SOUTHERN CROQUET FEDERATION
The Administrative body of Croquet in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight





THE SCF
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4 January 2018 - Call for SCF League entries from clubs

AC Leagues manager Martin Brandt has just issued his call for entries to the 2018 SCF AC Leagues
GC Leagues manager Roy Tillcock made a similar call just before Christmas for entries to the GC Leagues.
The deadline for both is 31 January.
15 January 2018 - SCF representatives High Wycombe drawn with Watford in National Competition

The draw for the 2018 Secretary's Shield competition was made today and the SCF's representatives High Wycombe are to play relatively near neighbours Watford.
This is the first round of this national competition for the winners of each of the Federations' handicap league winners (of the previous season).
The winners will play Bath.
16 January 2018 - Leagues and Tournaments Winners Archive now available -

Our archive of previous winners of SCF Leagues and tournaments has now been brought right up to date.
See the 'Roll of Honour', previous seasons' league tables and game results detail from tournaments here:
2 February 2018 - GC Leagues information sent out by manager Roy Tillcock

All necessary information for GC league fixture making was distributed to club's registered GC contact by e-mail today.
Time now to start organising your season's everyone!

Level League
(6 teams as last season, with East Dorset replacing Harwell)
Blewbury. East Dorset, High Wycombe, Littleton, Phyllis Court A, Winchester

Handicap League
(15 teams, one down from last season, divided geographically into Northern and Southern divisions.
Northern Division: Basingstoke, Blewbury, Harwell, High Wycombe, Phyllis Court.B, Phyllis Court C, Wingrave.
Southern Division: Bransgore A, Bransgore B, East Dorset, Hamptworth, Littleton, Ryde B, Ryde C, Winchester.

One Court Clubs Handicap League
(5 teams. This is a new league for 2018)
Aldermaston, Basingstoke, Caversham, Dogmersfield, Winslow.

Doubles Only Level Play League
(5 teams, one down from last season)
Eynsham, Harwell, High Wycombe, Thames Valley, Wingrave.
3 February 2018 - AC Leagues line-ups sent out by manager Martin Brandt

The entrants for each of our AC Leagues this season was publisied by e-mail today.
It's time now to start organising your season's everyone!

Advanced A league
(4 teams, down from 5 last season)
Aldermaston, Blewbury, High Wycombe and Winchester.

Advanced B league
(6 teams, up from 4 last season)
Aldermaston, Blewbury, Hamptworth, High Wycombe, Oxford University and Winchester.

Handicap league
(12 teams as last season, divided geographically into Northern and Southern divisioons.
Northern Division: Blewbury, Caversham, Eynsham,  High Wycombe, Oxford University and Phyllis Court.
Southern Division: Aldermaston, Basingstoke, Hamptworth, Littleton, Ryde and Winchester.
4 March 2018 - Fixture dates coming in nicely from some clubs

Some clubs are doing well and have made good progress with their GC fixtures.
Others appear to have been slower off the mark - time now to really get on with it everyone!
Please inform the league managers each time you make a new fixture and please copy in the webmaster so the dates are registed on this site for all to see.  (click on the Leagues buttons on the left).
GC Leagues Manager - Roy Tillcock              AC Leagues Manager - Martin Brandt             Webmaster - Chris Roberts

martinbrandt611@googlemail.com
info@kickphoto.co.uk
scf.gcman@gmail.com
5 March 2018 - SCF 'Champion of Champions tournaments are our season-openers

The SCF's 'Champion of Champions' tournaments take place later this month at Hamptworth.
These pitch member club's 2017 handicap champions (or representative) against each other in our now traditional season opening tournaments for both GC and AC.
The GC 'Champion of Champions' tournament is on Saturday 24 March and will be managed by Richard Jenkins.
The AC 'Champion of Champions' tournament is on Sunday   25 March and will be managed by Frances Colman.
6 March 2018 - Look out for (AC) Armada & (GC) Solstice entry forms

Entry forms for the above two Doubles tournaments will be sent to member club AC & GC contacts very shortly.
In a change to previous seasons - players can now enter themselves and no longer need to be nominated by their clubs. Multiple entries from players from he same club are now permitted and doubles partners can come from the same or different clubs. Although these are doubles tournaments, players may enter as single players and the managers will seek to pair up singletons.
So please do enter!
25 March 2018 -
Hamptworth pair are SCF handicap 'Champions of Champions'

Hamptworth players Tim O'Donnell (left) and Steve Bennett (right)respectively won the SCF's AC and GC handicap 'Champion of Champions' tournaments this weekend and congratulations to them both.
The tournaments pit the previous season's handicap champions of member clubs against each other, this time hosted by Hamptworth CC.
SCF Tournaments Officer Richard Jenkins reports that there was good support for the GC tournament on Saturday when 12 players locked horns in two blocks of six which each provided a finalist.
The host's Steve Bennett defeated Littleton's Jerry Wilde 7-3 in that final.
On a cold Sunday the SCF's Rep to the CA Frances Colman battled being under the weather to stoically play in and manage the AC tournament which was a straight knock-out between eight players.
Hamptworth's rapid improver Tim O'Donnell made few mistakes, and in the final particularly, where he saw off Noel Harris of Eynsham.
May 2018 -
Adams wins Wessex Shield

Not an SCF (or CA) tournament, but one played in our area (Wichester and Littleton to be exact) and organised by Ian Harrison.
Peter Adams (right) of Caversham won.
2 June 2018 - Armada win for Mr & Mrs Stevens

Ricahrd and Diana Stevens (right) won the SCF Handicap Doubles (AC) day tournament at Hamptworth and with it the Armada Trophy.
3 June 2018 - Solstice win for Tillcock & Peters

Roy Tillcock and Sue Peters (left) teamed up as a new Ryde combo and won the SCF (GC) Handicap Doubles day tournament at Hamptworth and with it the Solstice Cup

   15 November - Sad News ~ Martin Brandt
    Former SCF Chairman, long time SCF AC Leagues manager and Chairman of Basingstoke CC has died.


    16 November - The SCF AGM was held today at Winchester

      16 December - The minutes were circulated soon after the meeting. Here is a link:
Martin Brandt
1949 - 2018

There is a thriving Croquet Club in Basingstoke, largely due to the efforts of one individual, Martin Brandt.
Having learned garden croquet at an early age, Martin - like many others - was seized by the bug and continued playing for as long as he possibly could.
He died on 15 November 2018 as a result of illness that had plagued him for much of his adult life.
He confounded the medical prognoses but, eventually, things caught up with him.

Martin was a founder member of Basingstoke Croquet Club in 1974, was never off the Committee; he was Chairman at the time of his death and had been for over 20 years.
He was also AC Leagues co-ordinator of the Southern Croquet Federation and had been its Chairman for many years.
Martin's personal life was clouded in sadness, having lost his first wife, Belinda, in tragic circumstances.
He remarried Iryna  - and taught her to play croquet!
He was noted for taking croquet kit to work (for SSE) and setting up on a patch of grass at the office for some lunchtime practice.
One or two current members of the Club joined as a result!
In spite of his illness and a move to the Abingdon area, he was able to see in the move of Basingstoke Croquet Club to new facilities in 2018 and he has left the Club in good form for the future.

Ian Harrison