League News
At Priory Badminton Club we took the decision to start playing league badminton in 2023/2024 season. We entered an open team in the Newark and Badminton District league and played in division 3. Whilst we came bottom of the league, we had a really good time and it was pleasing to see so many of our players wanting to take part. Since our first season, there has become a real buzz in the club and we have not stopped. This season we will have three league teams, including a mixed team. A special thanks has to go to members of the committee and our coach for their dedication and determination for making this all happen.
For more information on the league, please visit Newark and District Badminton
Seasons
Match Report
Lincoln Albion v Priory Badminton Club
21/9/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club encountered a talented Lincoln Albion team in PBC's first ever League match in its history.
Losing 9-0 to the home team, Priory gained valuable exposure and experience of the level of badminton required across the League. Arguably the strongest team in the League after just being relegated from League Two, Lincoln Albion were strong across all three teams, performing well in attack and defence and keeping their errors to a minimum. It was good to see two ex-PBC players doing well for Albion.
PBC played well in parts and were competitive throughout, playing some of the great shots that they can. Unforced errors and lack experience did for the Away team in the end, but as a credit to them, everyone maintained their positivity and enjoyment throughout the games.
Team Captain and Club Secretary, James Howard, said, 'It is great to see the evolution and progress that the Club has made in recent years and tonight was another step forward. We are aware of the challenges and look forward to meeting them head on. Well done to the other team members, Gary, Ben, Jake, Pete and Tom, they should be proud of how they represented the Club.'
The next game is away to Grantham on 27th October.
Match Report
Grantham v Priory Badminton Club
27/10/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club travelled to Grantham determined to take learnings from their first ever League match, into their second match.
Overall Grantham took the win on the night, 7 matches to 2, the scoreline not reflective of PBC's improvement.
All pairings were competitive with some long and fast rallies. The home team had a very strong first pairing, who went undefeated through the evening.
Tom Clarke and Liam Stimpson took PBC's first ever game win followed up with two match wins from Jake Mawer and James Howard.
Gary Jacobs and Ben Straw were unlucky not to get a win on the board, particularly as they were probably the most consistent pairing and had the most success of all PBC's pairs, against Grantham's number 1 pair.
League games are coming up thick and fast in November, with the next one against Bishop Grosseteste away, on Friday 3/11 at 6.30pm.
Match Report
Bishop Grosseteste v Priory Badminton Club
3/11/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club made the short trip across the city to play Bishop Grosseteste at the University.
PBC went down 8-1 to a young, engertic BG team, with some battling games across the night. There were notable performances from Gary Jacobs and Ben Straw with an uptick in form for them, winning their first game of the season. Tom Clarke and Liam Stimpson followed up their first game win of last week with their first match win and gave a good account of themselves throughout the evening. Jake Mawer and James Howard were unlucky not to come away with at least one win with a loss of form and the odd sprinkling of individual errors hampering their progress.
Form and confidence are growing overall within the PBC team, with all pairs showing they can win games and be competitive.
Bishop Grosseteste were great hosts and invited PBC to play a few friendly games after the League matches were concluded, demonstrating why many of us enjoy badminton so much.
PBC play Grantham at home on Monday 6/11, 7pm start. Supporters are more than welcome to come down and watch PBC'S first home game of the season. Special mention to Chris Bautista who came along to support and stand in if needed.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Grantham
6/11/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their first home game of the season. It was unfortunate that league captain couldn't James Howard make the match due to injury.
For the match, we welcomed Grantham, which beat us 7-2 a couple of weeks ago. We showed consistency, as the scoreline was 7-2. That was an excellent result, considering only 2 players from their team remained from the away fixture, and they had players from division 2 playing.
As in previous games, PBC are getting more competitive and consistent. For the second week on a roll, Gary Jacobs and Ben Straw won a game. They played some really good badminton and won an epic game 27-25. Unfortunately, they couldn't win the match.
Liam Stimpson and Tom Clarke didn't win a game, but they did take their number one pairing in one game to 21-19 and played some excellent badminton. Well done, guys.
Mr. Consistent Jake Mawer had a different partner, Chris Bautista, who played admirable, but this did not derail him from winning 2 rubbers. Well done both of you.
Form and confidence are growing overall within the PBC team, with all pairs showing they can win games and be consistent.
Games are coming thick and fast, and we play Bishop Grotesque for our next home match on Monday, 13th November.
A special thanks has to go to our coach Pete Crawshaw, who has watched most of our games. His wealth of league knowledge has been invaluable and has helped us reach our potential.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Bishop Grosseteste
13/11/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their second home game of the season against familiar opponents in Bishop Grosseteste. League captain James Howard was still absent with injury. Chirs, though, was an admirable replacement.
For the match, we were trying to improve on our score of 8-1 against the same opponents. We were hoping to use home advantage. Unfortunately, we couldn't improve, and the final score remained the same. However, we won one rubber 2-0, which was an improvement. Well done guys.
