2011 Veterans Tournament: Rolling back the years
Graham Pulsford reports:
The twenty seventh Veterans Tournament was held on Sunday 1st May at Eton College in glorious sunshine. Prince William and Catherine had just been married and the Arsenal footballers finally roused themselves enough to beat Manchester United.
2010 Veterans Tournament: the Golden Oldies shine in the sun at Eton
Graham Pulsford reports:
The Veterans Tournament took place at Eton on Sunday 18th April with 17 pairs taking part in a veritable festival of Fives. With a combined age of 283, Messrs Whitehead D, Whitehead G, Cooper and Stringer may have set some sort of record in their match, whilst at the younger end of the spectrum the Open tournament was won by Mike Hughes and Grant Williams, who defeated defending champions Graham Pulsford and Courtney Friend in a close final.
2009 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford & Neil Margerison report:
In glorious sunshine the twenty-fifth Veterans Tournament was held on Sunday 19th April at Eton College. We welcomed a healthy cache of first timers including Chris Moore, Mark Platt, John Reynolds, Richard Tyler and Mark Yates as well as the welcome return of veterans Patrick Gibbs, Ronald Pattison, Martin Powell and Marco Rimini.
2008 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford reports:
The twenty-fourth Veterans Tournament was held on Sunday 13th April at Eton College. Included in the line up, and playing their full part, were Derek Whitehead, age 75, and Gordon Stringer, age 70. A shining example to all!
2007 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford reports:
The twenty-third Veterans Tournament was held on Sunday 22nd April at Eton College. Thirty two combatants prepared themselves for an enjoyable and politely competitive afternoon of fives in warm and sunny conditions. The usual suspects were joined by the welcome addition of the youngsters Tom Goodman, Jamie Hepburn and Spencer Chapman as well as the more experienced, and slightly older, Jeff Hartstone, Peter Bennett and Richard Barber. Martin Lindsay was playing in his twenty-third consecutive tournament and Derek Whitehead set two tournament records; firstly as the oldest entrant, secondly slightly later as the oldest entrant to win a match (this sets a challenge!).
2006 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford reports:
The twenty-second Over 40s Tournament was held on Sunday 23rd May at Eton College. Thirty two combatants prepared themselves for an enjoyable afternoon of fives; many employing a curious combination of ointments, sprays, comical stretches and surgical supports to get themselves on court.
2005 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford reports:
The 21st Over 40s Tournament was once again contested on a warm and sunny afternoon in near perfect playing conditions. The contestants were in good humour and the comparison of respective aches and pains produced much merriment.
2004 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford reports:
The twentieth Over 40s Tournament took place on a warm and sunny afternoon with near perfect playing conditions. Everyone was there to enjoy themselves and a wide cross-section of clubs was represented.
2003 Veterans Tournament
Graham Pulsford and Jo Seelig report:
A cool May day at Eton saw twelve pairs contest this enjoyable highlight of the Fives calendar. Familiar faces predominated, including defending champions and winners for the past three hundred years, Graham Pulsford and Neil Margerison. But this year it was good to welcome a goodly number of 'new' veterans including Colin Spurrell, Jim Pitts, John Cooley, Dave Goad, Phil Lyndon, James Oliver, Andrew Fraser and the powerful combination of Mike Hughes and Peter Scholey.
2002 Veterans Tournament
Richard Dennis reports:
The Veterans competition took place on a helpfully warm and sunny afternoon and it was therefore slightly disappointing that, in the event, only seven pairs entered, with The Heath and Old Ipswichians contributing the majority of them. Early betting suggested a likely final between the holders Neil Margerison/Graham Pulsford and Peter Boughton/Simon Woolfries.