Victor Blatchford: Not much is known about Vincent Blatchford. He was a Londoner, born on 9 September 1906 in Dulwich, London who played in the London Business Houses League. Apart from his one appearance in the Swaythling Cup in 1930 and playing in the Men’s Minor Singles in the World Championships in 1926, when he reached the round of 64, the only other known reference is a Men’s Singles quarter-final place in the English Open in 1928.

Cliff Cooke: Harold Clifford ‘Cliff’ Cooke was a Lancastrian born in Chorley on 1 February 1909. 1930 was his sole World Championships appearance. He gained four other international caps, two against the Irish Free State and two against Wales. He played for Manchester YMCA and gained some success in Open tournaments in the north of England winning the Merseyside Men’s Doubles title in 1930 with Les Todd and again in 1932 with Don Foulis. He was a champion in the Mixed Doubles with Joyce Bartholmew in 1932 and a team winner at the Pontefract Open in 1929/30 and 1930/31 with Stan Proffitt and R Pittilla on both occasions.

Cooke also played in the first known county match between Lancashire and Yorkshire in 1927 in Bradford, again playing with Proffitt and Pittilla. Cliff played cricket professionally for Lancashire. He lived to the grand old age of 102 and his son, Bob, recalls he was very active as a centurion, having photographs of him jet skiing when he was 100 years old.

Bernard Hookins: Bernard Hookins was a bank manager at the Yorkshire Penny Bank Ltd who was born on 16 November 1883 in Nottingham. He was captain of the team in 1930 having previously been the vice-captain in 1928, he also represented the ETTA at the Stockholm Congress. Hookins played in the World Championships in 1926, 1928, 1930 and 1935. He also played against Wales on 16 January 1926 and the Irish Free State in 1929/30 and 1930/31 being captain on both occasions. Hookins played in English Opens in 1928.1930 and 1933 and in some Open Tournaments in the north of England with titles at the Whitby Championships in 1934/35 in the team event and the Yorkshire Championships in 1928/29 in the Men’s Singles. He represented Pontefract at club level.

A significant administrator, Hookins became an ETTA Vice-President in 1931 after serving the Association as its Honorary Secretary and Treasurer for the 1929-30 season. He was one of the four founders of the Yorkshire County Association and became its President as well as being its secretary. He held several other positions including Northern Counties Secretary, West Riding TTL President, Whitby & DTTA Chairman and ETTA representative and the same for Doncaster & DTTL. Hookins also served on the ETTA Northern Counties group as secretary and was an Executive Council Member for West Riding, an Executive Committee Representative for Directly Affiliated Clubs and Area Committee Yorkshire County Secretary.

Stanley ‘Stan’ Proffitt: A Lancastrian born in Oldham on 8 October 1910. Proffitt made his international debut against Wales on 7 February 1931 in Swindon. He went on to play three more times against Wales, once against France, three times against Hungary, once against Ireland, twice against the Irish Free State and once against the USA. He played in four Swaythling Cup teams and two other World Championships. He reached the top of the England ranking list and ranked 25 on the World list.

Proffitt played in several English Opens and numerous other domestic Open tournaments winning several events in the Welsh Open, Hertfordshire Open, Home Counties Open, Hull Open, Kent Open, London Open, Merseyside Open, North of England Open, North London Open, Pontefract Open, South London Open, Sussex Open and West Middlesex Open. A champion at the Lancashire County Closed in the Men’s Singles in 1929/30 who played for the county in the Premier Division of the County Championships. A participant in several exhibition matches before the Second World War, Proffitt continued after 1945 playing them as a stage act. He was described as a stylish left-hander, always very fit and a shrewd tactician.

Proffitt became one of the first Approved Coaches in 1950/51 when the coaches’ qualification was brought in and went on to captain England. Other ETTA positions included a Selection Committee member, Registered Players Committee member and Registered Players Panels Commission Member (northern Representative). He was also secretary and Lancashire representative on the County Championships Committee.

As well as being a table tennis international Proffitt was an excellent cricketer, a left-handed batsman and slow-left-arm bowler who played for Lancashire 2 XI and also professionally for Essex. He later took up marathon running and weight training and continued coaching youngsters at Manchester YMCA. He was the longest serving member at the YMCA when he died aged 88 years after joining in 1921.

After serving six years in the army, Proffitt continued playing after he had served and helped popularise table tennis with a plethora of articles in several journals.

A popular player who was also a generous one who bequeathed the Stanley Proffitt Fund, a Swaythling Club International Award presented annually to help young and promising players with their training.

Tommy Sears: Sears was born in Dublin on 13 March 1911 and so was eligible to play for Ireland as well as England but went on to be an England international. He played against Wales three times and also against India and France, as well as making two Swaythling Cup appearances. He played in six other World Championships both before and after the Second World War. He was England Captain for both England women’s team including at three World Championships and during this time three bronze medals were won by the ladies. His highest ranking was England senior two. An unselfish player of whom Ivor Montagu said: “Tommy played best when he was playing for others”.

