Murrayfield Memorial Table Tennis Club

Ranking List - 23rd March 2026 - Table Tennis Scotland This system is based on Ratings Central, providing a transparent and data-driven method to evaluate player performance and produce national rankings.

As part of his ongoing research into the history and development of table tennis in Edinburgh, Charlie Ellis traces the evolution of competitive table tennis at the Murrayfield Memorial Club.

Murrayfield Memorial Club: Rise of Competitive Table Tennis - The Old Edinburgh Club Charlie Ellis traces the evolution of competitive table tennis at Murrayfield Memorial Club from its founding in 1922.

Edinburgh University Table Tennis Club III vs Murrayfield VIII (6 Feb '26)

Murrayfield VIII, who languish 9th of 11 teams in Division 2, travelled tonight with high hopes to St Leonards Land to face division leaders Edinburgh University III. Members of home team (all around 20 years old) were accustomed to climbing ~ 76 stairs to 4th floor Gym/Dance Studio whereas more tiring for M VIII’s veterans! EU III to be without Captain Fred Dickinson (at maths postgrad ceilidh) but would rely on Enrique Calisto (Acting Capt), Ran (Tracy) Yu and Top Gun, Kanishka Moghe. Visiting M VIII team comprised regulars Lynn Somerville (Captain), Oleg Mykhailov and Henry Lee. Initial impressions were that all EU III players preferred to arrack! After initial practice, play would take place on two tables to ensure fixture finished by the 10:00 deadline.

First up were Tracy and Lynn on one table while Enrique played Oleg on the adjacent table. Tracy was soon putting Lynn’s long pips defensive game under pressure. Thus she comfortably won 1st set to 8. Thankfully Lynn was able to vary his tactics sufficiently to capture 2nd set to 7. After a reset, Tracy won 3rd by same margin. However, the 4th set was much more closely contested with Tracy having to work much harder to breech Lynn’s defensive wall. Tracy won the tactical duel after deuce.
Meanwhile, Enrique was struggling to counter Oleg’s medium pips defence and effective counter-hitting. Oleg took the protracted, tough 1st set after FOUR deuces. However, Enrique bounced back to win the 2nd set after deuce to reduce this encounter to a best-of-3. Oleg was then able to overwhelm Enrique in sets 3 and 4.
This took the fixture score to 1-1.

Next to play were Kanishka and Henry with Enrique and Lynn playing on the other table in the battle between respective captains. Kanishka won 1st set to 3 vs Henry. Fortunately for M VIII, Henry was able to upset Kanishka in the tighter 2nd set to take score to 1-1 in sets. The 3rd set proved crucial and was won to 11 by Kanishka. Capitalising on momentum gained, Kanishka opened his shoulders with many telling attacking shots to crush Henry 11-3 in the 4th set to win this exciting 4-setter. Enrique and Lynn had played against each other a few times previously when they’d been evenly matched. Nothing much had changed, so soon tied at 1-1 in sets. Lynn found it increasingly hard to cope with Enrique’s powerful attacks and was dismayed to lose 3rd set 6-11. When Enrique tightened up in 4th set Lynn won it to 9. After Enrique won deciding set to 3 he was prompted to apologise for the profusion of edges and nets he'd enjoyed in 2nd half. Kind words cos he’d have won anyway!
This took the fixture score to 3-1.

Next up were Tracy and Henry on one table while Kanishka would play Oleg on the other table. Henry was pleased that his fast penholder attacks won him 1st set to 5. Unfortunately for M VIII, Tracy’s reply was just as effective to take 2nd set by a similar margin. Henry’s woes continued unabated when Tracy overwhelmed him 11-1. Rather surprisingly, after that setback, Henry was then able to carry the battle to Tracy for next two sets to comfortably win this entertaining 5-setter (-5,4,1,-5,-7). Oleg’s medium pips and unorthodox shots paid dividends when he took 1st set to 8 against Kanishka’s attacking play. But Oleg soon found himself on the back foot. Accordingly, Kanishka was able to grind out victory over four sets by dint of his more consistent attacks (-8,9,7,7). Fixture score now 4-2 before the doubles.

