Club Celebration & Awards Evening 2025
Our 2025 Club Celebration and awards night took place on Saturday 11th October 2025. We were delighted so many of our members could join us for the evening which involved awarding the recent winners and runners up from our Closed Club Senior Tournament as well as awards from the ladies captains, mens captains and Chair. This year saw the return of our members choice award which was voted for by our wonderful members. We also introduced a well deserved Life Time Contribution award.
The awards were as follows:
- Life Time Contribution Award - Dalip Malkani
- Club Tournament Awards
- Awards from the Womens Selection Committee
- Awards from the Mens Selection Committee
- Members Choice Award
- The Chair's Award
Please scroll down or use the links above to view all our winners and runners up. We have also added some photos from the evening at the bottom.
Life Time Contribution Award - Dalip Malkani
Those in attendance at the Club Celebration Night witnessed the club giving out a special Lifetime Contribution Award honouring Dalip Malkani who has been a member at BTC for over 50 years. Dalip has contributed enormously to the club over that time; working hundreds of volunteer bar shifts, designing and installing computer systems and the club's door entry system, playing both club and social tennis, working on the club's committee and acting as the club's treasurer for 20 years. To many people he is best known for being a crowd favourite in every BTC Christmas show since the late 1970s, and his "Yabba Dabba Doo" catchphrase in every performance has become legendary. Dalip has done all this work with great integrity and humility and the club owes him a debt it can never repay. Therefore we were delighted to give him this award in person to huge applause in a crowded clubhouse and make him realise how special he is to so many members. Congratulations Dalip on this well-deserved accolade, and thank you for all you've done for the club.
If you have any words of thanks you would like to pass onto Dalip for his incredible contribution to the club please email them to boblockettdalip@gmail.com, we'll compile these and make sure they are all passed onto the man himself.
Club Tournament Awards
A big thank you to everyone who took part in the 2025 Senior Tournament at Beauchief Tennis Club. All finals were played on Sunday 7th September with all initial rounds being played from May onwards. Great to see so many involvement in this annual event. Thanks particularly goes to Bob Buxton for his organisation of the event each year.
The winners and runner up in each category are as follows:
Mens Open Singles Winner: Tom Everest Wilcock
Runner Up: Aidan Robson
Womens Open Singles Winner: Sarah Everest-Ford
Runner Up: Gill Harrington
Mens Open Doubles Winners: Tom Everest Wilcock & Pete Ledbetter
Runners Up: Aidan Robson & Pete Fitzpatrick
Womens Open Doubles Winners: Jen Pearson & Evie Perkins
Runners Up: Sarah Everest-Ford & Jo Fitzpatrick
Mixed Open Doubles Winners: Sarah Everest-Ford & Tom Everest Wilcock
Runners Up: Jenny French & Vig Murali
Mens Handicap Singles Winner: Matt Lowe
Runners Up: Chris Muscroft
Womens Handicap Singles Winner: Georgie Anderson
Runners Up: Georgina Johnson
Mens Handicap Doubles Winners: Colin Mackie & Dave Tasker
Runners Up: Richard Heath & Matt Lowe
Womens Handicap Doubles Winners: Lucie Horner & Verity Nelson
Runners Up: Georgie Anderson & Paula Wright
Mixed Handicap Doubles Winners: Ruth Cooper & Colin Mackie
Runners Up: Paula Wright & Jonathan Dickson
Womens Selection Committee Awards
The Women’s Selection Committee reflected on the challenge of choosing recipients for awards from a diverse and dedicated group of players, ranging in age from 15 to 79 yrs. They applauded the collective commitment shown by members who consistently prioritised Thursday night matches despite personal & work challenges. Special mention is given to Anne and Jo, both recovering from serious Achilles injuries, with admiration for Jo’s continued leadership as Ladies Captain.
The awards presented included:
“Leaping over the Fence” – Jo Muscroft, for her quick response and unwavering enthusiasm for tennis.
“Thanks for not giving birth on court” – Stella, who played through pregnancy with impressive determination.
“Swear Police Award” – Marcia Burke, recognised for her commitment, mentorship, and welcoming spirit.
“Harnessing the Beauchief Spirit” – Georgie Johnson, praised for her energy and match availability.
“Back with a Vengeance” – Jennifer Lewis, for most matches played in 2025 following her post-injury comeback.
Mens Selection Committee Awards
This year, the focus on awards shifted from long-standing members to younger players who’ve grown through the club’s junior ranks and now contribute to men’s and mixed teams.
Four individuals were particularly celebrated for their progression from juniors to adult teams, their strong character, and family contributions to the club:
- Tom Everest Wilcock
- Alister Jackson Wright
- George Muscroft
- Jozef Lewis
Other awards presented included (and delivered with some rather cutting comments to all recipients 😉:
“Haircut 100 Award” – Pete Fitzpatrick, a long-time member with deep club roots and now known for his “post-haircut” improved first volley, he remains a key 1st team player.
“11 Year Award” – Tom Fillingham, returned to tennis after an 11-year break with impressive match volume and enthusiasm. Despite his more recent injury problems we know he’ll be back soon. Known for his generosity and good sportsmanship.
“Abbeydale Award” - Rich Lockham & Andy Simpson, new members who transitioned from Abbeydale Tennis Club and quickly became valued players at Beauchief.
“Double JD Award” - Jonathan Dickson & John Davis, recognised for their effort and spirit despite tennis not being their strongest sport. Their humour and personality enrich the club atmosphere.
“Barry Manilow Award” - Shane Molyneux, honoured for his consistent availability, effort in matches, and contributions to the club’s social scene.
Members' Choice Award
This years Members Choice Award went to Bob Buxton, a clear winner and a clear popular choice.
In total, we had around 50 votes and some amazing comments about the contributions many of the members have made over the past 12 months.
Notable mentions include Aiden Robson, for his dedication to the tennis teams throughout each season. Shane Molyneux, for his contribution in some of the maintenance projects and the early Friday bar. We also had a huge amount of votes for Simon Parkinson, a stalwart of the club, undertaking back breaking work year-on-year and his efforts in making all of the grounds, the new patio area in particular, a wonderful place to be.
Thank you to everyone who voted and congratulations for all those who received votes. In all, there were 16 different individuals that received a nomination. This is an incredible representation of how strong we are as a club and how many put in many hours of work to make our club the best in South Yorkshire - by a distance!
The Chair's Award
This year’s Chairperson’s Award from Sarah Everest-Ford was shared between two outstanding members of BTC: Aidan Robson and Jo Fitzpatrick, recognised for their exceptional dedication both on and off the court.
- Aidan has been a member for over 10 years. He consistently plays for club teams, often traveling long distances to do so. A former coach at Beauchief, he still contributes during events like open days and is known for his friendly and committed presence at match practices.
- Jo has been with the club since she was 10. She’s played in over 25 club tournaments and won around 40 titles. As the Ladies’ Captain, she works tirelessly to organise teams with care and dedication. Despite a recent serious injury, she continues to support the club and its members.
Both recipients exemplify the spirit and community of BTC. Congratulations to Aidan and Jo!
