Forget football, it’s table tennis’ time to shine on the final day of the season as Premier British League prepares for a dramatic showdown this weekend.
Ormesby and Urban TTC, the competition’s top two sides throughout the season, engage in battle one last time on Saturday (2pm start) with the title still on the line.
It must be said, for Urban to retain their title they will need to produce a fightback that far outweighs Liverpool’s recent heroics against Barcelona or Tottenham’s at Ajax in football’s Champions League. Ormesby head into the contest, which will be played on their own patch, four points clear of their rivals and a mere set away from an unassailable lead.
The task ahead of Urban, which they face following a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Drumchapel last time out, is mammoth. In their previous nine matches, Ormesby have dropped just 12 sets. Urban need to take five in one attempt.
When you consider the calibre of opponent they will face, a star-studded side headed by Tianyuan Liu and reinforced by England internationals Darius Knight and Danny Reed, along with Portuguese representative Tianming Zhao, they face a near impossible task.
But never say never. Ormesby won the previous encounter 3-2, although all five sets were close, and Urban themselves have a squad full of firepower.
Satoshi Aida, who missed their latest defeat, will feature in this game. The Japanese talent has yet to lose this season.
He’s named in a squad also featuring Daniel Schaffer and Daniel Kosiba, who both boast strong records this term, and Szilard Gyorgy.
Drumchapel host Ormeau in the other final-round fixture, with third place up for grabs, although the Scots may have an eye on Urban, as they are just three points behind and a big swing could see them finish runners-up.