RIP Chester Barnes

[Sharky]

Passed away last Friday.
A great player who stopped playing far too soon, but was an inspiration to many a player.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Rugby League?🤔

 

[Sharky]

One of the best or least most famous table tennis players in the UK

 

[Accy cyclist]

One of the best or least most famous table tennis players in the UK

Yes,i remember now. There was a famous table tennis player who owned a book makers here in Great Harwood,near Accrington,in the late 1970's/early 80's. I can't think of his name,but i can remember his face.

 

[matiz]

He was very well known in horseracing circles having been a assistant to Martin and David Pipes stables in Somerset for many years when he stopped playing ,he was a very shrewd gambler and pulled off a few big price betting coups over the years.

 

[PaulB]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmQt6AZiwk


What's that got to do with this topic? "Chester Barnes is risen from the dead. And he's coming round to Creosote the fence." - altogether now...

 

[matticus]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qmQt6AZiwk


What's that got to do with this topic? "Chester Barnes is risen from the dead. And he's coming round to Creosote the fence." - altogether now...

Never 'eard of 'im. But apparently The Times had:

"Chester Barnes: the pin-up who made ping pong sexy in Spinning Sixties"

That might be a better line than HMHB's.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The Alex "Hurricane" Higgins of table tennis.

 

[Dayvo]

Chester Barnes was a friend and England team-mate of Stuart Gibbs, who was my table tennis coach at Brentwood TTC.
Chester Barnes popped in on several occasions to play an exhibition game with Stuart, and to coach us younger players, too.
I remember he had a square tt bat (the standard was roundish) and I really liked it.
He heard me talking to a friend that I was going to buy one as soon as I’d saved up my pocket-money, and after signing the handle, he gave me the bat. 🙂
Top player and good person.

 

[Sharky]

Chester Barnes was a friend and England team-mate of Stuart Gibbs, who was my table tennis coach at Brentwood TTC.
Chester Barnes popped in on several occasions to play an exhibition game with Stuart, and to coach us younger players, too.
I remember he had a square tt bat (the standard was roundish) and I really liked it.
He heard me talking to a friend that I was going to buy one as soon as I’d saved up my pocket-money, and after signing the handle, he gave me the bat. 🙂
Top player and good person.

I worked in Brentwood for a few years and played (not at a high standard) for the Hambros team occasionally.
Chester Barnes was synonymous with table tennis, as was Reg Harris & cycling, Stirling Moss & motor racing etc. I read his book a while back and I think he was a bit rebellious and fell out with the officials occasionally and eventually left the sport.

 

[matiz]

I had only ever heard of two table tennis players Chester and Desmond Douglas who was quite big in my youth , I don't know if they were rivals.

 

[Sharky]

I had only ever heard of two table tennis players Chester and Desmond Douglas who was quite big in my youth , I don't know if they were rivals.

DD came a bit later, after CB.

You must have heard of more than two table tennis players - Fred Perry, Mathew Syed, now a journalist and Will Bayley who was on Strictly!

 

[matiz]

Yes I knew about Fred Perry being a table tennis champion and Dennis Neale just came to mind but that's definitely all I know.

 

[Dayvo]

And not forgetting Jill Hammersley.

 

[Dirk]

Chester was my hero when I was in my school's table tennis team.
I used to play with a Chester Barnes bat which was quite innovative at the time (1968) being square shaped and smooth faced.