Men’s 1st team make history at Belvoir Vale Tennis Club with landmark victory

Belvoir Vale Tennis Club is a small club based in Hose, but for a small club they are beginning to punch with the force of a big club.

At the end of the 2024 season the Men’s 1st team had a final match with Stoney Stanton and the winner would be promoted to Div 2. Division 3 has an A and a B league unlike Division 2 so it is a hard league to get out of and into the upper echelons of Leicestershire league tennis. This final match was poised at 4 matches each with the final game on court set to decide the fixture. It went down to the final tie break and BVTC lost 8-6. We hadn’t quite made it.

So the 2025 season was a case of picking the team up and by being consistent to get back to a promotion place again.

After the opening match loss to Leicestershire 5-4, BVTC managed to win a few matches. We didn’t know it at the time but mid season we had a match with Ashby Castle and at four matches each our last pair were match point down before clawing it back and winning the tie break and the match.

As the season was closing with four games left to play five teams were battling for promotion. Over the final games Jamie Wallace and Ben Cullen won a deciding tie break against Oakham to clinch a win, Olly Thomas and Jamie Wallace clinched a tie break against Carisbrooke for a win and Andy Isaac with Jamie Wallace won a crucial tie break against Leicester Forest East 1st pair. Ashby Castle were on 69 points with all their matches complete. BVTC had one game to play against Newton Linford. BVTC were on 64 points so we needed at least 5 matches and a win to take the championship and promotion to div 2.

Jamie Wallace and Olly Thomas won their first match 6.0. Andy Isaac and Ben Wallace won 6.0 and Tom Rowe with Mark Blackburn won 6.0. A clean sweep and the team only needed 2 more sets to clinch it. Round 2 saw Jamie and Olly win 6.3 Andy and Ben won 6.1 and Mark and Tom won 6.1. The last round was irrelevant as the celebrations started and BVTC were up.

A sampling of the local Tiger ale at the nearby Bradgate Inn and after an 8.1 win the team ended on 74 points.

Not only has this team got a great spirit but also strength in depth after a season that knocked out a few of the regular players with injuries and non availability: Nigel Daniels (capt), Steve Wallace, Ben Cullen, Richard Surtees. Tom Rowe and Mark Blackburn topped the averages for best players with Tom not dropping a set all season, winning 24 out of 24 sets.

Belvoir Vale Tennis Club welcomes new members of all ages and abilities.

To join or find out more email [email protected] or visit our website www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/BelvoirValeTennisClub or follow us on facebook.