Who is your favourite post 1968 and not currently ranked GB player? MEN - Qualifying Group 2

brittak · Satellite level

Who is your favourite post 1968 and not currently ranked GB player? MEN - Qualifying Group 2

brittak · Satellite level

Apologues to Nick Weal - he should not be showing as a WC as he did play in the singles at Wimbledon. Now amended

-- Edited by brittak on Thursday 30th of April 2020 10:18:48 PM

brittak · Satellite level

Ive voted for John Barrett for nostalgic reasons really. I vaguely remember seeing him play but of course he was very much the voice of Wimbledon for many years alongside Dan Maskell. He was also responsible for writing and collating many of the tennis reference books that I have.

If I could place a 2nd vote, I would go for Olli Golding. I always followed him and really thought that he could have made it to the very top.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I voted for Oli as I saw him at my local tournament when he was 18(?) with his girlfriend, and he was one of the ones that just got on with it whereas quite alot of the brits were really ****y privileged and loudmouthed.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

John Barrett for me, didnt he also marry Angela Mortimer as well, she will come up in the ladies event

brittak · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
John Barrett for me, didnt he also marry Angela Mortimer as well, she will come up in the ladies event

He did - but no she wont as she didnt play in the period in question!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

brittak wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
John Barrett for me, didnt he also marry Angela Mortimer as well, she will come up in the ladies event
He did - but no she wont as she didnt play in the period in question!

that is a shame!

brittak · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
brittak wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
John Barrett for me, didnt he also marry Angela Mortimer as well, she will come up in the ladies event
He did - but no she wont as she didnt play in the period in question!
that is a shame!

Perhaps another poll in the future!!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Richard Bloomfield I also like, Derbyshire I think, got to final in Newport RI (or semi, I forget) as a qualifier one year completely out of the blue!

brittak · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
Richard Bloomfield I also like, Derbyshire I think, got to final in Newport RI (or semi, I forget) as a qualifier one year completely out of the blue!

Yes I remember that too and he was close to a vote from me here although a distant 3rd

Michael D · All-time great

brittak wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Richard Bloomfield I also like, Derbyshire I think, got to final in Newport RI (or semi, I forget) as a qualifier one year completely out of the blue!
Yes I remember that too and he was close to a vote from me here although a distant 3rd

Richard Bloomfield was a Norfolk lad in fact, born in Norwich. That I do remember as I was at university there, but it's Oli Golding that gets my vote too. He could have been a very good player, but decided the scraping for a living wasn't for him.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
brittak wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Richard Bloomfield I also like, Derbyshire I think, got to final in Newport RI (or semi, I forget) as a qualifier one year completely out of the blue!
Yes I remember that too and he was close to a vote from me here although a distant 3rd
Richard Bloomfield was a Norfolk lad in fact, born in Norwich. That I do remember as I was at university there, but it's Oli Golding that gets my vote too. He could have been a very good player, but decided the scraping for a living wasn't for him.

That's right, I though norfolk after I wrote it!

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Easy one for me here. Has to be Oli Golding. Terrific talent. Just a shame that the tour lifestyle didn't suit him.

First met Oli when he was training in La Manga and coincidentally was being coached by James Trotman at the time.

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Friday 1st of May 2020 08:48:11 AM

telstar · Strong Club Player

My vote here goes to John De Mendoza. He had been a high ranking player in the early-mid 60's but then retired. He returned to his club in the late 70's and practiced daily against the wall for several hours from 7 am. John entered the club tournament and I had the privilege of playing him in the first round. After a predictably short match, I congratulated him and enquired about the fact that he had played with a wooden racquet with no grip. He informed me that it was 'the only pure way to play tennis'!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

telstar wrote:
My vote here goes to John De Mendoza. He had been a high ranking player in the early-mid 60's but then retired. He returned to his club in the late 70's and practiced daily against the wall for several hours from 7 am. John entered the club tournament and I had the privilege of playing him in the first round. After a predictably short match, I congratulated him and enquired about the fact that he had played with a wooden racquet with no grip. He informed me that it was 'the only pure way to play tennis'!

Good story, which club was that, telstar?