As in previous games, PBC are getting more familiar with the league and showed glimpses of excellent play. For the club, it is all about consistency and controlling games. Gary Jacobs and Ben Straw were the epitomy of this. They played excellent during most games but also had periods where they were poor. Back to the training ground! As is the norm, they played well against their best pairing.
Liam Stimpson and Tom Clarke didn't win a game, but they continued their excellent partnership. Well done, guys.
Jake Mawer and Chris Bautista continued their excellent partnership and beat their third paring 2-0. Well done, both of you.
Our next came is against Balderton in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, all pairings will win some games and matches.
A special thanks has to go to our other players who came early to watch the matches. That is what makes this club so special.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs Balderton
27/11/23
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club played our third home game of the season against a new competitor, the Balderton club from Nottinghamshire. League Captain James Howard was unfortunately unavailable to play due to an ongoing elbow injury and once again Chris stepped up to the plate and delivered brilliantly.
Expectations ahead of the session were high as Balderton are only in their second year in the league and our coach advised that this was a good opportunity for an overall event win. Alas it was not to be Priories first overall victory, but certainly not due to a lack of desire or effort from the six representivies.
Jake Mawer and Chris Bautista had a near floorless evening, winning all three of their matches and in the process they beat Baldertons first team in a very hard fought third game.
Gary Jacobs and Ben Straw played admirably, driving multiple games to 18 & 19 points, but sadly their efforts were not rewarded with a game win on this ocassion. There was some excellent team work on show throughout however unforced errors and a sprinkle of luck from the opposing sides surpressed their endeavour to claim their first match victory.
Tom Clarke and Liam Stimpson only grabbed a single game throughout the night, losing three matches. Sadly the opportunity to win a match was missed by the smallest of margins, losing in the third game at 22-24 in favour of a much more experienced Balderton duo.
The final scores on the doors was 3-6 in matches and 7-13 in games which represents good progress considering this is our first year of compeition. This rounds out our last league match for 2023, we welcome the break and look forward to hosting the Albion team at Priory on the 22nd January. Once again can we thank all of those that could find the time to come and support us, we really appreciated your kind words from the sidelines.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Lincoln Albion
22/01/24
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their fourth home game of the season, but their first game of 2024 against familiar opponents in Lincoln Albion.
There have been some changes since the last game. Previous league captain James Howard had resigned from the club, so Ben Straw was new league captain. We also changed the pairings around. Gary Jacobs partnered Liam Stimpson as the second pairing, and Ben Straw parried with Tom Clarke for the third. We were playing against tough opponents so hard to tell if the right decision was made. Only time will tell.
For the match, we were trying to improve on our score of 9-0 against the same opponents. We were hoping to use home advantage. Unfortunately, we couldn't improve, and the final score remained the same.
As in previous games, PBC are getting more familiar with the league and showed glimpses of excellent play. For the club, it is all about consistency and controlling games. All 3 pairings showed glimpses of excellent play. Unfortunately, none could win a game. I think the festive break may have had an impact, so back to the training ground!
Our next came is against new opponents Devon in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, all pairings will win some games and matches.
A special thanks has to go to our other players who came early to watch the matches. That is what makes this club so special.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Devon
05/02/24
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their fifth and final home game of the season. We were playing new opponents in Devon. We knew they would be tough, as they had a good league position.
We sticked with the changed pairings of Gary Jacobs and Liam Stimpson as the second pairing, and Ben Straw and Tom Clarke as the third. Again, we were playing against tough opponents so hard to tell if the right decision was made. We have though decided to revert to the original pairings for the next game, as we believe there are better connections.
For the match, we were trying to improve on our score of 9-0 from our last match. We were hoping to use home advantage.
Unfortunately, we couldn't improve, and the final score remained the same. As in previous games, PBC are getting more familiar with the league and showed glimpses of excellent play. For the club, it is all about consistency and controlling games. All 3 pairings showed glimpses of excellent play. Unfortunately, none could win a game.
Our next came is against familiar opponents Balderton. Last time we played them, we were unlucky to lose 6-3 at home. We are hoping for a better result next week. Realistically, this is our best chance of a win. Fingers crossed.
A special thanks has to go to our other players who came early to watch the matches. That is what makes this club so special.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Balderton
12/02/24
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their penultimate game of their first season.
We were looking forward to our first win of the season. We were optimistic about that elusive first win, as we were playing the team just above us in the league.
Preparation for the game was not ideal, as Jake couldn't play, and we had to split a well established partnership. Adrian stepped up and partnered Chris. The plan was also to go back to the tried and tested partnerships of: Gary/Ben and Liam/Tom. Unfortunately, Gary couldn't play and had to withdraw at the last minute. That reduced us to 2 pairings. We would have to forfeit, but unknown to us, they also only had 2 pairs due to injury! Therefore a shortened match was played.