EU III selected Tracy to partner Kanishka in what could easily prove to be a crucial doubles. M VIII would rely on the experienced doubles pairing of Oleg and Henry. Quite often serving order proves critical and so it was tonight because the initial serving iteration of Henry to Kanishka definitely suited the home team and vice versa. Unsurprisingly, this encounter went to a deciding 5th set. M VIII's duo was reminded before that 5th set to amass as many points as possible before the change-over. This they duly did to change ends with an important 5-3 lead before changing to the serving order that suited them better. This helped M VIII to win decider 11-8.
Fixture score after the doubles 4-3, with "the cat now truly among the pigeons"!

Enrique would now play Henry while Kanishka would be up against Lynn on the other table. Enrique was powerless to prevent Henry easily winning the 1st set to 4. Henry encountered much fiercer resistance in the 2nd set before he prevailed after deuce. Henry engaged same gear he started with to win this duel in 3-straight. This tied the fixture scoreline at 4-4. On adjacent table Kanishka had too much firepower for Lynn to contend with so he also won routinely in 3-straight (8,8,9).

This outcome took the fixture score to 5-4 so that M VIII would still have an opportunity to hold the Division 2 leaders to a draw!

In the final match-up, Tracy would have the responsibility of preventing Oleg from securing that draw. Things looked promising for M VIII when Oleg won 1st set to 7. However, M VIII’s hopes were soon cruelly dashed when Tracy was able to get the hang of dealing effectively with Oleg’s tactics by flat-hitting every slightly high ball. Accordingly, Tracy emerged victorious in this highly watchable 4-setter (-7,7,7,8). Other EUTTC players were cheering her on from the overhead gallery.
This took the final fixture score to 6-4.

A valiant effort by M VIII but, in the end, EU III deserved this narrow win by dint not only of sheer determination during key points but also excellent attacking skills. Important turning point during the fixture was Enrique winning the 5-set clash of captains. Winning the other two 5-setters wasn't enough for M VIII to sneak a draw! Well done EU III for maintaining top spot. Play started 7:30pm and ended on the stroke of 10:00pm. Home Player of Match was Kanishka and Away POM was Henry.

Report by Lynn Somerville

Edinburgh & Lothians Table Tennis

Murrayfield VIII vs West Lothian Community Table Tennis Club IV (29 Jan '26)

Murrayfield VIII would tonight host relegation strugglers West Lothian IV currently propping up Division 2 having achieved only two draws so far in this season. Notwithstanding that fact, the home team could not afford to be complacent after a recent run of underwhelming results. Both teams would be without a top player. For M VIII Henry Lee couldn’t play due to a last-minute medical issue and Philippe Alamichel still away on holiday in Thailand. WL IV would be without Top Gun Keith Mackay. Thus M VIII comprised Lynn Somerville (Captain), Oleg Mykhailov and Marcin Well - latter playing up from M IX in Div 3. WL IV would rely on Michael O'Hara (Captain), John Cannon and Isaac Wong - latter also playing up from Div 3. After initial practice, play would take place on two tables to ensure fixture finished by 9:30 deadline.

First up were Oleg and Michael on one table while Marcin took on Isaac on adjacent table. With similar counter-attacking styles Oleg and Michael were evenly matched. Unfortunately for Oleg, Michael was un-phased by his medium pips! Oleg lost the tight 1st set after deuce. Michael capitalised on momentum gained to win 2nd set to 6. The 3rd set proved to be a long drawn-out tactical battle with neither player able to prevail until Michael caught the back edge at 17-16 up to put an end to Oleg’s hopes. Marcin lost the 1st set to 6 versus Isaac but held his own in the 2nd set till deuce but Isaac stood tall to go 2-0 in sets. Marcin then regrouped to win the 3rd set to 8. The 4th set was a real nail-biter with both playing well at the same time to keep the scoreline close. However, it was Isaac who found a way to win 11-9 to win this duel.

This took the fixture score to 0-2.

