It is with much sadness we were informed that former ETTA Vice-Chairman and Vice-President, Eileen Shaler, passed away on Thursday, 10 September.
Eileen was one of the few women involved at the top management and administrative level of the ETTA, being Vice-Chairman without Departmental Responsibility from 2004-2006 and then Vice-Chairman of Development from 2006-13. She served on the Management Committee for that nine-year period.
She was heavily involved in disability, equality and child protection issues, serving on numerous committees in these areas, and set up the Women’s Group to give greater emphasis to female participation in all aspects of table tennis.
Other committees Eileen served on were – the Disciplinary Committee 2011-13, Facilities Panel Chairman 2006-13, Membership Committee Chairman 2004-06 and Member 2006-10, Public Relations Committee Secretary 2003-13, Sport England (National) Liaison Officer 2007-13, British Table Tennis Association for the Disabled (BTTAD) Liaison Officer 2007-13 and English Schools Table Tennis Association (ESTTA) Representative 2006-13 and General Secretary 2007-08.
On the international front, Eileen was the ETTU Veterans Committee Member 2012-13 and Member of the Veterans European Championships Organising Committee 2013.
To add to this impressive list was Eileen’s involvement at a more local level. She was long associated with the Hinckley & District League where she became an Honorary Life Member. This honour followed on from her work within the league as General Secretary, County Representative, Company Member and Deputy Chairman.
Her adopted county of Leicestershire, being born in Tow Law, County Durham on 2 November 1946, also saw her service as Umpires Secretary and Chairman of Selectors.
Eileen was a regular on the VETTS playing circuit and represented them in Six Nations matches, she was also their secretary for a number of years and became an Honorary Life Member in 2008.
Eileen qualified as a County Umpire in 1980 and also became a Club Coach. She said how much pleasure it gave her to work with young people who had just taken up table tennis and to see them progress to playing in the league.
No mean player herself, Eileen was ranked at seven on the National Veterans list, at No 2 in Leicestershire and top of Leicestershire’s Veterans Women’s list. She played in a number of veterans events at National Championships, winning the Veteran Women’s Doubles with Ruth Bentley in 1992/93 and was runner-up the previous season with Shirley Carroll. In the Veteran Women’s Singles, she was fourth in 2008/09 (a round-robin event) and a semi-finalist in 1992/93.
Eileen also gained success at the Leicestershire County Closed in Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles; Warwickshire County Closed in Women’s Doubles; Birmingham Closed in Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles; Coventry Closed in Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles; Hinckley Closed in Women’s Singles; Leicester Closed in Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles and Nuneaton Closed in Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles.
These results led to Eileen representing Leicestershire at senior and veteran level and Hinckley in the Midlands League. Additionally, Eileen played in the Women’s Veterans British League and was a winner with Colebridge in 2002/03 with Jan Dunning, Elaine Short and Linda Simpson.
Eileen still found time to work at numerous major events which included the World Veteran Championships in Manchester in 1998, where she was also a player, the European Championships in Birmingham in 1994 as the Accreditation and ETTU Hostess, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 and the UK School Games in Coventry and Bath as part of the Child Protection team.
Eileen was rightly honoured for all her work by becoming an ETTA Vice-President in 2013 and an Honorary Life Member of VETTS in 2008.
Russell Pettitt, Leicestershire Table Tennis Association Chair and former Chair of the Hinckley & District League, said: “Eileen was a good team-mate, a fiercely competitive opponent and all-round good egg who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and let everyone know how she felt.
“Eileen was always very supportive in my time as Hinckley Chair and also championing local table tennis for all involved. You always knew where you stood in her company and as a chairman that could only be a good thing!
“She was always very supportive of all of our juniors and I know my youngest son had a lot of time for her and the support given on his way through.
“Although she had spent less time recently being involved she will be sadly missed.”
Former ETTA Chair Alex Murdoch said Eileen had made a “significant contribution to the sport she loved”.
He added: “I worked with Eileen for many years on my Management Commitee and with the VETTS Committee, seeing her playing many times sometimes with my wife Val and also against her around the world.
“She made a fantastic contribution to the Management Team including being involved in the first Individual Membership package for members, equal prize money for Women at the National Championship, the start of the Ping! programme and the (partnership with the) Jack Petchey Foundation. All of us will miss her.”
Table Tennis England Honorary Life Member Mike Holt paid this tribute: “I have known Eileen for over 50 years, initially when she signed on for a club in the Hinckley and District League. She very quickly became one of the stars of the league, collecting numerous trophies including remaining unbeaten in the Ladies’ Singles for nine years. She also represented both Hinckley in the Midland League and Leicestershire in the County Championships at both Senior and Veteran levels.
“Alongside her playing skills she showed her organisational strengths when she joined the Hinckley committee. She became their league representative to the County Association. At the time of her passing she was President of the Hinckley League. Her administrative work was recognised when she worked on the Veterans Table Tennis committee and subsequently on the Management Committee of what was then the English Table Tennis Association.
“I had the privilege of working with Eileen at local league, County and National levels. She was dedicated and approached all her roles with professionalism and determination. Outside of her passion for table tennis, her life revolved around her family, Pippa her daughter and her family, especially Mckenzie, her grandson.
“She was a wonderfully dedicated and lovely person and will be greatly missed by her family and all who knew her in table tennis.”
A life dedicated to table tennis from which so many benefitted. Our condolences go to all family and friends.
Eileen’s funeral will take place on Thursday 8 October at The Barsby Service Chapel, G Sellers, 65-75 Upper Bond Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 1RH. People may arrive from 11.15am with the service starting at 12pm. There will also be an opportunity for people to celebrate her life from 12.30 onwards at the New Plough Inn, Leicester Road, Hinckley.