The result was 3-1 to the home team. Liam and Tom beat their second pairing and were unlucky not to beat their first pairing. Chris and Adrian were unlucky not to win a game.
As in previous games, PBC are getting more familiar with the league and showed glimpses of excellent play. For the club, it is all about consistency and controlling games. All pairings showed glimpses of excellent play and benefiting from league experience.
Our next came is against familiar opponents Devon away. We play them at the end of March. That will be our last game of our inaugural season.
If anyone is interested in playing league next year, please get in touch.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club v Devon
25/03/24
NABDL Mens Div 3
Priory Badminton Club had their final game of their first season. We were playing familiar opponents in Devon. We knew they would be tough, as they had a good league position and beat us 9-0, when we met them at home.
We reverted back to the familiar pairings of Gary Jacobs/Ben Straw and Liam Stimpson/Tom. Changing the pairings hadn't worked for us, so we reverted back to our familiar pairings.. Due to an injury to Chris, we had to get a replacement at short notice. We have excellent support at this club, and we got a worthy replacement in Adam Lighton. He partnered Jake Mawer.
For the match, we were trying to improve on our score of 9-0 from our last match against this opposition. We were hoping to go out with a bang!
Jake and Adam played excellently and beat one pairing. They were unlucky not to beat another pairing. We lost the match 8-1, but we were closer in games than the score would suggest.
As in previous games, PBC are getting more familiar with the league and showed glimpses of excellent play. For the club, it is all about consistency and controlling games. All 3 pairings showed glimpses of excellent play, especially Jake and Adam. The other 2 pairings showed glimpses but were not consistent throughout.
A special thanks has to go to all players who have contributed throughout our first season. We will be back stronger next season.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs Grantham 2
NADBL Mens Div 3
08/11/2024
PBC had their first game of the new season. This is our second season of league badminton, so we were excited about improving on our last place in our first season! Expectations were high, and even with lots of changes to the pairs, we felt we could compete.
We had played Grantham last season but not Grantham 2, so we did not know what to expect! We only played against one of their players last season!
We lost the match 8-1 and only won one rubber (game), but that did not tell the true story. We were very unlucky not to win at least two more rubbers, as we forced a tie breaker in two games. Pleasingly, we competed in a lot of the games, as the scores were very close. As the coach said, we competed!!
We had lots of new players, and with the exception of Liam and Pete, all pairings were new. Some players were also playing league for the first time. They all did amazing and made the club proud.
Adam and Alex were our first pair, and considering this was their first league match together, they were great together. They won a rubber and was unlucky not to win a second. They were very competitive throughout.
The second pairing was Ben and Leigh. Whilst Ben is a veteran of league, he hadn't played with his partner previously. They were very unlucky not to win against Grantham's second pairing. That would have set them up nicely. They also took their first pair very close to forcing a tie break, as they lost their second game 21-19!
The third pairing did not win a rubber, but they played well. You could tell they had played league previously, and they were competitive throughout.
Whilst our first match ended in defeat, we competed, and I am convinced that elusive first win is only around the corner. Our next match is a home game on the 18th November, and hopefully, we can make home advantage count.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Albion
NADBL Mens Div 3
25/11/2024
PBC had their first fixture against Albion of the season. Fixtures against Albion are always good, as we are their unofficial feeder club!! It is a chance to play and see old members.
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well in the first few games. Unfortunately, Ben was injured during the last fixture and couldn't play. Also, Pete unexpectedly left the team. Therefore, changes had to be made. It did mean a first appearance of the season for club captain Gary. It's fair to say Gary was a little rusty!! Hopefully, we will have a settled team soon!! Special thanks to Tiger Tom for stepping in at short notice.
Our opposition is one of the top teams in the league. This was going to be a tough fixture. As a team, we were optimistic, especially as our first pair won all their rubbers last fixture. We ended up losing 7-2, but that did not tell the whole story. We also had some very close games on another day we could have won a few more.
Our first pairing Liam/Alex could not match their results from the last fixture and only won one rubber against their second pairing. Liam/Tom were only playing their first match together but won their first rubber. Well done, guys. Gary/Leigh have not played together previously and were unfortunate not to win against their second pairing. They lost one game 24-22 and on any other day could have won it!!
Thank you to those members watched, much appreciated.
Our next game is an away game on Monday against Balderton. Hopefully, we will make a good fight of it and get our first win of the season.
Match Report
MATCH REPORT
Priory Badminton Club vs. Albion
NADBL Mens Div 3
16/01/2025
PBC lost 8-1
PBC had their return fixture against their nemesis Albion. Fixtures against Albion are always good, as they are a good team and some current and old members play for them!! It makes for interesting matches. They have been playing league for a long time, and they are a good benchmark for us.
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well in the early games and working hard with the coach. Unfortunately, we could not unleash the pairing of Gary and Ben, as the fixture secretary Ben, had double booked!! This meant a debut for Bailey. Bailey played well for his first game and enjoyed the experience.
