Thornden Tennis Club

The current Thornden Tennis Club came about from the amalgamation of the Pirelli Tennis Club, based at the Pirelli site in Passfield Avenue in Eastleigh and the former Thornden (Chandlers Ford) Tennis Club. 

Pirelli Tennis Club started in the early 1930s and was one of the original members of the Southampton Apsley League. Teams from the Club have also played in the local Hampshire and Isle of Wight LTA Summer Leagues and the Southampton LTA Winter Leagues for many years, with various promotions and relegations over the time. The Club managed to reach the Premier Division of the Apsley League once, spent several seasons in the top division of the Southampton Winter League and also won the Apsley League knockout cup against teams from much larger clubs.

Pirelli tennis club was lucky to have the Wilkinson family as members at one time and can boast that Chris Wilkinson, Davis Cup player and former Britain Number 1, started his tennis at the Club. Chris reached the last 32 of the Men’s singles at Wimbledon.

When the Pirelli Cable firm began to close down its site in Eastleigh, the tennis club lost its courts and was not allowed to keep the name Pirelli. Luckily, this was at the exact time that Thornden School was developing new courts. One of the Thornden adult players, Brett Evans, was also a Pirelli member, so the two clubs decided to merge, although at first retaining two affiliation numbers with the LTA.  

Thornden Tennis Club was founded in 1974 when David Thomas came to Thornden School. Originally it was just a junior club, but it was open to all local children, not just to Thornden pupils. As there was no adult club in the area at the time, it was very difficult for players over 16 to continue in tennis. In 1981, therefore, the Club entered the adult the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Summer League and in 1983 Southampton Winter League, so the Club became in effect an all-through junior and adult club. The Club was running 5 Men’s teams by the late 1980s. The A team reached division 2 of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight League and has spent many seasons in division 1 of the Southampton Winter League. The teams were composed of junior players, parents of juniors and adults who had been junior members. Some current players have had continuous membership for thirty years from the age of ten. At least six juniors from the Club went on to world rankings, the most notable being Laurence Matthews who reached the 400s, Paul Scullard, our current senior coach and Elizabeth Jones who reached 160. The Hampshire Men’s team, with four ex Thornden juniors out of 6 players (and Chris Wilkinson who started at the Pirelli Club) won the National County title seven times in the 1990s, never having been champions before. At least 34 county singles titles have been won by ex Thornden juniors, and two national titles – Elizabeth Jones was national Under 18 champion. Elizabeth Jones played at Wimbledon and Laurence Matthews reached the final qualifying round of Wimbledon before losing in 5 sets to future Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanesevic.  

In 2002, new all year round courts were built at ThorndenSchool, and the adults of the two clubs amalgamated. The new Club was originally called Pirelli/Thornden LTC, then Thornden CF (Chandlers Ford) LTC. The juniors kept their committee and were, at first, still affiliated to the LTA as a separate Club.

In 2009 both committees decided to amalgamate fully into one affiliated Club under the name Thornden Tennis Club. A new clubhouse was built with the support of the School who are the owners of the Courts and with the enthusiastic work of Jackie Snow and David Dunnett..

The current Club coach is Paul Scullard, originally a junior member himself, still a County player and previously captain of the Great Britain Over 40 Team.

Both the Junior and Adult sections of the Club are thriving, and providing competitive and social tennis for members.

David Thomas 2013