Whistlers A are champions on ‘points per game’ basis

The GTTA have reached the decision to terminate the 2019-20 winter leagues and with a ‘points per game’ formula calculated the final league standings.

As it happens, the formula has made no change to the standings prior to termination and the consequence is that Whistlers and Lions are the big winners, with each claiming two divisional titles.

Whistlers, via their B team, had finally got their hands on the First Division crown for the first time in 24 years last season and they have followed up that success with a triumph for their A side with Josh Stacey, Mark Pipet and Ellis Tomlin proving worthy winners with a seven-point lead.

They had a tough start to the season, losing two of their first three matches, but finished impeccably with 10 straight victories.

Josh Stacey was also leading the averages at the point of termination, having lost just six singles matches from the 60 contested.

Phil Ogier from Lions B also had a strong season and finished as runner-up.

The Second Division was the closest contested of them all and in the end Lions F edged this by virtue of them holding a single point lead from Whistlers C.

Jez Powell, Caden Brouard and Andy Ferbrache navigated the hard-fought division, which had been increased in quality due to the split of teams between the Second and Third Divisions.

The runners-up of Kay Chivers, Keith Opie and Ben Sharp may feel hard done by as they were still in contention for clinching the title due to it being so closely contested, however on balance the Lions side were worthy winners due to winning twice, drawing once and losing once to their league rivals over the course of the season.

Powell and Chivers found themselves locked at the top of the averages as each had a matching record of 63 wins out of the 66 singles matches contested.

Lions G’s Luke Le Tissier made a successful return to the sport and finished next highest in the averages.

The Third Division was the most emphatic of all as Lions F held a whopping 10-point advantage and when the virus struck only needed a single point to seal the title.

The team of Brian Ferbrache, Sue Ferbrache and Jonah Ingrouille were one of the teams dropped to the Third by the association and they showed their quality in a season which only saw one loss during the second match of the season.

Steve Potter was also a regular addition to the team and he filled in to good effect towards the second half of the season when he replaced Sue.

It was in fact Ferbrache and Potter that finished in the top two spots in the averages.

The runners-up in the division were the Whistlers E squad of Ian Fitchet, Becks O’Keefe, Callum Gilson and Max Burrows.

The Fourth Division has gone to the Whistlers G side of Stuart Sarre, Darren Sarre and Matthew Board who held a five-point lead over the Ravenscroft Panthers D side of Oscar Pearson, Shelby Timms and Tia Timms.

Stuart Timms ended up runner-up in the averages alongside Mark Bideau on 90% of singles wins, but it was Pearson who ended up taking the individual spoils due to his 91.23% winning ratio.

On the tournaments front, any event scheduled for between March and May will be rescheduled to September or later when the 2020/21 league season is expected to commence.

In the meantime the Summer League starts next Wednesday, 1 July.