Eastbourne Badminton

The Friendly League

In memory of Alan Smith – 1939 - 2024 aged 85

 

Alan's introduction to badminton at 16 was initiated by his mother who was tired of him getting under her feet with his head stuck in a book.  She sent him to a local club his friend attended and he never looked back.  He spent many hours studying stronger players and emulated their technique.  He met his wife, Monica, through Hardwick Badminton Club, which at the time resided at the Devonshire Baths - where the court was boarded over a swimming pool, he said she looked nice and the fact she was a good player didn't go unnoticed. 

 

Hardwick Badminton Club was Founded in 1929 and is one of the oldest clubs in the country. Alan became Secretary of the club with 85 members in 1962 and Chairman in 1966. His dedication to “his baby” kept Hardwick BC going when many other clubs were folding over recent years and they still have club nights every week. 

 

He was a qualified coach and dedicated to coaching youngsters. He organised and managed the Eastbourne Junior tournament from 1973 to 2009. He ran Eastbourne Junior Badminton Club, originally at the Devonshire Baths and then at the Air-dome. He encouraged Monica to do her coaching qualification and from 1973 for 20+ years they voluntarily worked with the youngsters and served Hardwick BC with good young talent. He always made the Junior sessions fun as well as educational.  He used creative techniques such as drawing smiley faces on the corks to aid focus on the shuttle.  The sessions always ended on a high with the legendary 'Run-around' game. Before the game he allocated each player a number of 'lives' which many fiercely contested to get more lives but he never backed down.  During the game he also had to make tough calls over whether someone had done an 'illegal' smash or if it was just a 'fast drop' as people tried to persuade him in a desperate attempt to make it to the final showdown game of singles - a prestigious achievement. 

 

Alan coached at various locations around Eastbourne either on a one-to-one basis or group training.  He has a letter from a German student saying how much she enjoyed the coaching and was now thinking about badminton all the time. She went home, found a local club, tried out and was asked to join much to her delight. 

 

He was a founder member of Eastbourne Sports Advisory Council - Secretary and Chairman roles from 1969 to early 2000's

Alan was involved with District and County Badminton since the 1960's. He was Eastbourne and District Badminton League Chairman 1966 – 2021, Sussex County Badminton Association Vice Chairman 1975 – 1990, Chairman 1990 – 1999 and then appointed a County Vice President. In his 24 years with SCBA the County’s fortunes rose to the highest for over 50 years. In 2000, in recognition of his time as County Chairman, he was awarded the English Badminton Award by Badminton England for long standing exceptional services to badminton in England.

 

Alan played in the Eastbourne and District Badminton League Division 1 Men’s and Mixed, County 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd teams, and also the RAF Bomber Command Team. He Chaired the County Selection Committee for 15 years and sat on the Tournament Committee and the Handicap Committee.  He was once told by one of the County organisers that he didn't smash enough as his was one of the hardest hitters in the county at the time, he confessed that “he didn't want to as he enjoyed the rallies so much he wanted to keep it going!” Cathy Bargh said he helped her calm her nerves at one of her first tournaments by cracking a joke reminding her to take the cover off the racket before playing as it would improve her game.  

 

Alan campaigned for better facilities locally and was fundamentally involved in getting the dedicated Air-dome 'built'.  He tirelessly sought to highlight the sport, encourage youngsters, getting better facilities, making it affordable for people and raising funds. He wrote to Steve Baddley, then Chief Executive of Badminton Association of England, suggesting the Brighton University Denton Road facilities would make a good UK Sports satellite centre and a good place for the World Class Start programme.  

 

He wrote all the local match reports and tournament results for the local papers. The reports were written with enthusiastic language and catchy headlines all to get people interested and playing the sport.

 

Alan absolutely loved the sport and was a great coach with infinite patience and could get even the most uncoordinated player hitting the shuttle within a few minutes.  Blessed with the skill of being able to watch and replicate he never had a lesson but became a County player in Mixed and Men's. Massively encouraging to anyone interested in the sport and was so pleased to see people really go on to thrive and excel. 

 

He will be sadly missed.

 

The funeral will be held at Eastbourne Crematorium on Thursday 7th November at 12pm. Family flowers only.

 

I will add any personal recollections or thoughts if you email me philip@eastbournebadminton.co.uk