Browsing: London

December 11, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

As part of our members’ priority access to the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, we are pleased to confirm that group bookings will be available to members during the priority window.

How group bookings will work

1. Members-only access:

Full details on how to request a group booking will be sent to members on 15 December, when the priority window opens at 10:00 UK time. This ensures the opportunity remains exclusive to our membership before general sale begins.

2. Public access from 18 December:

From 18 December at 10:00, group bookings will become available to the wider public once general sale opens.

What you can book

1. Group bookings are available for all stages of the event across both venues.
2. Minimum order: 10+ tickets per session.
3. For orders of up to 9 tickets, please use the standard ticketing platform (these cannot be placed via group booking request).

This is a fantastic option for clubs, teams, schools, and large family or friendship groups who want to enjoy the centenary edition of the World Team Table Tennis Championships together.

We will send out the group booking details on 15 December, ahead of the priority window opening.

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December 11, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 will be the biggest Worlds ever staged.

Two iconic venues, 128 teams, hundreds of athletes, officials and volunteers – and not forgetting thousands of spectators at every session, creating an incredible atmosphere to inspire the players to produce their best!

A total of 64 menâ€s and 64 womenâ€s teams will compete. They have booked their places via the continental championships or the world rankings.

The menâ€s and womenâ€s tournaments will run alongside each other – hereâ€s our guide to the Championships format.

Every match in the tournament is best of five individual matches (first to three wins). The playing order is:

• Player A vs Player X
• B vs Y
• C vs Z
• A vs Y (if required)
• B vs X (if required)

Each match is best of five games to 11 points.

The tournament begins with groups of 4, played on a round-robin basis (three matches per team).

Stage 1a (OVO Arena Wembley, 2-3 May)

The top seven ranked teams, plus England as hosts, drawn into two groups (Group 1 and Group 2). The purpose of this draw is to determine seedings for the Main Draw – all teams in Stage 1a will progress to the Main Draw.

Stage 1b (Copper Box Arena, 28 April to 1 May)

The remaining 56 teams will be drawn into 14 groups (Groups 3-16).

The teams finishing first in each of the 14 Groups will advance into the Main Draw at OVO Arena Wembley. Six second-placed teams will also qualify directly to the Main Draw, with selection based on the best ratio of wins to losses (first in team matches, then individual matches, then games and points, as far as is necessary to resolve the order).

The remaining eight second-placed teams will play a single Preliminary Round knockout drawn at random, with the four winners progressing to the Main Draw.

In total, 24 teams in each gender will qualify from Stage 1b to the Main Draw.

Stage 2 (OVO Arena Wembley, 4-10 May)

The 24 qualifying teams from Stage 1b will join the seven highest-ranked teams, plus hosts England) in the Main Draw, which begins with the Round of 32 and then progresses in straight knockout format until the Finals on 10 May, when the world champions will be crowned!

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December 9, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Tickets for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 will go on sale from Monday 15 December to Table Tennis England members.

Members will be first in line for the chance to book their seats during a priority window before they go on general sale. They can also take advantage of the 10% earlybird discount.

Tickets will start from £5 for children and £15 for adults, ensuring affordable access for families and fans across the community.  

Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer said: “The ticket on-sale moment is a major milestone on the journey to this landmark centenary World Championships. London 2026 will celebrate 100 years of global table tennis, and we are proud to be bringing the sport home for such a historic edition.  

“Tens of thousands of fans will have the chance to watch the worldâ€s greatest players compete at two iconic London venues, creating an unforgettable atmosphere throughout the Championships.

“We are committed to delivering a world-class event that not only showcases elite sporting drama, but also leaves a meaningful and lasting legacy through our social impact initiatives nationwide.â€â€¯â€¯

How will ticketing work?

Tickets will be released in phases to ensure that supporters from around the world have a clear pathway to secure their seats.

Table Tennis England members will receive priority access to purchase tickets from 10am on Monday 15 December until 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 December.

During this window, members will also be able to take advantage of earlybird pricing, with a xf10% reduction available for a limited time.

Table Tennis England members will receive a link to buy tickets via email shortly before the window opens.There will be separate links for tickets at the Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley, which are hosting different stages of the competition.

This early access is one of the core benefits of being a member – offering the first opportunity to secure seats for this milestone event.