Next to play were Lynn and John with Marcin and Michael playing on the other table. Lynn won 1st set versus John to 3 and hoped not to lose to him for the first time. Lynn was aghast when John was able not only to win the close 2nd set after THREE deuces but also to win the 3rd set to 9. Lynn recovered well to take 4th set 11-7. Unfortunately for Lynn he was unable to deal with John’s well-constructed attacking shots in the deciding set, which he lost by same margin he’d won 4th (3,-12,-9,7,-7). Meanwhile Marcin had made a good start against Michael by winning 1st set 11-4. Michael then managed to cut down his unforced errors to win the tight 2nd set to 9. Fortunately, Marcin was able to bounce back to win the tight 3rd set by the same margin. Better still, he was able to outgun Michael 11-5 in the 4th set to clinch victory.

This took the fixture score to 1-3.

it was Oleg to play John next on one table while Lynn took on Isaac on the adjacent table. Oleg was dismayed to find himself 0-2 in sets before adjusting to John’s style. Thankfully, once he made the necessary adjustments, Oleg was able to win the next two sets to take this to a deciding set. Sadly for M VIII Oleg lost this tussle 8-11. Lynn was disappointed to lose the closely contested 1st set to Isaac after deuce. Fortunately he was able to win the next two sets fairly comfortably to go 2-1 up in sets. Then Lynn and Isaac engaged in a real battle royal that very soon reached deuce. They continued to win alternate points. Suddenly Isaac missed an attack to lose 15-17.

Fixture score now 2-4 before the doubles.

M VII selected scratch pairing of Oleg and Marcin in what might be a pivotal doubles match while WL IV would place its faith in the attacking styles of Michael and John. The M VIII duo proved to be an efficient match-up, evidenced by fact that they took 1st set to 7 before going on to win this encounter in 3-straight (7,6,8).

Fixture score after the doubles 3-4, with all to play for.

Marcin would be next to play versus John while Lynn would face Michael on other table. Marcin had played John before but it didn’t help him cope with John’s consistency. Accordingly, Marcin was “routined” by John in 3-straight (-9,-5,-7). Lynn’s long pips didn’t trouble Michael so he struggled from the get-go, winning four points in 1st set. With all that was at stake, Lynn stiffened his resolve to create a better defensive wall. Consequently, 2nd set was closely contested with Lynn losing after TWO deuces. Michael reprised his form of the 1st set to put opposing captain Lynn to the sword (-4,-11,-5)!

This outcome took the fixture score to 3-6, thus securing a hard-won 1st win of the season for WL IV.

In final match of the night, Oleg would take on the in-form John. It was a duel pitting Oleg’g’s counter-hitting against John’s all-out attacks. Something had to give! Unfortunately for M VIII, Oleg soon found himself 0-2 in sets. He played much better in the 3rd set to win it 11-6. Both played well in the 4th but Oleg lost it after deuce.

This took the final fixture score to 3-7.

Obviously a bad outcome for M VIII, but all of its players had played well throughout the evening. Problem was that the WL IV players had just played a little bit better! The visitors were all well-motivated and played majority of key points better, which no doubt helped them to win the night’s two tight 5-setters. Well done to WL IV. Excellent sportsmanship throughout and enjoyed by all. Play started 6:45pm and ended ~9:30pm. Home Player of the Match was Marcin and Away POM was John.

Report by Lynn Somerville

Memories of Steve Collins by Charlie Ellis.

I spent many hours on the table with Steve. I enjoyed them all. I'm saddened that we'll never share the table or tournament hall again.

In particular, I saw a lot of him during his Edinburgh days when he was part of a group of us who would, usually with Stan Stoodley as coach, train long into the night at Murrayfield's Church Hall venue. Steve was taking the same journey that I was: adults starting the game from a low base. Steve bought into Stan's philosophy that attaining true consistency was tough and required discipline, time, and mental fortitude. Stan would also intervene when Steve and I started talking about and trying different rubbers and blades ('ejaying' was no short cut to success).

These sessions would often go on well past 11pm. Stan knew what buttons to press to get us to really put the effort in. Through these sessions, Steve developed a very solid close-to-the-table block-and-drive style game which saw him make steady progress in terms of ratings and results, often troubling much higher-rated opponents. His large 'wingspan' helped him cover the table well.