We kept the first pairing of Adam and Alex for this match. Unfortunately, they did not win all their matches, which had become the norm!!. They did give a good account against tough opposition and were unlucky not to win some more games. Liam and Leigh played together for the first time and will be the second pairing moving forward. They won one game and were close in others. I am sure they will get better as their partnership develops. Gary and Bailey played as the third pair. At times, it felt like the young and the old playing!! That said, they competed in most games and gave a good account of themselves.
It was a touch match against opposition that have played league for a long time. They are certainly more streetwise. This will come for PBC with time. We competed throughout and looked like PBC belonged. Well done all.
We have our next game a week on Monday, when we have our return fixture against Grantham 2. Hopefully, we can get our first win under our belts and kick off our season.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Grantham 2
NADBL Mens Div 3
27/01/2025
PBC lost 6-3
PBC had their return fixture against Grantham 2. Fixtures against Grantham are always good, as they are a good, friendly team, and matches are always competitive.
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well during the season, working hard with the coach. Importantly, we were able to unleash the pairing of Gary and Ben!! They may be slightly unorthodox, but it works!! They are better together than apart!!
As Leigh couldn't make it, we had to swap the pairings again. We took the decision to split our first pairing up. This was potentially risky, as they are our best performers. We paired Adam and Bailey together as our first pair and Liam and Alex as our second pairing. Gary and Ben made up the third.
The split worked excellently, and this was our closest match to date. We may have lost it 6-3, but we had plenty of chances to lose 5-4. If Gary's serve didn't desert him and Ben's lucky racquet not break, we could even have dreamt of our first win.
Adam and Bailey lost their first match to their first pairing but won their remaining matches. They played excellently and were worth another fixture together. Adam's skill and Bailey's enthusiasm complemented each other well. Liam and Alex were unlucky to lose against their second pairing, as they won the first game. Whilst they lost to their first pairing, they did beat their third pairing. They played well together. Gary and Ben did what they do best. They tend to play better against their strongest pairings. This was the case this time, and they were unlucky not to win a match.
It was a tough match against opposition that have played league for a long time. They are certainly more streetwise. This will come for PBC with time. We competed throughout and looked like PBC belonged. Well done all.
We have our next game a week on Monday, when we have our first fixture against Bishop Grot. Hopefully, we can get our first win under our belts and have a great end to the season.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Bishop Grot
NADBL Mens Div 3
10/02/2025
PBC lost 5-4
PBC had their first fixture against Bishop Grot (BGU). Fixtures against BGU are always good, as they are a good, friendly team and are usually half the age of our average member!! Interestingly as well, a member of our club also played for them. At least we now know why he couldn't make it!!!
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well during the season, working hard with the coach and enjoying badminton. Importantly, we were able to keep the pairings the same from the previous match. This is the first time this season this has happened.
We may have lost this match, but losing 5-4 was our best result. Not only did our first pairing win 2 out of 3 matches, but our second pairing was also firing on all cylinders. They also won 2-1. This is the first time another pair has won the majority of their games, matching the score of pair 1. This is excellent and needs acknowledging. Both pairs beat their second and third pairings.
However, our third pairing are contemplating taking up extreme tiddlywinks following the fixture, as they couldn't back up the excellent results of pairs 1 and 2 with a solitary win!! That and tiddlywinks is becoming the new go-to sport!!
Adam and Bailey lost their first match to their first pairing but won their remaining matches. It should be noted that their first pairing were probably as good as it gets in division 3. Adam and Bailey coupled enthusiasm with skill throughout and showed what an excellent pairing they have become. Well done.
Our second pairing were playing their second fixture together. They carried on from the last fixture where they played well together for little reward to playing well for maximum reward. They complement each other well, and they have a telepathy on the court. Things will only get better. I am not sure what to say about the third pairing. On their day they are very competitive. I am not sure today was their day!! Their first match against their third pairing was about as bad as they played together. Gary was serving as if his racquet was on fire, and both were making lots of unforced errors. Gary had to take himself off after the first game and tell himself off!!! Things improved as the games went on, but no win!!
Luckily, after the next match, Gary is going to Florida to sign an overseas star for next season!! This means we have a space available. I am pleased to announce that Sam has kindly volunteered. I am sure Ben and Sam will play awesomely.
With the exception of Gary and Ben, who are taking doing their own thing to the extreme, both other pairings are progressing well. I am confident we will get a win this season.
We have our next game a week on Monday, when we have our return fixture against Balderton. Hopefully, hybrid gate won't derail us from our first win!! I am sure our first win will kick-start us for the remaining fixtures.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Balderton
NADBL Mens Div 3
24/02/2025
PBC lost 6-3
PBC had their return fixture against Balderton at home. PBC was looking for revenge, especially after hybrid gate!! We though took the high moral ground and used feather shuttles, to avoid more scandal!!. Fixtures against Balderton are always good, as they are a good, friendly team, and unlike most teams, some players are the same age of our average member!!