Ticket sales will open to the wider public at 10am on Thursday 18 December. The earlybird discount period will remain open until 11.59pm on Friday 16 January, 2026.

Full ticketing details, prices, session schedules and venue guidance will be shared shortly.

Supporters can stay updated by checking the Table Tennis England website and following official London 2026 channels.

Become a Member and Secure Early Access

Fans who wish to guarantee early access, earlybird pricing and first choice on seating options can do so by becoming a Table Tennis England member ahead of the priority window.

Those who join before 15 December will automatically receive access to the Members†priority window.

Membership is quick to set up and provides a range of year-round benefits – find out more here.

About London 2026

London 2026 will be the centenary edition of the World Championships – a once-in-a-generation event that brings the worldâ€s best players to the capital to compete to lift the iconic trophies.

With 64 menâ€s and 64 womenâ€s teams in the field, this is set to be the biggest World Championships ever, held over 13 days from 28 April to 10 May 2026.

The Copper Box Arena will host Stage 1B, including teams ranked from nine to 64, from 28 April to 1 May.

OVO Arena Wembley will host Stage 1A – the eight seeded nations, including hosts England, playing for position in the draw – on 2 and 3 May, before Stage 2 begins with the Round of 32 from 4 May.

More information is available at London-2026.com. 

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London Spirit have appointed Jon Lewis as their women’s head coach for the 2026 edition of The Hundred.

The former England women head coach replaces Chris Liddle, who led Spirit to a third-place finish last season.

This role will see him reunite with former England captain Heather Knight, who was recently named as women’s general manager for the 2024 champions.

Lewis was in charge of England from November 2022 to March 2025. He led them to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup and oversaw a drawn home Ashes series in his first year but a downturn in results, culminating in a 16-0 Ashes defeat in Australia, led to his sacking earlier this year.

The 50-year-old also spent three seasons as head coach of UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League and was recently appointed director of cricket at Gloucestershire, where he oversees performance structure and pathway programmes.

“This is a really exciting opportunity to play a part in shaping the future of this franchise,” said Lewis.

“I am looking forward to building a team packed with talent and character, [and] playing cricket that Spirit fans coming to Lord’s will get behind as we aim to win a second title this summer.”

Director of cricket, Mo Bobat, added: “He has a fantastic breadth of experiences, across both the women’s and men’s games, which will stand us in good stead in our pursuit of sustained success.

“It’s particularly exciting to consider the potential of his professional partnership with Heather, whom he obviously knows well from his time with the senior England women’s team.”

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Oval Invincibles will be renamed MI London from next season following investment from the owners of Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians.

Reliance Industries Limited bought a 49% stake in the franchise, which has produced five title-winning teams in The Hundred, from the England and Wales Cricket Board in January.

The deal worth about £60m has now formally been completed, while the ECB has confirmed Cain & Ares Management Credit funds’ investment in Trent Rockets was also finalised in October.

It means that deals for all eight Hundred sides have been completed, after stakes in the other six franchises were sold in July.

The name change for Invincibles aligns the side with four other teams under Reliance ownership: MI Cape Town in South Africa’s SA20, MI Emirates in the United Arab Emirates’ International League T20, and MI New York in Major League Cricket in the United States.

Invincibles, who won the women’s competition in 2021 and 2022 and the men’s tournament in 2023, 2024 and 2025, are the first side from the MI collective of teams to be renamed, with the remaining franchises founded under their current names.

“We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with the Reliance team over our partnership in the Hundred franchise team,” said Oli Slipper, the chair of Surrey, who retain 51% ownership of the renamed team.

“Reliance bring a significant depth of cricket and business expertise and have had great success with their franchise teams in India and around the world.

“We have worked very closely with Reliance over the name of the new team and believe that MI London will give us the best opportunity to build the fanbase at home and across the world.

“We also believe that the team brand will help to grow the commercial value of our franchise, in turn boosting investment into the long-term sustainable growth of Surrey and of cricket in our community.”

The move comes with The Hundred set to move to an auction format for assigning players to franchises.

That switch is likely to result in the breaking up of a settled squad that won three successive men’s tournaments for Invincibles.

Reliance’s franchises have had a large amount of success around the world, with Mumbai Indians the joint most successful team in Indian Premier League history with five titles.

