With just weeks to go before he bows out as Captain of Leighton Buzzard golf club, Robbie John has secured victories over his fellow ex-serviceman Vice Captain and traditional inter-club rivals within the space of a few days.
Robbie’s red-shirted army beat John O’Gaunt 5-3 on Saturday, leading the way with Darren Valentine with an opening match win. Adrian Stephenson and Sam Messenger, John Latimer and Jon Dimmock and Manny Barker and Nick King carded carded emphatic wins to put Leighton in the driving seat before Seniors skipper Ian Rimmer and Chris Figg secured victory with a last match three-and-one win.
Only days earlier, 70-year-old Robbie, who served in the RAF as a ground communications engineer for 14 years before returning to civvy street, led his Captain’s team to a 15-8 win over former RAF helicopter pilot Simon Rossiter’s Vice-squad. Ninety-two players took part in the annual event, the last major competition before Robbie stands down at the club AGM in January to be succeeded by Simon.
There were 13 wins for skipper Robbie; six for Vice Captain Simon and four matches halved.
Winners for the Captain’s team were: Robbie John and Jeremy Taylor, Paul Atkinson and Ken Wilson, Phil Coumbe and Roger Hughes, Greg White and Gary Hart, Eddy Edwards and Will Sampson, Brian Wilson and Dan Latimer, Manny Barker and Barry Kent, Dave Womack and Tony Brinded, Steve Deverill and Lee Ashbury, Mark Reynolds and Anton Bednarek, Brandon Sanders and Steve Schmidt, Chris Figg and Ashley Garner and Simon Thornton and Derek Shaw, while halves were carded by George Darbyshire and Peter Myrants, Colin Beesley and Chris Ive, Dave Nero and Neil Laming and Billy O’Neill and Steve Paine.
Wins for Vice Captain’s squad were secured by: John Preston and Will Koch, Lee Sanders and Steve Tyas, Voja Savic and Shane Bentley, Keith Edmunds and Kent Waterman, Chris Caney and John Waiting and Steve Richardson and Simon Rose, while halves were recorded by Ian Rimmer and Matt Byrne, John Lattimer and Steve Hammond, Tony Hurndell and Mick Francis and Danny Reynolds and Jon Dymock.
Newly installed Ladies Captain Christine Rimmer got her fund raising activities for the air ambulance service off to a flying start with a social event which raised £580 for the charity.
PICTURE CAPTION
Vice Captain Simon Rossiter (left) presents Club Captain Robbie John with the winners’ shield.