December 9, 2025 | Connor Whitehead
A blockbuster weekend is in store as the Senior British Clubs Leagues (BCL) Premier Division returns, as the teams head to BATTS Table Tennis Club in Harlow, Essex.
The weekend is set to get off to a thrilling start, as rounds 5, 6 and 7 will see the three unbeaten teams – BATTS, Ormesby and Brighton – all go head to head for the first time this season.
Weekend two hosts BATTS currently sit top of the division by the finest of margins, with only games ratio keeping them ahead of Ormesby, both teams having won 23 and lost 5 individual matches on weekend one. Brighton TTC are level on the maximum 12 points after an impressive opening weekend but with a sets record of 22-6.
Each club also has one player who remains unbeaten, including Frenchman Alexis Douin of BATTS, Mark Bates Ltd National Championships silver medallist David McBeath of Ormesby, and also youngster Felix Thomis, who made his SBCL Premier debut on weekend one – and what a way to open your campaign, with eight victories!
Felix Thomis (photo by Michael Loveder)
Round 5 is set to be epic, with the hosts taking on Ormesby and hoping that a home crowd will help them remain on top of the division. With the Ormesby side featuring three English players on weekend one, they may this time have the help of an international star to bolster their attack. With both McBeath and Douin both sharing an impeccable record, this match could be one to watch!
Brighton TTC, the reigning champions, face the hosts of weekend 1, North Ayrshire TTC. The unbeaten Brighton side will be hoping to maintain their winning record, whilst the Scottish side will be hopeful they can secure a result, after a promising start to weekend one that included one victory, a closer than close defeat to Fusion and two 5-2 defeats to the first and second-placed sides.
Irish side Ormeau had a more than uncomfortable start to their campaign, due to a storm disrupting the arrival of two players. However the team recovered and made it a successful weekend, winning both their Sunday fixtures. They will be hoping to continue winning ways over London-based team Fusion TTC, who find themselves in sixth place, however could easily be positioned at the top of the table with some close matches swinging the scoreline in their opponents favour.
The final match of round 5 will see eBaTT, the newcomers, take on Drumchapel Glasgow in a huge bottom-of-the-table battle as 7th plays 8th. With both teams yet to win, it is set to be a huge clash, and with both eBaTT and Drumchapel bolstering their line-ups, this match is not one to miss.
Round 6 will take place on Saturday afternoon, where BATTS vs Brighton is the standout tie of the round, while Ormesby TTC will take on eBaTT, the two clubs meeting for the first time in Premier SBCL history. Both teams have hugely passionate squads, who bring the energy and fight on every single point.
Elsewhere in round 6, Ireland meets Scotland as Ormeau take on North Ayrshire, with both clubs including local stars, including Martin Johnson, Chris Main and Colin Dalgleish for North Ayrshire and Peadar Sheridan and Paul McCreery for Ormeau, who also have Commonwealth Games team member and Irish international Owen Cathcart, who currently competes in the Bundesliga, available for selection.
Owen Cathcart (photo by Michael Loveder)
Fusion TTC take on Drumchapel Glasgow in a hugely exciting fixture. Drumchapel have made a headline signing ahead of weekend two, with their identity to be revealed later in the week. Could that tip the balance or can Fusion’s totally homegrown side compete with the Scottish outfit?
Sunday’s action begins with round 7, live from 9.30am and featuring the third ‘clash of the titans’ as Ormesby meet Brighton. For the past two seasons, Ormesby have finished runner-up to their south coast opponents and this is their first meeting of the 25/26 season.
Ormeau will face the hosts BATTS, while for the first time this season, the two Scottish clubs meet in round 7, with bragging rights up for grabs, will it be Saltcoats-based North Ayrshire, or Drumchapel Glasgow taking the points? North Ayrshire have had a settled squad in recent years, something which helps their doubles partnerships, a vital ingredient if you want to be successful in this division.
A battle of London will also take place in round 7, as North faces South, Brent Cross meets Bermondsey, eBaTT play Fusion. eBaTT have added Nahom Asgedom to their ranks, while Fusion may have Lorestas Trumpauskas’ services back for weekend two, having missed the trip to North Ayrshire on weekend one, due to clashes with a veterans’ event.
Nahom Asgedom (photo by Michael Loveder)
Round 8 will close the second weekend of action, and the final round of 2025. The teams will go head to head once more and face their opponents from round 1, which means we are set for some epic rematches, with many of the matches going the distance earlier in the season.
An exception was Ormesby, who asserted their dominance over Ormeau with a 7-0 victory, although Ormeau were up against it with two of their players arriving minutes before the scheduled start time due to storm disruption. The Irish side will be looking for redemption this time round.
Fusion had to work hard for the points, as they opened their campaign with a 4-3 victory over North Ayrshire, a double from Shaquille Webb-Dixon breaking the hearts of the hosts, in a match which could have gone either way – who will take the victory this time round?
BATTS also came out on top in a 4-3 victory over Drumchapel Glasgow. Will unbeaten Frenchman Alexis Douin maintain his 36-month unbeaten streak in the UK, as Drumchapel have an exciting new signing ready to take the division by storm – watch this space for an exciting announcement, which could change the fate of the Glasgow side’s season!
Reigning champions Brighton battled newcomers eBaTT on table 1 in round 1, a scoreline of 5-2 doesn’t quite explain how close this tie was, with Brighton on the right side of three five-set battles.
Follow all the action this weekend on the BCL social media channels, and look out for details about live-streaming!
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