There was success at the English Open 1933/34 and 1935/35 when playing with Victor Barna the pair won the Men’s Doubles; he was runner-up with David Jones in 1932. A prolific player on the Open tournament circuit in England he had numerous wins. In the London Business Houses League, playing for W H Smith’s, he won the Men’s Singles three times and Men’s Doubles once. In June 1935 he had the unusual experience of playing in an international tournament at Lane’s Club in Baker Street, London, mainly to try out a slate table.

A regular participant in exhibition matches, Sears was a member of the ‘All England Exhibition Circus’ along with Stanley Proffitt, Maurice Bergl, Gilbert Marshall, Eric Findon and Hugh Jones. With others he played at the Concert Hall, Broadcasting House and the Daily Express theatre.

During the Second World War, Sears served in the Royal Corps of Signals. At the fall of Singapore he was captured by the Japanese and forced to work for nearly four years on the infamous Death Railway. On his return to England, he didn’t achieve quite the same standard as before but still took an enormous amount of pleasure in playing. His time and energy went more into helping others, particularly working with juniors, and serving on several ETTA committees – National Selection & Coaching Committee, Selection Committee, Coaching Committee, Selection and Ranking Committee, Victor Barna Award Committee, Junior Committee and Junior Panel. Sears initiated and helped develop the ITTF Youth Commission and served as a member of its committee from 1955-59. A qualified coach becoming an ETTA Approved Coach, gaining a Basic Coaching Diploma and later an Approved Senior Coach qualification.

Sears captained England at both women’s senior and junior level for over 10 years including taking three youngsters on a lengthy tour of Sweden in 1951 and he helped run training courses at Lilleshall National Recreation Centre. Ivor Montagu reports “he developed to an art the system of captain’s reports on matches and tours, analyses of players, conditions etc. with constructive suggestions”.

Montagu held Sears in the highest regard and described him “As a player and as a man, he was astute, deep, economical of movement, a stylist, a strategist, resolute, conscientious in all he undertook, unobtrusive, unselfish, loyal, a philosopher. A true friend, a model linch-pin of a model family”.

What a wonderful tribute to a great man who contributed so much.

Leslie ‘Les’ Todd: Born in Catford, London on 19 June 1907, Leslie was a fine all-round sportsman playing cricket for Kent from 1927 until 1950 with four appearances for England representative sides at Lord’s, as well as playing amateur soccer for Dulwich Hamlet. During the 1936 season, Les made 1,000 runs and took 100 wickets.

A left-handed table tennis player who made his international debut in the 1929/30 season against Wales, Berlin was the only World Championships he played in. However, he also played in several English Opens which were regarded as second only to the Worlds and achieved success at the Merseyside Open in 1929/30 where he won the Men’s Doubles with Cliff Cooke and was the Mixed Doubles winner at the West Middlesex Open in 1932/33 with Daphne Roberts.

Don Foulis: A Yorkshireman by birth but who played for Lancashire. Foulis was born in Eccleshall Bierlow on 13 December 1908 and made his senior international debut against Wales in 1929/30, he also played against them in 1930/31 and won four caps against the Irish Free State. He played in three World Championships including once in the Swaythling Cup in 1933/34 when the team finished seventh. Foulis won five titles at the Merseyside Open and three more at the Midland Open and North of England Open. At the Liverpool Closed he won the Men’s Singles four times, the Men’s Doubles five times and the Mixed Doubles twice. He played for the Lucern Club until 1938 when he retired from playing. A participant in the first National League match, Liverpool versus Blackpool on 21 November 1936 which saw victory for his side 9-0, Foulis also represented Lancashire in county matches.

An administrator as well as a player, Foulis was secretary for his club, Lucern TTC, Chairman and ETTA representative for the Liverpool League and a member of the ETTA Selection Committee as well as representing England at the Budapest Congress.

Foulis had some good innovative ideas – some of which were introduced much later. In 1947 he suggested the England team have an official uniform and also advocated, with the formation of youth clubs, local league players and clubs “adopt” a club to get youngsters interested in playing, he was also interested in organising table tennis in every school. When conscription was in force, he suggested using the armed forces as an outlet for improving the game of keen youngsters. In 1950 his ideas included letting players know their start time of their first match in Open Tournaments and having a qualifying event, also restricting entries as numbers had reached very high levels which made for very late finishes. Ideas which today are accepted as the norm.

Foulis was a good lawn tennis player and represented Lancashire on numerous occasions, he was possibly a lawn tennis international.

Foulis’s memory lives on in the Liverpool League when the Don Foulis Cup was presented in 1952 as a Ladies Handicap Cup Knock-out competition, the first winner was Mrs J Lloyd.

Richard David Jones, known as David: Ranked number one in England and five in the world, David Jones was one of the top players at home and abroad. Born in Hillingdon, London on 20 October 1908, Jones played for England in the Swaythling Cup in 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934 gaining one silver and one bronze medal in the team events plus a bronze in 1932 with Charles Bull in the Men’s Doubles. He twice beat Victor Barna in matches in the Swaythling Cup.

