standard of play was high and the results were not without their surprises.

Mark Ramsbottom of Ramsbottom Town was deservedly the successful player of the evening, having won the Open Singles, Veterans' Singles and runner-up in the Open Doubles.

The earlier rounds of the competitions had been played the previous week at Horwich Hilton Centre, with separate competitions for divisions four, five, two and three.

Maccabi's Daniel Sheldon was runner-up from Divisions Four and Five, the winner being Peter Gregory from BGSOB.

Alan Crompton of YMCA Sports in Division Three, and Dave Smith, whose Mosses Centre team has gained promotion to Division One, won their way through to the final of the Division Two/Three competition which was played on finals night.

Alan fought well but Dave was too strong for him and took the title comfortably 21-10; 21-14.

The earlier matches in the Open Singles had been played on a round-robin basis, with the winners and runners-up going through to the quarter-finals.

Michael Moir of Ramsbottom Town, who was the number one seed, met Derek Watmough of Cricketers and won his way through to the semi-finals with a 21-18; 21-10 triumph.

Second seed Mark Ramsbottom dropped one game to Dennis Collier but eventually won through 11; 15; 10.

Jim Chadwick of Cricketers beat Ben Armstrong of Mosses 15 and 20, and the third Cricketers player to get through to this stage, Mick Dore, lost to Graham Jeffries 9 and 9.

On finals night, Jeffries and Ramsbottom were brought together in the first semi-final, and Moir and Chadwick in the second one.

Mark took the first set quite comfortably at 21-16 but Graham fought back well in the second and was unlucky to go down 22-20.

This took Mark through to the final where he was to face Michael Moir, the champion for the last three seasons. Michael had beaten Jim Chadwick in his semi-final 16 and 13.

The final of the Open Singles is always a five-game affair and it was something of a surprise when Ramsbottom took the first game quite comfortably 21-16.

Moir always seems capable of going up a gear when he is under threat and he did just this to take the next two games, both at 21-11.

Ramsbottom pulled the match back to 2-2, after he won a closely fought fourth game 22-20, and the fifth and final game went, deservedly, to Ramsbottom 21-11, to give him his first Bury Open Singles championship.

Mark had already won the Veterans' Singles championships earlier in the evening when he beat Mick Dore 11 and 19. Derek Watmough had made his way through to the semi-finals by beating Dennis Collier of St Philips, where he met Mark Ramsbottom. Ramsbottom went through 14, 17. At the semi-final stage, Mick Dore had beaten Dave Buckley of Ramsbottom in a much closer match 15, 19, 19.

The final of the Open Doubles was between the Ramsbottom pairing of Moir and Ramsbottom, and Howard Leigh of Little Lever and Graham Jeffries of Location, who had joined together for this tournament.

Ramsbottom and Moir had triumphed over Brennand and Chadwick in their semi-final, with Jeffries and Leigh overcoming Sheldon and Boardman.

The final was most entertaining with players and spectators enjoying the table tennis on view. Jeffries and Leigh took the first game 21-15 before the Ramsbottom pair fought back strongly to take the second 21-13.

It seemed fitting on the night that the third and final game went to 25-23 before the title was settled, going to Jeffries and Leigh who were clearly delighted with their success.

All club secretaries and players are reminded that the annual general meeting will be held on Monday, May 12. Venue to be advised.