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well during the season, working hard with the coach and enjoying badminton. Importantly, we were able to keep the pairings the same from the previous couple of matches. This is only the second time this season this has happened. This was also the last league game that Gary would be playing prior to his search for new talent in the States!! He needed to go out on a bang!
This fixture started amazingly, as both our opening pairs won both their first 2 matches. We were 2-0 up, and we only needed to win 3 out of 7 to win our first fixture. The excitement was electric. Could we finally get that elusive first win?! The simple answer is NO!! From that point on, we won 1 out of 7!! It couldn't have gotten much worse!
Our first pair that is like a machine didn't win another match. They have been winning for fun. It should be noted that some of their games were very close, and on another day, who knows what could have happened. Our third pairing carried on their winless streak!! They did, though, play some of their best badminton. Unfortunately, it was sprinkled with some of their worst!! Surely, they will break their duck at some point. Our second pairing played really well and won 2 matches. This was their best tally of the season. Well done.
We did lose 6-3, but the positive is that none of their pairings won all three of their matches. That clearly shows we belong in the league, and we are making progress. With that said, our third pairing is still contemplating taking up tiddlywinks. It is the fastest growing non ball sport, and we need to be part of it!!!
As Gary is going to Florida to sign an overseas star for next season!!. I am pleased to announce that Sam will be taking his place. On a serious note, Sam will be the first female player playing league badminton for PBC, and as a club, we are all proud of this moment.I am sure Ben and Sam will play awesomely.
We have our next game a week on Friday, when we have our return fixture against Grantham 3. Hopefully, the hangover from hybrid gate won't derail us from our first win!! I am sure our first win will kick-start us for the last fixture of the season.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs Grantham 3
NADBL Mens Div 3
18/11/2024
PBC had their first home game of the new season. As our first home game of the season, we were excited about a good start at home! Expectations were high after our first fixture.
Our opposition was new to the league! So we were unsure of what to expect. Having just played Grantham 2, we were optimistic about playing well against Grantham 3.
Grantham 3 is a strong team that includes some talented female players. There was also a familiar face from Grantham 2.
We did lose the match 6-3, but that only tells half the story. Our first pairing of Adam and Alex won all of their games, and only one went to a decider, amazing stuff! The other two pairings played well but unfortunately didn't win a game. Considering Ben injured himself during the fixture and Tom was playing his first match, we competed throughout. Thank you to those members that turned up early to watch, much appreciated.
Our next game is another home game on Monday against Albion. Hopefully, we will make a good fight of it.
Now, some sad news. Pete has decided to leave the league team. He will be missed.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Balderton
NADBL Mens Div 3
02/12/2024
PBC lost 6-3.
PBC had their first fixture against Balderton of the season. Fixtures against Balderton are always good, as they are our closest rivals to last place!! They are also a friendly club and make us feel welcome.
Expectations were high, as we had been progressing well in the first few games. More importantly, we could unleash the pairing of Gary and Ben for the first time this season. They always have fun, irrespective of the score. They may not be the most conventional pairing, especially Gary's shout when he can't make a shot, but they work well as a pair!!
We did change the first pairing for this game to see if this gave us an edge. Whilst Adam and Leigh played well together, we will be reverting back to Adam and Alex for the next fixture. This allows us to play the pairing of Liam and Leigh for the first time. I suspect this report has digressed slightly!!!! Back to the match.
We arrived full of optimisium, and whilst this wasn't dampened, when we only recognised 2 players from last season, we knew it wouldn't be a formality. Also, playing with hybrid shuttles didn't distract us. I must find that rule book!!. I guess it saved them some money!!
Our opposition is one of the friendliest teams in the league. This was going to be a fun fixture. What we didn't realise was that they had not seeded their pairings correctly!! Gary and Ben played their corresponding third pairing and got spanked and thought if that is their 3rd pairing, this is going to be a tough night!! Luckily, their actual first pairing was their third pairing in disguise.
Our first pairing Adam/Leigh played really well for their first match together. They won 2 rubbers but couldn't beat their third pairing (aka their first pairing in disguise). They were close in all of their games.
Our second pairing of Liam and Alex played well and did beat their first pairing. They were competitive throughout and should have beaten their second pairing.
Gary and Ben did not win a rubber but played well, especially against their first pairing. They lost 21-16 and 21-15 but should have won. On another night, things could have been different.
We now have a break over the festive period. We, though, won't just be stuffing our faces as we are planning on some practice sessions during the festive period. We then play against our nemesis Albion away on the 15th of January. Hopefully, we will better our home result.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Grantham (3)
NADBL Mens Div 3
07/03/2025
PBC lost 8-1
PBC had their return fixture against Grantham away. The trek down to Kesteven and Grantham Girls School is the longest away journey of the season. PBC were hoping for a close match after losing 6-3 when they visited De Wint Avenue. Fixtures against Grantham are always good, as they are a friendly crowd.
