Club Statement: Withdrawal from the Shrewsbury and Disctrict Table Tennis League

It is with great regret that the committee of Church Stretton Table Tennis Club has taken the decision to withdraw our club from the Shrewsbury and District Table Tennis League.

This decision was not made lightly. Following an exceptional campaign last season in which our A team finished second in Division 1, we expected to move forward to the Premier Division. However, after an exhaustive exchange with the Management Committee regarding promotion protocols, and for reasons only known by the Committee, we found ourselves to be playing in Division 1 again.

Under the League Rules, finishing first or second in Division 1 earns promotion to the Premier Division, changing places with the bottom two teams in the Premier division.

Last season was one of the strongest in our club's history. We finished as runners-up in Division 1, missing out on the title by a single point - despite defeating the league winners both home and away.

We were not consulted on this decision by the Committee, but were left to discover it, by looking at the fixtures. When we queried why our promotion was not processed, the Management Committee responded by citing structural balance, claiming that 19 team entries required restricting movement to just one promoted team, despite our promotion not causing any numerical difference in the structure of the League.

Accordingly Church Stretton Table Tennis Club has lost confidence in the Management Committee and therefore has decided to withdraw from the League.

We are incredibly proud of our players' efforts last season, and grateful for the support we have received from other teams in the league. We wish all the individual players in the league well and are actively exploring alternative, properly structured playing opportunities.