It also made him an increasingly good practice partner, one that those with higher ratings were happy to train with. Steve was always self-deprecating about his abilities, but underneath was a steely resolve to keep working on his game. He knew that he needed to develop more of a loop on both wings and took great pleasure when more expansive shots came off: "It was like the bat was possessed and playing the shots for me!" To improve that part of his game, he worked on his fitness and flexibility.

In these sessions, Steve would always strike a nice balance between serious focus on the table and humour off it, always delighting in the 'eccentric' characters who seem to be drawn to the sport, some of whom lacked Steve's self-awareness and perspective on the relative importance of the game and results. Though he often wore a serious expression, humour was always underneath it. He was always amused to witness some of the extreme behaviour that might ensue from the 'characters' of the sport: "X had gone into full meltdown and started a screaming stand-up row with the other team across the hall from us…I managed to pull myself together, and won the second set fairly easily—cue the tantrums. Ranting, swearing, bat throwing, kicking the barriers, he even managed to start an argument with some poor bastard in the crowd." Steve's memory should remind us that, whilst the sport is often very frustrating, we need perspective. I don't think I recall Steve showing real anger at the table. He had the maturity to be aware that this was a waste of energy and a denial of the truth that most losses are due to your own shortcomings.

After playing at Murrayfield, he moved to Corstorphine in 2012. He did this not because he had fallen out with MTTC but strategically, in order to play in a higher league: "I've practised hard over the summer to try and further improve my game, so I really wanted to push myself to a bigger challenge in Div 2. Last year I managed to average 75%-ish in Div 3 despite losing the majority of my games in the first few months when I was very rusty, so the chance to join Corstorphine and play more regularly at a higher level makes them a better proposition for me this season."

Even when working long hours, he kept developing his game. This included attending training camps. "The highlight of summer was definitely a week in Germany in Grenzau at the training academy (along with Stan)—bloody hard work but very rewarding, especially for technique. They teach every stroke to be short but explosive, all in the wrist!" He was at Corstorphine TTC when their venue was destroyed in October 2013. He initially feared that this would be the end of the club, but he remained loyal to them as they sought and found a new place to play.
He only left CTTTC when he moved west, joining West Lothian TTC in 2016.

After he moved to West Lothian, my main connections with Steve were catching up at tournaments and National League fixtures. Again, he always seemed to enjoy competing, even if results went against him. Rather than shrinking from the challenge, he embraced playing stronger players, aware that such matches could be used strategically to show what areas of the game needed work (for most of us, it's service return!). In short, he was well suited to the Vets, where seriousness on the table is combined with chats and companionship off it. Apart from table tennis, we'd often drift into talking about other subjects including politics, an interest he'd picked up via a George Orwell-obsessive father, Nigel.

I have memories of the occasion when heavy snow threatened to keep all the tournament-goers 'trapped' at Bathgate Academy. Steve, who lived within a few miles of the school, left his car in the car park and set off across the blanketed fields, eventually succeeding in reaching home. An example of Steve's determination!

His determination and spirit were most in evidence after he received his diagnosis and began to get sick. Now his aim was to make it to tournaments. When I last saw him (at an SNL event), he was throwing himself into his morning matches, aware that his body probably wouldn't allow him to play in the afternoon. He was squeezing every drop of energy he had just to be on the table. In that, he offers us all a model: that we should value every chance we get.

To conclude, I'd like to say that we need more Steve Collins in the sport. We need more 'stalwarts' like him, players who are the real backbone of clubs (Steve was involved in the organisation of the clubs he joined) and the sport in general. Top talents are vital for the sport, but it's those who really squeeze the most out of their abilities and show values such as persistence, humility, and the true sporting spirit who sustain it. I will remember Steve as a warm and enthusiastic character who gave plenty to the sport and offers us all a great model to follow.

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Congratulations to Keith Dingwall, the new Murrayfield hardbat champion which was held at the church hall last night. Also well done to Colin Clark who won the consolation and one- point competition.
It was a great turnout and good to catch up with old and new members. Lorna's lasagna was much appreciated at the end too.