The Mumbai Indians women’s side have won the Women’s Premier League title in two of the competition’s three seasons, while MI New York boast the same record in Major League Cricket.

MI Cape Town won the most recent SA20 competition, while MI Emirates took the title in the 2024 ILT20.

“We are delighted to welcome MI London into the #OneFamily and take the MI legacy to new frontiers,” said Reliance founder Nita Ambani.

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India’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Virat Kohli silenced every question about his form and fitness with a brilliant 135 in Indiaâ€s opening ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. Even though he now features in just one international format, the veteran batter looked supremely sharp, striking 11 fours and seven sixes in a commanding innings. After the match, former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn offered an insight into how Kohli maintains such elite conditioning. Steyn revealed that he bumped into Kohli the previous evening and decided to ask him directly about his routine.

Still have doubts? Virat Kohli blows World Cup trumpet with another masterclass

“I actually met him last night at dinner,†Steyn said on Star Sports. “I asked him, ‘What do you do now that you play only one format?†and he told me, ‘I live in London now.â€â€ Steyn explained that Kohli trains at top-notch facilities in London and follows a world-class program to stay in peak shape. “He has fantastic facilities at Lordâ€s and at Surrey, and he trains there regularly. He also works with a personal trainer,†Steyn said. “He is always prepared, always in elite physical condition, and mentally he is incredibly strong.†The legendary pacer praised Kohliâ€s professionalism, saying the India star has complete command over his preparation and approach. “He knows his game inside out. When he joins the team, heâ€s fully invested, and thatâ€s why we see performances like this. Thatâ€s what true professionals do,†Steyn added. Kohli, meanwhile, addressed the ongoing chatter that the BCCI wants him to participate in more domestic cricket. The former captain made it clear that he doesnâ€t believe in excessive preparation. “Iâ€ve never relied on too much preparation,†Kohli said during the post-match presentation. “My game has always been more mental. I train very hard physically, and as long as my fitness stays at the level I want, I just visualise batting well. Thatâ€s enough for me.†Kohliâ€s authoritative knock, combined with his clarity on preparation, once again highlighted why he remains one of Indiaâ€s most dependable performers.

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Jack Draper has delayed his comeback from an arm injury in pulling out of this weekend’s Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) grand final in London.

The British number one has played just one singles match since Wimbledon and had been hoping to continue his preparations for a January return to the tour.

However, the 23-year-old said in a social media post he has been advised to take more time rather than play in the event, which takes place at the Copper Box Arena from 5 to 7 December.

“I’ve been working hard to get ready for the UTS but frustratingly I’m just not quite ready,” Draper said.

“It’s a tough call as I want nothing more than to compete but I’ve been advised to take more time. Sorry to let down fans and miss out on the event.”

Draper first felt discomfort in his upper left serving arm during the clay court season in the spring, and following a scan after Wimbledon, did not hit any serves for a month.

He tried to return at the US Open in late August, but after playing alongside Jessica Pegula in the mixed doubles and winning his first-round match in the singles, withdrew because of the discomfort.

This week’s three-day event in London would have offered Draper at least three short matches, over four eight-minute quarters, and competition from fellow top-20 players Alex de Minaur, Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev.

Draper was offered a wildcard into the UTS event by its founder Patrick Mouratoglou.

While confident Draper would be ready to play, the Frenchman did stress the danger of returning too quickly from this type of injury when talking to BBC Sport in October.

“You can’t play on a bone bruise, because the next stage is a stress fracture and you can’t take the risk to have a stress fracture,” Mouratoglou said.

“When you have a bone bruise on the arm, you can do a lot of fitness, so you stay in shape. It’s annoying because you need to stop completely and wait until it’s completely clean again.”

Draper posted video of himself hitting forehands at the National Tennis Centre in London in early November, with a compression sleeve on his left arm.

His next scheduled appearance is for Great Britain in the United Cup team competition in Perth in the first week of January.

The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the new season, starts in Melbourne on 18 January.

Draper reached a career high world ranking of four in June, and still stands at 10 after an outstanding first half of the year, which included a first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells.

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Former England captain Heather Knight has been appointed as general manager of London Spirit’s women’s team after opting out of playing in the 2026 edition of The Hundred.

The newly created role will see Knight work alongside director of cricket Mo Bobat to provide elite perspectives into the women’s game.

She will continue to represent England alongside playing for Somerset on the domestic stage.

