Chichester and Fishbourne Croquet Club teams win first and second places

The club entered two teams, unimaginatively named Fishbourne and Chichester, in the Golf Croquet tournament which has been running for 15 years. Fishbourne won for the third year running.

However, it was a close-fought competition. Three teams were tied on eight wins each. Fishbourne’s players - Tony Elkin, Tony Hicks, Keith Burt and Mike Pudney – won on hoops scored, followed by Chichester – David Russell, John Effingham, Sally Short and Martin Emmett. Third was West Chiltington Croquet Club.

The event was opened by the Mayor of Littlehampton Sean Lee, and the cup was presented by the Littlehampton club President Lillian Holdsworth.

In the recent Short-Course Association Croquet tournament at Southwick, Chichester and Fishbourne came second out of eight teams, pipped at the post by Bromley.

A club team also entered the South East Federation Ladies’ Day and, while not among the winners, managed to win or draw two-thirds of their games.

While the season is in full swing, the club has also been working hard to raise funds for a new clubhouse at their Fishbourne Playing Fields lawns. Planned to be installed later in the autumn, it will replace their ageing wooden stable.