Beckenham Tennis Club
Beckenham Tennis Club
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Beckenham Cricket Club was founded in 1866 but the sport of tennis was not played on the Foxgrove Road grounds until 1879 when, in response to the growing popularity of tennis and the increasing interest in The Championships at Worple Road in Wimbledon, three grass courts were cut.
The Beckenham tennis section was established shortly before nearby Bromley and Bexley clubs – making Beckenham one of the oldest surviving lawn tennis clubs in the world.
In 1880 the membership of the tennis section was opened up to lady playing members, a full eight years before the Lawn Tennis Association was founded and recognised women as serious players. At this time there was an expansion of he grass court facilities, which today surround the cricket outfield.
Beckenham’s influence over other clubs in Kent for the quality of their grass courts, under the management of Groundsman Tate, saw them become a founder member of the Kent Lawn Tennis Association in 1890.
Beckenham Cricket Club staged the Kent All-Comers’ Championships, an international tennis tournament, on its outfield from 1886-1996. In June 1968, Beckenham became the first grass-court event in the world 'open' to both amateur and professional players. Five professional players competed, including eventual winner Fred Stolle, Roy Emerson, Andres Gimeno, Lew Hoad and Frank Sedgman.
It also hosted a Davis Cup tie on 19 and 20 June 1922. Romania, making its international team debut, lost 5-0 to India in the first qualifying round. For detailed results click here. From the 1920s to the early 1970s the club staged a number of international matches as preparation for Great Britain’s Wightman Cup team.
Success at county level was slow in coming for Beckenham members, but eventually entered a period of dominance lasting until the outbreak of World War II. Tonie Thomas, a lifelong member since the 1930s, wrote a fascinating insight into life at the club prior to and during World War II.
Her father, C. L. ‘Sunny’ Philcox lost to Hendrick Timmer of the Netherlands in the fourth round of The Championships at Wimbledon in 1927. Vera Thomas (nee Dance) also competed at the All England Club for three successive years following World War II. Thomas emulated Philcox by reaching the 1948 fourth round, where she lost to Nellie Landry of France.
Following two decades of unexceptional performances, Susan Morgan and Tim Williams heralded the return to top quality tennis in the late 1960’s when both won county singles titles. Through excellent coaching, Beckenham went on to produce some fine talent including Steven Matthews and current member John Watton.
The playing surfaces were reviewed to ensure the club remained competitive and in 1980 two tarmac courts were laid. Five years later they were followed by three red shale courts. During this period a number of Beckenham players achieved county status among them, Peter Hannon, Clint Harris and Sally Goodman, as the side wracked up county titles galore.
Although this standard has proved increasingly hard to maintain, the club has continued to develop. Three tarmac courts were floodlit and in 1997 the club’s four main grass courts were transformed through the introduction of four new acrylic surfaced floodlit courts.
The club suffered a set back when the Kent All-Comers’ Championships ended in 1996, but membership quickly stabilised and the club now fields a men’s team in the National Club League as well as top ladies and mixed teams in the county divisions. Former and current Kent county players, including Michelle and Maria Wheeler, Lorna Moren, Chantal Coombs, Catherine and Jacqueline Darby, and Tracey Bunney have earned the club several county titles.
The Old Pavilion, which was built circa 1890 and acted as the main clubhouse and international tournament changing rooms until 1969, was thoughtfully restored by some of the dedicated tennis members and officially re-opened in June 2003. The tennis lounge was dedicated to Maria Bueno, the three-time Wimbledon champion and club member.
The serving of English teas - a tradition that started at the turn of the 20th century – continues to this day, every weekend, in the pavilion that has now become a place of gathering for tennis members.
In June 2004 Beckenham Lawn Tennis Club celebrated its 125th birthday.