The PBC team have been progressing well during the season, working hard with the coach and enjoying their badminton. Was an all important first win on the cards? Our first and second pairings were the same as the previous couple of matches. Ben was paired with Tom, who stepped in to cover the holiday bound Gary. Grantham's team had also seen a couple of changes since the return match back in November.
We soon discovered the shift in personnel for Grantham made the fixture a harder prospect than imagined. Ben and Tom were finding their feet, and the first three sets were lost to Grantham, with Liam and Alex forcing a tie break in theirs. In set 4, Adam and Bailey forced a tie break again, but couldn't quite start the comeback losing the decider to 17.
Ben and Tom started to find their rhythm and on court coordination in their second set and played some of their better badminton against the second pairing in their final game without finding that elusive 21st point!
In their final game, Adam and Bailey found the winning rubber we'd been missing and beat the pairing that had proved to be the thorn in the side of the other players.
With one game of the season remaining, we head to Bishop Grosseteste this Friday. Here's to finding that first win this week to end the season on a high.
Match Report
Priory Badminton Club vs. Bishop Grosseteste University (A)
NADBL Mens Div 3
14/03/2025
PBC lost 5-4
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The final fixture of the league season saw the return fixture against BGU. A short hop after last weeks journey to Grantham. Especially welcome with the later start time of 8pm. After the home match ended in a 5-4 loss, there was hope we could end the season on a high. BGU are a friendly crowd with some great players, and the games are often nicely competitive.
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The PBC team welcomed a new player to the fold, with Sam partnering Ben in the third pairing. It was a pleasure to have our first female player representing the club. The first and second pairings were the same as the previous fixtures (Adam & Bailey and Liam & Alex, respectively). The BGU team also had a couple of changes since the return match earlier in the season. Unfortunately for us, the rather excellent Drew wasn't one of the changes!
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Ben and Sam quickly found their rhythm, losing a close first game 23-21. They took the second game to 18 and lost the tie break to the same score. Adam and Bailey narrowly missed out in their first set, but Liam and Alex forced a tie break in theirs, winning the decider and our first set. In set 4, Adam and Bailey forced a tie break again. Narrowly losing the second game in a mammoth 27-25 match. But they had energy to spare to win the decider.
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By the end of set 6, it was 3 sets each with all to play for.
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Ben and Sam found some on court telepathy (and ninja skills 😂) in their final set but couldn't quite turn it into a first win for the third pairing.
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Despite fantastic rallies, epic games, and PBC highest points total of the season, it couldn't quite be converted into that first win.
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A huge thanks goes out to everyone who has represented the club this season. The standard of badminton is steadily improving, and I know from a personal note that it is great fun to experience games against other clubs and meet new folk.
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If anyone fancies league for the 2025/2026 season, drop either myself or Gary a line, and we'll get in touch. The team is taking a deserved break over the summer, and the new season begins in September. All the best folks, and see you on court soon.
Match 1 (29.09.25)
Won 9-0 vs. Open 2 (Home)
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First game of the season for both open teams. Added spice, as they were playing against each other. Whilst Team 1 won 9-0, team 2 played well and was competitive throughout. On another day they may have won a couple of “best of 3s
Match 3 (08.10.25)
Won 8-1 vs. Open 2 (Away)
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Open 1 beat Open 2 8-1 in a convincing win for Open 1. Open 2 were looking for a reaction to the 9-0 loss. It didn’t help that a key player, Conor, became ill prior to the fixture. Open 2 were pleased with the reaction and the 8-1 score was an improvement. Well done to Open 1 for winning both fixtures.
Match 5 (17.11.25)
Won 8-1 vs. BGU (Home)
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​Open 1 is continuing their impressive record and has won another match. Even though they had to use a reserve, they played really well. Well done to the opposition. They are so friendly and always play the right way. Is it too early to dream of the title!
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Match 7 (15.01.26)
Lost 5-4 vs. Woodborough (Away)
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Open 1 were unlucky to lose this match to the only unbeaten team left in division 3. We played really well and on another day might have beaten them. We look forward to the home fixture, where we can try and get the home win. Hopefully this will not derail our bid to win the league this season!
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Match 9 (30.01.26)
Won 5-4 vs. BGU (Away)
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After winning the home fixture, Priory was hoping for another win. BGU played really well and the fixture was won 5-4. Considering Priory 1 were 4-1 up, BGU did really well to take it to 5-4. This was another well earned victory and is it too early to be dreaming of winning the league!