Jones’ international debut was against Wales in the 1928/29 season and he gained a further cap against France in the Dinard Cup and one each against Hungary and the Irish Free State, plus two more against Wales. In the English Open he was runner-up to Miklos Szabados of Hungary in 1932 in the Men’s Singles and in the German Open in 1932/33 won the Mixed Doubles with Astrid Krebsbach of Germany. He also won titles at the City Open, Hertfordshire Open, Midland Counties Open, Sussex Open and West Middlesex Open. Playing in the London League for the Whitefields Club he was a League triple winner in the Men’s Singles. In 1932 he won the “Sunday Referee” Nationwide tournament.

Jones was interviewed in 1935 and described the turning point of his career: “My first tour round England, with Fred Perry and Charlie Bull. After two weeks, during which time I played at a different town every evening, I had only lost one game. It was the result of these matches which gave me the confidence which I con­sider is essential if a player is to reach international standard”, and his most brilliant victory: “England were losing by four matches to three to Germany in the Swaythling Cup when I had to play their number one player. I was playing as England’s third man and had already lost to Germany’s number two and number three. My unexpected win over their number one player (who reached the Semi-Final of the World’s Singles Championship that year) saved the match for England”.

As Jones became more well known, he brought out his own bat, the ‘Attaka’ which sold for 3s 6d.

C Corti Woodcock: A very interesting character whose impact on English table tennis was immeasurable, he was one of the most influential and forward-thinking Chairman of the ETTA. Born in Romford, Essex on 23 June 1899. Woodcock’s one known success at table tennis was winning the West Essex League Men’s Singles title in 1934/35. His passion and influence on the game was not so much in playing but in other directions.

Before becoming involved with table tennis Corti Woodcock volunteered as a teenager in the First World War, during which time he was severely wounded and gassed. Despite this, he went on to lead a very full and accomplished life. Woodcock held a prodigious number of positions across both table tennis and golf, serving not only in England but also internationally – he held various local and county roles including being President of Essex in both sports.

For three years from 1933 Woodcock was the ETTA Chairman and served on a whole range of committees – too many to name. Woodcock worked himself into the ground with his commitment. He was given the honour of ETTA Vice-President in 1931 and became an Honorary Life Member in 1956, having previously in 1937 been made an Honorary Life Member of the US Association. As well as representing England He England at various ITTF Congresses, also represented Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada at various times. His other foreign involvement included acting as non-playing captain for the New Zealand team at the 1950 World Championships. Woodcock captained several England teams in international matches and in their Swaythling Cup and Corbillon Cup teams in 1934.

His earliest position was Secretary at the famous St Bride (All England) Club and it was whilst in post he learnt that Fred Perry had won the World Men’s Singles title and “With unrestrained elation, Corti immediately dashed out, bought and presented the “St Bride’s Vase” – which remains today that most coveted of trophies for the Singles’ Championship of the World”.

Other strings to his bow included President of Chelmsford League, Chairman and President of Essex County, Vice-President of both the Central League and the Guildford & District League as well as being founder and Chairman of the West Essex League. He represented the ETTA on the British Sports & Games Association and the Sunday Freedom Association.

A noted referee, umpire and organiser, Woodcock officiated at numerous Open tournaments and international matches. Perhaps his most prestigious appointment was umpiring the Men’s Singles final in the 1935 World Championships. He also acted as compere and MC at several major events and championships.

Another area in which he excelled was writing, Woodcock was founder and the first editor of the English publication Table Tennis and he wrote articles for this and other publications. This extended over a 30-year period and they were written with authority, wit and wisdom, at times he could be forthright and candid but always knowledgeable and thoughtful.

Woodcock could be controversial and his standards and values were of the highest, he challenged anything that was detrimental to the sport and promoted everything that was good. During his three years at the helm of English table tennis the whole concept of the sport was changed. Leslie Woollard wrote “For Corti, in those three years, took the role of a Prince Charming who turned the Cinderella sport into the queen of indoor pastimes. Corti it was who founded and edited the first official ETTA magazine “Table Tennis.” Corti it was (later aided by Bill Pope) who won over the Press and the BBC, to take an active interest in the sport. Corti it was who conceived the then fantastic idea of staging the 1934-35 World Championships at the Empire Pool, Wembley and persuaded the late Sir (then Mr) Arthur Elvin to his thought. This at a time when the assets of the ETTA amounted to £11 12s 0d!

“Corti it was who took the lead in organising exhibition tours of England of the fabulous Hungarians with the spectacular magic of Barna, Szabados and Bellak. The cumulative effect of Corti’s unsparing leadership in these fields that emphasised as nothing before in universal recognition that Table Tennis was really and truly a major in the world of minor sports, and culminated in the Royal Patronage in the year following Corti’s retirement from the Chair. At the cost of his health, Corti Woodcock had successfully transmuted table tennis to the Big Stage and showed the world how England could lead”.

When Woodcock died, Victor Barna said: “I have lost the best friend I ever had”. Woollard also paid tribute: “Here was a man of rare distinction whose place can never quite be filled by any other”.

His name lives on through the European Union’s Corti Woodcock Cup which was presented in 1959 for the Women’s Doubles Championship and the Essex County Corti Woodcock Memorial Award for services to the county, mainly for administrative services.