2023-24 was the Club’s 57th year and a good one. We won 13 of 29 matches, drawing 2 and losing 14. We came a creditable 5 th in the league (Division 2), four points behind the Old Etonians and pleasingly just ahead of North Oxford. Only incurring half a penalty point (for an incomplete team) across the season was key.

It was great to welcome back Will Gibbons, who, prised off his sofa, showed he had lost nothing of his old skills, or wit. Nadia Mason stepped in to the league side and scored her first points which was great to see. Jeremy Hughes, now a bona fide OI, also made his league debut, successfully taking honours at first pair. Our Alan Barber Cup challenge (fives’s version of the FA Cup) came unstuck in the second round, unsurprisingly, against twenty-three times winners of the competition, the Old Olavians. By contrast we were pleased to qualify once again for the semi-finals of the EFA Trophy. A stroke of misfortune, however, by which Isaac Wagland was unable to make the match in time, frustratingly spoiled our good prospects of beating the Salopians to the spoils. Next year we hope he remembers where he parked his car.

We were most ably supported on occasion by School pupils, especially sixth formers Alex Phillips and Elliot Caldwell, both of whom helped us to points in the league and we very much hope will become regulars for the Club. U13 girls (Anastasia, Betsy and Izzy) combined superbly with Charlotta Cooley, Aisha Parker and Nadia Mason to surprise many and take an impressive third place in the Richard Black Cup, the women’s team event. We weren’t quite so successful in the equivalent men’s competition, finishing fourth but performing respectably against top opponents.

The Graham Turnbull Trophy, for pairs consisting of a pupil and a former pupil, saw Ipswich players do brilliantly. Tim Gregory with Elliot Caldwell and Jeremy Hughes with Sam Cook reached the last sixteen in a field that included a couple of UK Open Championship winners amongst other highly ranked players. Better still was the highly impressive performance of Steve Burnell and Alex Phillips who beat the fancied Eton first pair in their group and then UK Champion, Hugo Young and partner, in reaching the semi-final.

We had three Ipswich pairs in the Aberconway Cup (for intergenerational family pairs), Gareth Hoskins trying to keep up with son Tom as they made the quarter-finals, and Tim Wyndham and Chris Bradley playing with their thirteen year old daughters. It is a lovely competition if anyone fancies doing the same. This year the age range was from 10 to 84! 

In the annual School v OIs match Anna Clough led the OI women’s team but couldn’t get the better of a strong School first pair in Kezia and Natasha, a draw resulting. In the men’s match the strength of the OI side reflected the potential of the pupils to cause an upset. The presence of Isaac Weaver bolstered the elders, enabling the OIs to field a formidable second pair of Gareth Hoskins and Tim Gregory and score a 2-1 victory. Isaac has become an outstanding player, having kept his eye in whilst at Durham, picking up the Universities Rugby fives titles for both singles and doubles on the way. His athleticism, quick reactions and power of shot are impressive. This was amply demonstrated in the Ipswich Tournament for the Graves Cup in early January, in which he partnered guest player Mandie Barnes, who would be the first to say she is not the strongest, yet still managed to win. Mandie said afterwards, “I don’t think I have ever played a match and hit the ball so few times.” As always the tournament was much enjoyed, including the informal dinner, for which we were again indebted to the excellence of the School caterers. 

Amongst personal milestones, congratulations are due to Charlotta Cooley who won her thirteenth Ladies Open title and become the most successful female player ever. Simon Woolfries won his fifth Over 60s title, his fourth in partnership with Peter Boughton. Tim Gregory became the fifteenth OI to have played 100 matches for the Club and Mark Graves moved to within 5 of being the 7 th player to 300 matches. Peter Boughton moved ahead of Club founder Mike Fenn to 690 matches played, with 400 wins. 

Gareth Hoskins continues to drive the game superbly as Secretary of the Eton Fives Association, Charlotta and Simon Woolfries keep an eye on him as Committee members, with Charlotta now also in charge of the Schools’ Girls’ Championships. Simon Cass is still running the Cambridge Chroniclers Fives Club and would welcome any OIs who fancy knocking a ball about on the fabulous indoor University courts. And we would love to see more taking advantage of OI Fives, anywhere, either seriously, socially, to keep fit, or as a focus for a get together with old friends. If any of that appeals, contact Peter Boughton on pvb@ipswich.school. 

Many thanks once again to the School and OI Club for their continuing support and to our match managers who keep the show on the road.

Story contributed by Peter Boughton, Eton Fives Coach