Knight, 34, has been affiliated with London Spirit since the competition’s launch in 2021, serving as team captain in the first four editions and lifting the title in 2024.

A hamstring injury prevented her from playing in the competition in 2025 but she remained with the team as a mentor and coach.

“I have absolutely loved my time at the franchise, as a player and also as a coach in last year’s edition of The Hundred. I’m really excited to work closely with Mo and the head coach in this new chapter for the women’s team,” said Knight.

“I am still very much committed to and passionate about playing for England and Somerset, but this is a huge development opportunity for me.

“It gives me the chance to learn from one of the best minds in the global game, in Mo, and broaden my experiences outside of my playing career.”

Bobat added: “Heather’s deep understanding of the women’s game and of what is required to perform at the highest level make her the ideal person to be our first women’s general manager.

“She knows what it takes to win The Hundred and the franchise will benefit from having one of the game’s leading current players in such a key role.

“It’s also great to be able to support Heather with her long-term ambitions and future career transition. I know how passionate she remains about playing for England and her unwavering commitment to representing her country.”

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• ESPN

Nov 28, 2025, 09:05 AM ET

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Cole Palmer is fit and will be available to start for Chelsea against Arsenal on Sunday, manager Enzo Maresca confirmed on Friday.

Palmer missed Chelsea’s trip to Burnley last week and their mid-week UEFA Champions League win over Barcelona after he fractured his toe in an accident at home.

Maresca had said he thought Palmer would miss the clash with league leaders and London rivals Arsenal, but confirmed on Friday their star midfielder will be available.

“He is available. Everyone is happy. The teammates are happy, we are all happy,” Maresca told a news conference.

Cole Palmer is set to return for Chelsea against Arsenal. Visionhaus/Getty Images

“The most important thing is that Cole is happy, he needs to play games.

“He’s probably our best player. We are happy he is back. We need to give him time to make sure he’s 100% fit. He has done fantastic in the past and there is no doubt he will do fantastic in the future.”

– Laurens’ weekend preview: Chelsea-Arsenal headline Europe’s best
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– Chelsea vs. Arsenal: How to watch, latest news

Palmer has not played since sustaining a groin injury in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in September.

He had been nearing a return before he injured his toe last week.

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November 27, 2025 | Diane Webb

The year 1926 was a momentous one in the history of international table tennis. Triple events were planned in December 1926 in London – the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Conference, a tournament entitled The European Championships and an International Team Championship tournament.

The foundation meeting of the ITTF was held at the London Congress on Tuesday 7 December at the Duke of Yorkâ€s Room, The Stadium Club, Holborn where Ivor Montagu was elected as chairman, a position he held for the next 40 years.

The original poster advertising the event

Earlier in the year he had been elected as President and Chairman of the English Association, not bad for a young man of 22. That first meeting was short and adjourned until 12 December. The one matter directly relevant to these championships was to rename the Championships as World rather than European due to entry by Indian players who were based in London.

A cup was presented by Lord Swaythling in honour of his wife, the Dowager Gladys, Lady Swaythling, to the Table Tennis Association of England, the precursor of the English Table Tennis Association. This became known as the Swaythling Cup and was for the Menâ€s Team competition, the only perpetual trophy at these championships.

Their son, Ivor Montagu, who was elected chairman at that inaugural meeting of the ITTF on 7 December 1926 tells how the cup was acquired: “I remember going to the vaults where my fatherâ€s bank kept its bullion and choosing a cup, a fat silver thing in the opulent old English style.â€

The Swaythling Cup

There were six events overall. The Menâ€s Team Championships, Menâ€s Singles, Ladies’ Singles, Menâ€s Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Menâ€s Minor Singles – the latter excluded the four seeded players of each nation in the Menâ€s Singles.

Seven teams entered the Menâ€s Team Championships: Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Hungary, India and Wales. All teams played each other and all three players in each team also played each other, 21 up and best of three. Four venues in London were used: Herga Lawn Tennis Club in Harrow, the Memorial Hall in Farringdon Street, Unity House in Euston Road and the Indian Students Hostel, 112 Gower Street.

