A brief explanation of the new Claire Anderson Trophy.
Our much missed club secretary Claire started compiling the club Parks League points count week-by-week in 2022. She had done the same at Dyke for many years. Other clubs, including Queens, run the similar club points system, with an annual prize. Thanks to Rob Hutchinson and James Hartt from Team St Ann’s who have taken on this role In her absence.
We have finally secured actual silverware, now named The Claire Anderson trophy (x2), and we may extend warm congratulation to our inaugural winners Zhenhua Chen and Alison Hayes.
The aim of this annual award is not ‘Whose Best’ but who has contributed the most in terms of points, across all divisions. It is somewhat arbitrary. We know a player can perform heroically without gaining many points, and that even if you lose, you are contributing by obliging opposing captains to ‘use’ good players to beat you. As our captains understand, that is no small matter. And perhaps the most important thing of all for captains is ‘appearances’, so respect and gratitude to those players who show up every week, notably – last summer- Judi Croudace, Nix Abbott, Will Jefferies, Simon Griggs, Manu Bevand, and Ed Davies, all of whom form the 17+ club. But of all the 70 or so registered players in our squad, it’s Zhen and Alison who won the most matches and won the most points. They are deserved winners. See 2025 points table below [top 7].
We’ve been able to go back through the years (scorecards, emails, photos etc) to establish all our Team St Ann’s points winners back to 2022, and we have engraved all their names on the two trophies, male and female. They form, I think, an interesting commentary on the short but illustrious history of Team St Ann’s. In true pantomime style, the men’s trophy fell apart as soon as I was about to present it, so it will be going back to the shop to be fixed. It is a handsome but delicate silver trophy to be handled with care. Also Alison was not available – she is recovering from injury – but we shall track her down.
2022 Andrew Woolston 43
2023 James Hartt 42
Gniewomir Wojtola 42
2024 Steve Dorney 43
2025 Zhenhua Chen 46
2022 Nat Stacey 41
2023 Natalia Noriega 42
2024 Elsie Jackson 37
2025 Alison Hayes 43
