Tewkesbury Tennis Club are punching above their weight.

The men’s team won promotion last season and are now competing in Division Two of the Gloucestershire Summer League, which is quite some achievement when you consider the size of the club.

Chairman Steve Pugh readily admits the club are “small”, but he adds: “We’ve got a really enthusiastic group of players who play on a regular basis.

“Nearly all our members are active which is unusual for most tennis clubs.”

Steve, along with Callum McCoubrie, Darren Perry and his sons Henry and George, Chris Gratton and Phil Sadler, were certainly active last summer as they won Division Three of the men’s league and Steve said: “We’ve done really well as a group, we’re really pleased.”

Steve, who is in his 26^th season with the club, said they were now hoping to establish a ladies’ team to play in the league in 2027.

“When I first joined the club, the ladies won the Premier Division,” said Steve, who has been chairman for 10 years.

“And our mixed team won the Premier Division of the Gloucestershire Winter League in the lates 2000s.”

These days the club, who are coached by former top Gloucestershire player Lucy Howitt, have fewer than 20 members.

They play at Tewkesbury School but are limited as to when they can play because of the school’s own requirements.

They can’t play during the day in term-time and while Steve says the club are “accepting of the restrictions” he is also  looking at ways to push the club forward.

And that means building a new tennis club.

“I know that is ambitious but I don’t see how tennis can thrive in Tewkesbury without four dedicated courts and a clubhouse,” he said.

Steve, who is 65, said he had been in contact with both the LTA and Tewkesbury Borough Council and he continued: “What we would dearly like is for Tewkesbury Borough Council to put us forward for some Section 106 money.

“Look at the development plan for Tewkesbury, the town is going to double in size.

“We’ve got a decent case based on the scale of the town, the population and the lack of tennis facilities.

“We are already the biggest town in Gloucestershire without their own dedicated courts.”

Steve said that there were plenty of  people who travel outside the town to play tennis and he wants that to change.

“We want to grow the club and have a bigger presence in the town,” he said.

Steve, who lives in Bredon, has been playing the game for 40 years and knows all about the many benefits that it offers.

“It’s good for you physically and mentally,” he said. “It’s demanding but in a good way.

“You need to be agile to play tennis but it also helps to keep your mind going, it’s good for your eyes too.

“I love the challenge of playing tennis but primarily it’s the social side, it’s a super sport.”

The club have been at their present base since February  2018 – they play all year round – after spending the majority of their 35-plus years at Tewkesbury Park Golf Club.
They had a year at Dowty Sports and Social Club on the edge of Gloucester before moving to Tewkesbury School.

Anyone wanting further information about Tewkesbury Tennis Club should email info@tewkesburytennis.org