The first ball was struck at 7pm at the Herga Lawn Tennis Club at the match between England and India. The England team for this match comprised Charles Allwright, Bernard Bernstein and captain Percy Bromfield. They faced S Raja Gopal Suppiah, Athar Ali Fyzee and their captain A M Peermahomed. The result was close, with five of the matches going to three. All three England players lost to Suppiah and Bromfield also lost to Fyzee and Peermahomed, leaving India the victors by 5-4. Suppiah was well known to the England players as he had won the English Open in Grimsby earlier in the year and went on to win it again in 1927.

Charles Allright, Bernard Bernstein and Percy Bromfield

Englandâ€s second match was played at the Memorial Hall against Austria on Wednesday morning, 8 December. Another close match, but this time England came out on top with a 5-4 victory. Allwright and Bernstein played again and James Thompson replaced Bromfield. Allwright beat Eduard Freudenheim but scratched to captain Paul Flussmann and Munio Pillinger, Bernstein beat Flussmann and Freudenheim but lost to Pillinger whilst Thompson beat Flussmann and Pillinger and scratched to Freudenheim.

Memorial Hall in Farringdon Street

The afternoon of 8 December and it was Englandâ€s most challenging match against the strong team from Hungary. Bromfield was back in the team and although he beat Dr Dani Pesci, he lost to both Zoltan Mechlovits and Dr Roland Jacobi, Allwright lost to all three Hungarian players and Thompson, like Bromfield, had a win against Pesci but lost to the other two. Final score 7-2 to Hungary.

Match number four was an 8-1 victory against Germany on Thursday morning. Allwright and Thompson both won three against H G Lindenstaedt, Gerstmann and Preen, whilst Bernstein had two wins but lost against Lindenstaedt.

Thursday afternoon saw a comprehensive win 9-0 against Czechoslovakia. Frank Burls was in the team this time and Bernstein and Thompson continued their success of the morning. Czechoslovakian players were Antonin Malacek, Jaroslav Hajek and Jaroslav Kautsky.

Frank Burls and James Thompson

Englandâ€s sixth and final match was against Wales the same evening. It was another close encounter and England scraped through 5-4. All three England players beat S Stone but none kept a clean sheet. Bernstein lost to C Mossford and H G Geen, Bromfield beat Mossford but lost to Geen and Thompson lost to Mossford but beat Geen.

The results table at the end of all matches was five points for Austria and Hungary with Austria losing to England and Hungary losing to Austria. England and India both ended with four wins, Wales two, Czechoslovakia one, whilst Germany lost all their matches.

The team results

The programme stated that if teams ended on equal points then they would be joint holders unless they agreed otherwise. Austria and Hungary must have agreed to a play-off to decide who would be awarded the title of Menâ€s Team World Champion. In the first encounter between the two teams, Austria had a close win but the result this time was reversed with Hungary winning 5-4. England finished third, India fourth, Wales fifth, Czechoslovakia sixth and Germany seventh.

Who were the players in that first England team?

• Charles Allwright: 24 years old, who also played football and cricket at a high level. He played against Wales in 1925 and 1926, was runner-up in the English Open in 1925 and regarded as Englandâ€s number 1. Described as “an all-round player who uses his head; he is patient and his position playing is exceptionally good. He plays in spectacles and uses the rubber racketâ€.
• Bernard Bernstein: 26 years old, who was nominated as Englandâ€s representative at the London Congress. He was runner-up in the English Open in 1927 and won the Menâ€s Singles at the London Open in 1925-26 and 1926-27. He was also a fine billiards player. A pen-holder who “uses the wooden racket and plays every ball on the half-volley; an unvarying game but an impregnable defenceâ€. Bernstein later was the first winner of the Jubilee Cup in 1948, a competition for those who had played in the first World Championships.
• Percy Bromfield: 39 years old and one of the original pioneers of the early game having been Chairman of the Ping Pong Association (PPA) in 1921 and the Table Tennis Association in 1922 and 1925 and founder member of the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA). He was responsible for the revival of the game along with Austin Carris and JJ Payne in 1921-22 after it had been dormant for 15 years. He was captain of, and played in, the first international against Wales in March 1923, also in 1925, 1926 and 1928. He won the All-England Championships in 1903-04, 1921 and 1925. Regarded as being the originator of using a rubber-faced bat and inventing the flick attack. Described as “the greatest tactician, the most varied and experienced player in England, and a model to all beholdersâ€.
• Frank Burls: 24 years old. He won the Civil Service Championships in 1925-26 and went on to win 12 more titles. Won the English Open Menâ€s Minor Singles in 1927 and Czechoslovakian Open Menâ€s Doubles in 1928-29 with Adrian Haydon. Described as having  “a beautiful style, can play every stroke in the game but lacks experienceâ€.
• James Thompson: 37 years old from Bristol, the only non-Londoner. Won the Daily Mirror British Championships in 1923, the first prize was a car. Senior England international debut against Wales on 8 December 1923, also played against them in 1926-27 when he was captain, 1927-28 and 1934-35 gaining a further international cap in 1932-33 against the Irish Free State. Described as “a straightforward attacking player, a good fighter who uses the rubber racketâ€.