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Match 11 (02.03.26)
Won 5-4 vs. Grantham (Home)
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After the dissapointment of losing to Woodborough, it was vital we got a response. Whilst winning the league may now be remote, it would be great to finish strongly. Open 1 were up for it, and raced to 5-2, with 2 rubbers left. It was a shame we lost the last 2 but we won the match 5-4. What a great response. Hopefully we will win Match 12 and hope other results go our way
Match 2 (03.10.25)
Lost 5-4 vs. Grantham (Away)
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​We were unlucky to lose 5-4, as we had opportunities to win some of the tiebreakers. Well done to all pairs, but especially to Adam and Dan who won all of their matches.​​​​
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Match 4 (13.10.25)
Won 9-0 vs. Balderton (Away)
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​Open 1 won 9-0 and played excellently and won their first game, that wasn't against PBC Open 2. This was a commanding performance, considering Chris sustained a serious eye injury in the first rubber. Well done!​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Match 6 (05.01.26)
Won 5-4 vs. Albion (Home)
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This was the first fixture of the year for open 1. Since the last match, players have either become unavailable or have left the club. New players have taken their places, so this was going to be an interesting match against tough opponents. It was tooth and nail throughout and it came down to the last game of the deciding rubber. Liam and Johnny took it 22-20 and open 1 won the match 5-4. This is as close as it gets. Well done everyone.​​​
Match 8​ (19.01.26)
Won 8-1 vs. Balderton (Home)
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Open 1 wanted to bounce back after a rare defeat in their last fixture. They bounced back with some style and won the fixture 8-1. All pairings played really well. Special mention has to go to Ian, who partnered Alex at the last minute and won all of his rubbers. He has never played league for Priory before, so well done! It is great to see them back to winning ways and hopefully the title is still on!​​
Match 10 (23.02.26)
Lost 5-4 vs. Woodborough (Home)
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Open 1 was hoping to win, so they could cement their place at the top of the league. Unfortunately it was not meant to be and they lost 5-4, the same result as the away fixture. They did have oppourtunities to win 5-4 but unfortunately could not take them. For a first season together, they are having a great season. ​
Match 12
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Match 1 (29.09.25)
Lost 9-0 vs. Open 1 (Away)
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First game of the season for both open teams. Added spice, as they were playing against each other. Whilst Team 1 won 9-0, team 2 played well and was competitive throughout. On another day they may have won a couple of “best of 3s​
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Match 3 (16.10.25)
Lost 9-0 vs. Albion 3 (Away)
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​Open 2 played their first fixture against a non Priory club. Albion are tough opponents and unfortunately we lost 9-0. We learnt a lot as a team and we were not too despondent.​​​​​
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Match 5 (03.11.25)
Lost 9-0 vs. Woodborough (Home)
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Open 2 were on a high after their first ever win! Unfortunately they could not get a second win. We didn’t play our best but it was great to play against Woodborough for the first time as they'd been demoted from the second division. Back to the training ground in anticipation of next match on the 15th December 2025!
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Match 7 (30.01.2026)
Lost 9-0 vs. Grantham (Away)
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Fixtures against Grantham are always difficult and 3 regulars leaving 2 weeks before the fixture was not ideal!. This team thrives in adversity and the result did not reflect the effort we put in. On another day, we could have easily won 3 rubbers. Back to the training ground for open 2, as they have 2 crunch games coming up soon!
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Match 9 (23.02.26)
Lost 7-2 vs. Balderton (Away)
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​After beating BGU on Friday and winning the home leg against Balderton, we were optimistic that we were in with a good chance of winning the away fixture. Unfortunately it was not to be. Not sure whether it was the opposition or their choice of shuttles. They play with hybrids but I had to google their brand!!. Pair 1 Aditya and Sam H beat thier third pair and Pair 3 Gary and Ian, playing their first match together beat their third pair and took their decond pair to a decider. Our pair 2 Sam F and Ben had a good night but didnt win a rubber! On to the next fixture.
Match 11 (26.03.26)
Lost 8-1 vs. Woodborough (Away)
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This was our first fixture against Woodborough. We alway enjoy visiting new places, so it was nice to go to Southwell. Woodborough were relegated last season and look like they are going back up. It was a very tough fixture and not our best day in the office but we still played some good badminton. Hopefully we can dust ourselves off for our last fixture of the season in a few weeks.
Match 2 (08.10.25)
Lost 8-1 vs. Open 1 (Home)
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Open 2 played their return fixture against open 1 and they were looking for a reaction to the 9-0 loss. It didn’t help that a key player, Conor, became ill prior to the fixture. Open 2 were pleased with the reaction and the 8-1 score was an improvement. Well done to Open 1 for winning both fixtures.​​​
Match 4 (27.10.25)
Won 5-4 vs. Balderton (Home)
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Open 2 had their 4th fixture of the season and they were looking for some kind of a response. After losing their first 3 fixtures, they wanted some good news. And boy did they get it!! They won 5-4 and it was great to see. All 3 pairs performed well and it was an excellent performance. Well done to everyone.
