Eccleston Park tennis club celebrate their best ever season

For the first time in 75 years of playing in the Liverpool & District Tennis League, the Men's first team are Division A champions, finishing the season unbeaten with 13 wins and one draw.

This was the icing on the cake as seven of the eight teams they run - five Mens and three Ladies - ended the league season as either winners or runner-up in their respective Divisions.

All three Ladies teams achieved promotion with the third team topping their division and the first and second teams finishing runners-up.

The Men's second and fifth teams, the latter being unbeaten, also won their respective divisions and the fourth team earned promotion by finishing second.

This incredible season has been the culmination of a remarkable transformation of the club over the last decade.

The club was formed in 1904 but after a century the facilities, particularly the shale courts, were in desperate need of refurbishment.

Chairman Neil Brien, together with his hardworking volunteers, began the upgrade of facilities in 2012 with two courts relaid with artificial clay and floodlights being added, which allowed all-year round play for the first time.

In 2020, following the club's Crowdfunding appeal, three further courts were upgraded with artificial clay, with floodlighting installed on two, which resulted in them being voted Lancashire LTA Club of the Year.

But the chairman is keen to point out that there is more to the club than just competitive tennis.

“We are a family friendly club,” said Brien, “and welcome all standard of players. We also have a vibrant social scene with a wide range of events throughout the year.

“The capacity to play all year round allowed us to extend our programmes and in 2021 we expanded our junior development which is already is paying dividends.

"This season we had our youngest ever debutant in the men's team this season aged just 11!”

To find out more about the club, visit their website https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/epltc