Local (Conwy) Badminton Memories by Gareth .M. Williams

My first steps into the North Wales Badminton Hall at Bryn Estyn, Deganwy came sometime in the winter of 1974. As a 13 year old I was mad about football and having just signed schoolboy forms for Wrexham FC I was keen to become a professional footballer. The reasons for entering this cold overgrown shed (as it seemed to me at the time) was an interest in a certain young lady who was in my class at Aberconwy School. I was not alone in that interest, as I had 3 good friends from school with me, also keens to see how Badminton was played !

It was a Tuesday night, which was Conwy Badminton Club. Conwy had a very good club in those days with many members and an excellent first team including the Mike Duncalf. We sat and watched at the end court No.4, very happy even though we were a bit cold. Then our concentration was broken by the words “would you lads like to have a game?”. It was Jill Williams who was always very keen to encourage youngsters. After a short discussion amongst ourselves we decided that we would give it a go and perhaps it would warm us up a bit. Four wooden rackets appeared and off came our shoes and socks. We stayed on court for ages and came back the next week to join the junior section of the club. After about 12 months my friends had lost interest but I was still very keen and began to improve.

My early memories at Conwy are of watching the brilliant Mike Duncalf play and then attempting to copy his style. Occasionally I would play with some of the seniors in the club and remember having a great game of singles against Mike at one of the Xmas club competitions. In my age group there was a young player at the club of considerable ability, namely David Russell. During those first few years I always tried to reach his standard of play. This was a good thing, however David was always that much better than me (although I probably didn’t acknowledge this fact at the time). He was a great doubles partner for me and I remember winning an epic under 18’s County title final with him. He then joined up with the younger up and coming Andrew Spencer which became a very formidable partnership. It was about this time that I recall playing Andrew Spencer in a singles match for Aberconwy School against John Brights. Being a few years older than Andrew I thought I would have an easy win. How mistaken I was, Andrew (Welsh Singles Champion 1990/91) beat me and later become the most successful senior player from our county. Its not surprising that around this time John Bright's School won the Welsh School Team Championship on at least 2 occasions that I can recall.

In 1976 at the age of 15 I played in my first National competition in Bridgend. There, I witnessed Roy Williams beating Phil Sutton in the under 18’s singles final. This was a fantastic achievement for Roy as Phil Sutton (Welsh Singles Champion 1980-85) went on to be a world-class singles player . For the record I got to the quarterfinals of the U 15 singles and was scratched out in the Boy’s doubles, as my partner Ian Clowes went missing !

My friendly rivalry with David Russell was mirrored in the rivalry between Roy Williams (mentioned above) and the dedicated very talented Chris Abbott. I remember watching an excellent North Wales U 18 singles final between them that Roy just edged. Chris was a very ambitious player and I recall the day that he beat Mike Duncalf for the first time in an Association singles final. It was a case of the old master being beaten by the young pretender to the crown, which always has a hint of sadness. I saw Chris play some great matches, in Mold 1977 he just lost to Phil Sutton in the U 18 singles final and I can remember him being consoled by his coach the late Jim Wiseman. Jim Wiseman was an excellent coach who worked extremely hard for junior badminton in Wales. A couple of years later I saw Chris Abbot give Y.C. Lim (Welsh Singles Champion 1978,79) a good game in a Universities Tournament in Swansea.

During the late 70’s I had the great fortune to partner Mike Duncalf in the Conwy A team for a couple of season. This experience was invaluable and helped me gain 2 caps for the Senior County team and a regular place in the Liverpool University team over the next 3 years. I also partnered Andy Stewart for a season. He was the power player in the great successful partnership that he had for many years with Mike. I felt very privileged to have played in such company. While at Liverpool University I partnered my best friend Roger Morgan for the only time in a Liverpool District league match.

During the late Eighties I had a few years out of the game (tennis elbow in my shoulder diminished my enthusiasm). In about 1990 I remember knocking up with a young lad of about 11 in Llanfairfechan during the interval in a league match. I remember being very impressed with him. That lad was Matthew Hughes who won everything as a junior and is now a regular in the Senior Welsh team.

Other memories about this time are of great matches between Richard Eastwood (Welsh Doubles Champion 1980) and Andrew Chambers (Doubles Kings) and Roger and Giles Pierce (younger pretenders to the throne). These matches were always entertaining, not only the quality of Badminton but for the aggression and the few arguments that occurred!

Another spell of not playing for a few years in the mid 90s and nowadays I feel I must carry on every year in fear of giving up the game for good.

Having watched and played with many great players from our county over the last 25 years I have recently had the pleasure of playing with and against Neil Cottrill of the Great Orme Club (English + Welsh International). He is a fantastic player, who in my opinion, eclipses all others that I have seen play for our county.

I was also very lucky to be a line judge in 1999 when Wales met Belgium at Bryn Estyn. It was great to see Richard Vaughan and Kelly Morgan play great singles matches in the same hall and courts that I play on. The atmosphere that night at Bryn Estyn was the best I had ever experienced.

Players apart, Conwy has been blessed by some great Coaches and Administrators but I have to say that I have not met anyone keener or more enthusiastic about Badminton at all levels than Joe Hill of the Great Orme Club.

Lets hope Badminton continues at Bryn Estyn for many years to come and many future Welsh stars are ‘born’ there.

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