LEAGUE champions, King's Head served notice on the eight other teams in Division 1 of the Norfolk League that they mean to retain their title when they crushed newly promoted Norwich Union 18-4. Straight set wins for Tim Howes, Mark Shildrake and new signing David Aers, together with 3-2 wins for David Wild who has postponed his retirement, and Andrew Brown 'ensured the champions of maximum points. Dereham, too, already looked as though they will be near the top of the League and they confirmed their previous good form by defeating previously unbeaten Outwell Crown 17-5. Alastair Trollope was the only Dereham player to drop narrowly losing 9-3, 7-9 7-9 9-10 to Jim Daintith, but 3-0 victonies for Marshall, over Cambridgeshire county player Sieve Gray, and Youngs, and 3-1 wins for Hanis and Taylor were more than enough to give Dereham victory. In-the only other Division One match, Burgh Hall in their first home match-of the season, defeated East Anglia's second string 15-8. In Division 2 the season has been-a disaster for the newly promoted Broadland. They went down to-their third successive defeat, 14-5 at Lenwade, and Gorleston, relegated from the top hight and now missing two key players in Haniley and Cook, went down 16-7 following the long joumey to West Norfolk. Exciting! King's Head I, under the guidance of Malcolm Clarke, had an exciting introducuon to Division 3, narrowly defeating Hunters third string 13-8. Their two new recruits, Ashley Pаре from Carow and Stephen Placket from Civil Service, found the going tough and lost 3-0 and 3-1 1o John Howard and David Loombe respecively. However,-with the veteran Clarke beating Eddie Cook 3-0 and young Simon Howling beating Nigel Harrison by а similar score, everything depended on the final match between Simon Flint and Trevor Parfitt. After trailing by two sets to one the experenced Parfitt overcame a burst ball al 7-y In the fourth set to clinch the match for King's Head, winning 5-9, 9-6, 7-9. 9-7 9-3. Oulton Broad had a mixed start to their season following their relegation from Division 2. A 12-9 win at home against promoted Barnham Broom was followed by 15-8 reverse against Norwich Union's second string. Division 4 saw convincing wins for Kessingland 2, West Norfolk I and Gurneys Manor, while in Division 5 there were good wins for Ashill, their third of the season and RAF Marham, Another team to record their third win were King's Head I who soundly defeated newly-promoted Wensum Lodge 16-8 in Division 6. Maximum! Broadland's second string suffered a 16-8 defeat at home to RAF Swanton in Division 7: This-was the RAF side's third successive win. Division 8 saw an interesting match at Cromer between the home club, last season's Division 10 champions and Burgh Hall Ill, champions of Division 9, Straight set victories for Jim Russon and Alan. Gooden, a 3-1 win for Mick Driscoll and a 3-2 win by Dave Butler, who came back to beat Mal Leggcu 4-9,7-9,9-2,9-6,9-2, were enough to give Cromer Victory. Burgh Hall had previously achieved their first win of the season with an18-5 maximum against UEA Staff and in the same division there were victories for Chequers Veterans and Norwich Union IV. There was a merry go round of results in Division.9, North Walsham IIl had a close game against Oasis, winning l6-11, Oasis, in turn defeated Watton who defeated Beccles 2. The latter were awarded an l8-0 walkover against Lenwade Il. Four of the five matches in the North Walsham Ill - Oasis match went to five sets. North Walsham's fwo youngsters, Tilley and Wright, both had good wins and although_"Digger" Shaw and Dave Rebbeck lost to Keith Tyrell and Neil Saunders in five sets, 9-6-7-9,-9-5, 6-9, 9-3 win by Norfolk League Player-of-the-Week, Paul Lawrence, over Chris Wesgarth, gave North_Walsham their first win of the season. In Division 10, newly-promoted Adelaide had an I8-point_maximum against Fakenham Il and Cromer I were soundly beaten 14-6 by Marina ll for whom Gary Sewell, Chandra, Ondhia and David Coe all won 3-0. The closest game of the week involved Marina's third team- who narrowly lost at-home 13-11 to Gurney's Manor second string in Division ll. Halls game with P. Thompson was the closest of the evening with the Gurney player eventually winning 9-7, 8-10,9-10; 9-4 10-8. There is one corrected result in Division 12. Oasis I have now officially beaten Thetford I 16-8 Not registered! Already this season several clubs have had to conceded matches 18-0 because players were not registered. Dereham-Il are a case in point having defeated Kessingland Iv 16-7 they found the result was overturned because their team was unregistered. Graham Mann is asking the League to re-consider their decision since he was unaware that all players had to be registered before the fixture, thinking this occurred automatically on entering the first result. This is an appeal the League committee will have to consider and at this stage will pass no comment but to merely re-quote Rule 2(a): *All players must be bona fide members of the club they are representing and their names registered with the League secretary, prior to their first match of the season, or for new club members, I4 days, prior to the date of the match in which they wish to play and Rule 2(d); “Failure to comply with any part of Rule 2 will result in the offending team automatically losing the match, 18-0". The first of the women's individual county Leagues finishes on October I6th. All the matches must be played by that date and any players wishing to join the Leagues should contact Jane Freeman (Norwich 52535) with their name, address, home and work telephone numbers, and also their home club's name, address and telephone number. New applicants will be placed in the bottom League. On the junior front there was а disappointing response from clubs generally and as a result, there will be no girls League this season. Not, enough were interested in a boys, U19 league so the committee decided that there will be three, leagues only: U16 (5 players), U14 (5 players), U-12 (3 players). While the other 2 older age groups are predominantly for boуs, girls will be able to play and the U12 will be a mixed league. The U12 mixed league could be the stimulus needed to provide Norfolk with a sound base for years to come and includes teams-from Barnham Broom, Dereham, North Walsham, Burgh_Hall and Cromer. Last year's winners will receive their trophies at Hunter's this evening. What is apparent and also disappointing, is that several clubs are based, around one age group, and as the group advances the gар is not being filled by another team of younger players. Some clubs are not building on the foundations which haver been set up over the past two years. Maxply Trophy! Gresham's have not entered the junior Leagues but they are the only-Norfolk team in the Dunlop Махрlу Trophy which is an U-19 mixed club Championship. This Manor is the fourth year of the tournament in which 200 clubs are taking part and in the first round the Gresham's team are up against last year's beaten finalists, Heckington from Lincolnshire. The junior, pyramid Leagues are now under way and so far not many games have been played. All who entered are reminded that they aгe expected arrange their own matches and if difficulties are encountered they should contact the relevant squad managers. Juniors are also reminded that the fun run takes place at Earlham Park tomorrow and it is still not too late to enter. The Moreton Hall club at Bury St. Edmunds had an exhibition match last Saturday between the Le Lievre brothers and as a prelude John Cordeaux played Johnathan Clarke, With the two seeded to meet in the final of the Norfolk Championship tomorrow evening it is worth noting that Clarke won 9-4, 3-9, 9-5, 9-0-in40: minutes. Moreton Hall are quite happy to host friendly matches between teams of up to 16 a side on their four courts. They recently entertained Hunter's, narrowly losing 9-8, and if any club is interested in a-friendly match involving mostly players who are not regular team players-they should contact David Wigg on Bury St. Edmunds 3975.