Who won the individual medals?

The individual events started on 10 December at the Memorial Hall, where all matches were held over the next three days.

There were 64 entries in the Menâ€s Singles and as well as countries represented in the team event there were players from Denmark. The majority of entries were, however, from England, with a good number from Wales. This time it was 21 up and the best of five games. Although four players from each nation were seeded, the seeding was disregarded for the draw and so on occasion seeds met seeds in the first round.

Jacobi, a member of the Hungarian championship team, became the first World Champion in the Menâ€s Singles with victory in the final over compatriot Mechlovits 12, 22, 19. Semi-finalists and bronze medallists were Suppiah and Pillinger. Englandâ€s highest places were in the round of 16 with Allwright, Lionel Farris and Tommy Dawn reaching this stage.

Roland Jacobi

The Ladies’ Singles Championships – note Ladies’ and not Womenâ€s – had 16 entries with 11 players from England, two from Austria, one from Czechoslovakia, one from Hungary and one from Wales. It was another victory for Hungary as Maria von Mednyanszky became the first World Champion in this event beating Doris ‘Dolly†Gubbins of Wales 15, 19 in the final. Winifred ‘Wendy†Land of the Herga Club was the first England individual medallist, losing to Mednyanszky in the semi-final. Kathleen Berry and Joan Ingram went out in the quarter-finals.

Maria von Mednyanszky

The Menâ€s Doubles saw another gold medal for Jacobi, partnered by Pesci, they defeated Mechlovits & Kehling 15, 11, -19, 11. Walesâ€s Mossford & Penny and Germanyâ€s Flussmann & Pillinger took home the bronze medals. Herbert Bennett & George Ross plus P Ranger playing with German Freundenheim were the best-placed English players going out in the quarter-finals. There were 27 entries in total.

A small entry of 14 in the Mixed Doubles and it was another triumph for Hungary, making it a clean sweep of titles as Mechlovits & Mednyanszky beat Jacobi & Englandâ€s Miss G Gleeson of the St Brideâ€s Club,14, 8 in the final. Wendy Land won her second medal as a losing semi-finalist with Bennett.

Wendy Land

The Menâ€s Minor Singles title went Pillinger of Austria with a 16, 17 win over Birminghamâ€s Frank Lawes. Lionel Farris and A W C Palmer both reached the quarter-finals. This event had a good entry of 60.

Frank Lawes

The overall organisation and administration of these first World Championships was led by referee Ivor Montagu and his committee which comprised his right-hand man, Bill Pope, Philip Warden and a co-opted representative of each visiting nation.

Montagu had only persuaded the English Association to hold the Championships after guaranteeing to cover any loses up to £300, which he could afford to do following a family legacy. As it was, the deficit resulted in Montagu contributing £150. The cost of the whole venture came to £352 with income coming from sale of tickets at £60 18s 1d, sale of programmes (£9 14s 3d), advertising in programmes (£25 0s 0d), entry fees (£56 12s 0d), donations excluding that from Montagu (£50 0s 2d).

Ivor Montagu

Expenditure took the form of preliminary expenses of £13 6s 6d, hire and associated costs of the Memorial Hall (£76 3s 0d), printing (entry forms, tickets, scorecards, agendas, programmes, posters & advertising, translations (£75 18s 0d), tax (£12 12s 6d), foreign team expenses (travel and lodging) (£140 0s 0d), reception & food (£9 4s 6d) and medals (£25 0s 0d).

A tremendous achievement and a great success. Those who took part could never have imagined how the World Championships would grow and develop nor the scale of them today. 100 years on, it is a privilege to recognise those who were there at the beginning.

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