WATFORD (CASSIOBURY) CROQUET CLUB NEWS By Kevin Currie Trustee, Wa/ord (Cassiobury) Club
As the summer turns to autumn, Wa6ord (Cassiobury) Croquet Club can reflect on a successful season for the club and its members. At the end of September the club won the Murphy Shield, a na7onal Golf Croquet knock‐out team tournament, for the fourth 7me in the last 15 years on the superb lawns of the Roehampton Club, bea7ng Guildford & Godalming 4‐3 in the final. A'er leading 3‐0 at the lunch interval in the best‐of‐7 match it turned into a close‐run encounter with veteran Arthur Reed finally winning his singles contest to clinch the 4‐3 win. The local Roehampton spectators were duly impressed when Arthur also drew their a8en7on to his name displayed on the winners board in their pavilion for his
Nick Archer’s and Lois Hall’s dual Wa6ord win in the Level Play and Handicap classes respec7vely in the regional Golf Croquet Club Champions' tournament. In addi7on, Nick Archer brought more credit to the club by represen7ng England for the first 7me in a match against the USA in July, and Simon Hathrell travelled to Florida in October as a referee in the World Associa7on Croquet Championship. In September the Wa6ord club also hosted the final of the Secretary’s Shield, another na7onal team compe77on, in which the highlight was a Singles game between the current Women's World Champion, Debbie Lines, represen7ng the Peterborough club, and her opponent from the World Championship final, Gabrielle Higgins, represen7ng the Sussex County club – so truly a reprise of the world championship final. To conclude, Wa6ord has a thriving croquet club based at its 4 lawns in Cassiobury Park, going from strength to strength, and it will be celebra7ng its 90th anniversary next year. It welcomes beginners and players of any standard for membership.
victory in their top club tournament there back in 1967! A week beforehand Wa6ord also won the Anderson Shield, a regional team compe77on for Associa7on Croquet, bea7ng Newport 4‐3 in a close‐fought final, and on the same day a Wa6ord team won the regional B‐level League Golf Croquet final, bea7ng Meldreth 11‐7. In addi7on, the club won the regional Golf Croquet Open League for the fourth 7me in the last 5 years, and the Beds & Herts Associa7on Croquet league for the sixth 7me in the last 20 years. Altogether a very successful end to the summer season. All of the above successes are season‐long campaigns, involving more members than those taking part in the finals, and are truly team efforts. Individually, a number of members have won various tournaments throughout the summer, the highlight being
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