Match 6 (15.12.25)
​Won 5-4 vs. BGU (Home)
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​Gary and the team were dreaming of more success! Could Gary get his first ever rubber! The simple answer is YES!!! Not only did he win his first rubber, he won his second the next match. It was a great team performance and all pairs won at least 1 rubber. It was great to see another member, Dirk, get their first experience of league badminton. Everyone did good and we are looking forward to 2026!​
Match 8 (20.02.26)
Won 5-4 vs. BGU (Away)
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After beating them at home, we were hoping to get the away win as well. Open 1 only just beat them 5-4 (Away), so we knew it was going to be tough. The match was level at 4-4 and our pair 3 (Gary and Liam) managed to beat their pair 2 in a decider. It was a great feeling! All 3 pairs played well, especially Pair 1 (Sam H and Aditya), who won all their rubbers! We look forward to Monday, where we play Balderton, who we beat earlier in the season at home.​​​​​​
Match 10 (16.03.26)
Lost 8-1 vs. Grantham (Home)
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Open 2 was playing their penultimate home game and were hoping for a good fixture. Grantham are a street wise and friendly team and gave us a good match. Whilst we only won 1 rubber, we had opportunities to win some more. The new pairings are getting familiar with their partners and we are all looking forward to the next match​.
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Match 12
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Match 1 (23.09.25)
Lost 7-2 vs. Cross Rackets (Away)
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First mixed game ever and all pairs played well, especially our first pair that won 2 rubbers.
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Match 3 (15.10.25)
Won 5-4 vs. Cross Rackets (Home)
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​The mixed team got their first win of the season. This was an excellent result against tough opposition. It was made even more impressive due to Adam getting an injury during the fixture and the team having to forfeit 2 rubbers!​​​​​
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Match 5 (07.11.25)
Lost 5-4 vs. BGU (Away)
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Mixed played their first ever fixture against BGU. They played well at times and the first pairing won all of their rubbers but unfortunately it was just not meant to be this time. I sense they will be prepared for the home fixture!
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Match 7 (26.11.25)
Lost 9-0 vs. Grantham 3 (Home)
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This was a feisty match throughout. Our pair 1 experienced a scenario that has never happened before in the clubs league history. Both sets of players disputed the score and the opposition would not back down. It was a shame, as it marred a good night overall. It was good to see Sarah get a regular partner in Dave. Hopefully, they can build on this first game. Well done to everyone for playing in the right way
Match 9 (15.12.25)
Lost 8-1 vs. St Andrews (Away)
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After their last home win, they were looking to consolidate their winning ways with another victory. Unfortunately they came up against St Andrews, who are a very good team, with something to prove, after their relegation last season. They also have some very tasty players!! Even though we lost 8-1, Dave and Sarah are showing some positive signs in their new partnership. They won a rubber and apparently Dave played shot of the year!!!
Match 11 (18.02.26)
Lost 8-2 vs. St Andrew (Home)
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After losing 8-1 away, we knew this was going to be a tough fixture. It was great to see captain Chloe back, as she has not played at the club since Christmas. Chloe led the team from the front and won a rubber. Dan and Rachel also won a rubber. Losing 7-2 was a good result, against a well drilled team. We cannot believe the mixed team only have one fixture left!!
Match 2 (01.10.25)
Lost 8-1 vs. Devon (Home)
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​Whilst they lost 8-1, they were really competitive throughout and the result flattered the opposition. We had two players that played their first ever mixed game. Well done Dan and Rachel​​​​
Match 4 (22.10.25)
Lost 9-0 vs Albion 2 (Home)
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Mixed were looking for another commanding performance following their impressive first win in the last match. Unfortunately they lost 9-0 against very good opponents. It did not help that they could not play the same team due to holiday and injury. Even though they lost, they still played well and did win some games. Well done everyone.
Match 6 (11.11.25)
​Lost 8-1 vs. Devon (Away)
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Mixed played their return fixture against Devon and unfortunately got the same result! It didn’t start well when our star player forgot his court shoes and then we sustained an injury and had to forfeit a game! Overall we played well and we wish Rachel a speedy recovery. ​​
Match 8 (10.12.25)
Won 7-2 vs. BGU (Home)
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​Our mixed team were hoping for revenge following a 5-4 away loss earlier in the season. The general consensus was we should have won that fixture! It was great to see that we won 7-2 and our first two pairs won all of their rubbers! It was nice to see Tom win a rubber on his last game for the team, thanks Tom. Our mixed team are now looking forward to Monday 15th and hopefully another win, to finish the year on a high.​​​​​​​​​
Match 10 (06.02.26)
Lost 9-0 vs. Grantham (Away)
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Unfortunately we could only field 2 pairs, so were already 3-0 down before we had even played any badminton. We lost 9-0 but hats off to the players that turned up and gave their best. This is what makes this club so special.​​​​​​​
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Match 12 (26.02.26)
Lost 7-2 vs. Albion (Away)
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This was the last fixture of our first ever mixed season. Whilst it was a lost, we played well and our second pair won 2 rubbers. Maybe they can challenge to become our first pair next season. Chloe and the team are looking forward to next season. Bring it on!!
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