TURNFORD CLUB CELEBRATES THEIR 40 YEARS ANNIVERSARY
Club Motto: Loyalty, Team Spirit, & Friendship
I became a Life member of the Oakwood Netball Club, which I formed in 1958 this Club celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. Matches were played in the Southgate, North London, Middlesex, and the Polytechnic Leagues which involved a great deal of travelling. On moving house to the village of Nazeing in Essex on the Herts border, I found there were no Clubs or local leagues in the area that I could join. So it was time to start another new Club!
The Turnford Club was formed in 1967 when a group of friends met at my house. We went into Hertfordshire and were welcomed by the East Herts College of Further Education at Turnford. The players were expected to become members of the Student union, and the club to use the College name and colours, black & yellow, and the coaching was an organised evening class.
40 years ago we had enough players to form an A & B team, our membership now stands at over 250 players and volunteers. This enables us to field 17 teams under 14 years of age, and a further 8 adult teams. The standard of play, has risen beyond all expectations and with it a reputation that brings in many players by recommendation. We believe this is due, to our Coaches and Umpires, being, encouraged, to become qualified by taking their AENA awards.
The Club’s first subscription was just 1/6d plus 1/- match fee. The Netball Magazine was produced in black & white and only 4¾” by 7¼” in size, and it cost 1/6d + 2d postage! We made our own place bibs and black tunics. Later we were able to purchase black pleated skirts and yellow aertex blouses. Our juniors still wear pleated skirts, and the seniors are now into dresses. Today we are spoilt for choice on styles and new materials with numerous sports outfitters all seeking our custom.
At first the club travelled to play in league matches, so the next step was to organise a local League. This I formed jointly with the head of PE at the College in 1970, and it was known as the East Herts Summer Netball League. We started with just 8 teams, Club members have been organising this League for 37 years, and it is the oldest local League in the area. It has grown now to accommodate 60 teams with a waiting list!
In 1975 when my own daughter started playing, it was suggested I organised coaching sessions for children. As a result the Junior section of the Club and the Junior Summer League were formed that year. This League is now in its 32nd year and it too has expanded to over 70 teams. Four years ago I introduced a High 5 League, which has 20 entries. We spent eleven years at the College and when we changed venues the two Leagues were renamed the Turnford Senior & Junior Summer Leagues.
In 1980 The Borough of Broxbourne had the hindsight to provide floodlit netball courts for hire at nearby Wormley Playing Fields. So my next step was to make use of the floodlights and start the Turnford Mid-week Netball League. This has become a very strong League as it is open to teams of all standards, the club members organised it for the first ten years. In 1996 they voted to hand it over to a committee made up from the competing clubs, provided the Turnford name was preserved The League is now in its 27th year, and still highly successful with over 60 entries and a waiting list.
The three Turnford Leagues were all played midweek so were not eligible for promotion to the Herts Premier League, so I had to form a 4th League. In 1980 the Broxbourne & District Netball League started, they play their matches on a Saturday morning twice a month. The League is now in its 28th year and going strong. It has 3 Adult Divisions and 3 Junior Divisions. The Winners of Division 1 can now progress to the Herts League. “Back to Netball” coaching sessions are an on going annual event to form a new Club each year to replace them, together with the youngsters coming up from the Junior Division. In 1985 I was honoured to be appointed their President.
The Turnford Club’s successful coaching programme has produced 14 players who have been selected to play for England from U16 - Senior Level. In addition we hold 10 National Championship Titles in various age groups, and 13 times Runners Up. Turnford were winners of the 2007 East Region NextGen Award for our volunteer programme. We gained the AENA Gold Cap Award in 1996 & Sport England Club Mark, one of the first 7 clubs in the country. An average of 15-20 County players were selected every year, and now they are filling places in the County & Satelite Academies & England Talent training. We are the only Club in Hertfordshire to have a Level 3 coach and two others are already in training, and we have provided County & Academy Coaches.
Numerous individuals have been recognised for outstanding contributions towards netball – Herts - Jenny Evans Coaching Award, AENA Muriel McNally and the Herts - Joy Hooper, both Awards for service at grassroots level, AENA Long Service Award, E Region’s Sports for All Award, East Region Coaching award and National Runner Up, two Herts - Youth Awards and two Dorothy Broad Admin. Awards, and the Borough of Broxbourne Service to the Community Award
We have our own web site (www.turnfordnetballclub.net) which includes the Members Handbook Guidelines & Rules. We are part of the Broxbourne & Herts Sports Partnerships, and Community Sports Network committee. For each League we organise an End of Season Tournament, and in addition two Open Tournaments for U12’s and U16’s, two School holiday Camps at Easter & Summer, coaching High 5 netball for U11 girls & boys. There have been several overseas Tours to Barbados (2), St Lucia, Malta (3), Canada & Spain and various weekend tournaments.
I am so proud of what the Club, its players, coaches and officials have achieved over the past 40 years, never did I expect so much to evolve from that first meeting at my home in 1967! I can now take a back seat and retire gracefully knowing that everything is in place, and will continue for always!
Maureen Ball.
President Turnford Netball Club
