THE first we know of Barnsley Lawn Tennis Club is a reference in the Barnsley Chronicle of 1893 where there is a mention of a match played at Victoria Crescent.

At that time, tennis was played on numerous private green courts in the town, especially in the Salisbury Street area where the present Barnsley Lawn Tennis Club story begins.

The late Claude Elstone and the Reynolds brothers sought pastures new for their tennis enthusiasm, hoping to play some mixed doubles and they discovered the Summer Lane Club just off Stocks Lane which comprised two grass courts and one hard court adjacent to the Summer Lane railway station.

Membership of this club formed the nucleus of a brand new club which moved to the present Redbrook site in 1933. That year the club hosted the Barnsley tournament which had previously been held at Banks Hall, Cawthorne. The committee of 1933 included P O Walker and his brother G Howard Walker, Norman Moody, J Schooling, G D Pierrepont, Mr and Mrs A C Elstone, A Bowler, E C Dickson and U Hinchcliffe.

In the same year, two courts were constructed and two additional courts appeared in 1935. Through the Second World War, it was up to the ladies to keep things going, even to the extent of collecting worn-out tennis balls for re-covering.

In July 1948, there was huge excitement at the club when it was visited by the great Fred Perry who won Wimbledon in 1934, 1935 and 1936 and the top Australian player Dan Maskell, later a commentator.

The following year Len Kilner and Kemp Goldsmith joined the club, the latter coaching hundreds of juniors over the years as the team improved and was promoted to Division One of the Yorkshire League. The club celebrated its centenary in 1993 with a tournament, the players wearing old-fashioned dress. That year, garage proprietor Ted Johnson took over as chairman and Barrie Betton became secretary.

The club’s improved facilties mean it is one of the best in the country. Grants and cash raised by the club mean it now has four splendid all-weather courts. “In 1998 we decided the old clubhouse was falling to pieces and we decided to build a new one. We applied to the lottery and were refused, but we enlisted the help of MP Eric Illsley and MEP Norman West and we obtained a grant of £51,000.

“We also received an interest-free loan and raised over £10,000 from our own funds,” said Mr Betton. The magnificent new pavilion opened in April 2000 and membership doubled as a result of the new facilities. The men’s team won the Yorkshire Division One Championship for the first time in its history and they also claimed the title in 2003 and 2006.

Captain in 2006 was Chris Day who is now club chairman. Such is the enthusiasm of members that following a heavy snowfall one year, 85-year-old Willis Hellewell, who has been a member for around 50 years, cleared the snow off the courts.

He and Ted Johnson are now honorary members. The club has 90 adult members, 50 juniors and 12 students. They are able to take advantage of night-time matches under the club’s floodlit courts.

So, it’s game, set and match to Barnsley Lawn Tennis Club – a great club born out of sheer hard work and ambition during its 116-year history.