Manor Road Tennis Club is now the Lymm Rugby Club Tennis Section

For nearly 70 years Manor Road Tennis Club (MRTC) has played on 2 shale courts, 150m from Lymm Rugby Club (LRC) in Manor Road, Lymm. The club has always been constrained from growing its membership because there is no space to add any extra courts or a larger clubhouse. In addition, the shale courts have only been available to play for 7-8 months of the year and during limited hours in the spring and autumn because there are no floodlights.

In 2006, negotiations commenced with LRC to use spare land that the rugby club were hoping to purchase from a local farmer to build new tennis courts and a clubhouse for MRTC. However, agreement could not be reached and in 2008 Lymm High School offered space and enthusiasm for MRTC to relocate. This had the support of the Lawn Tennis Authority (LTA), Warrington Borough Council (WBC), who own the current MRTC site, and the school Governors. Sadly by the end of 2011 this project had to be abandoned due to disagreements with the then Headteacher on the use of the courts and other issues.

In 2016, having purchased the Walled Garden, LRC recommenced talks with MRTC. On 7^th July 2020, a significant milestone was reached when the LRC Executive Committee approved the setting up of a Tennis Section and MRTC’s Management Committee agreed to the merger with immediate effect, with all existing 60+ members agreeing to transfer their membership to LRC. A key factor in achieving this result has been WBC’s willingness to sell the current MRTC site to LRC for a nominal amount, so that its value for housing development can be exploited and the considerable potential proceeds used for the overall development of LRC.

MRTC will continue to play at Manor Road for the remainder of 2020 and probably well into next year. An application is being made to the LTA for a loan to build 4 all-weather, floodlit, courts in the Walled Garden as part of the significant development project at LRC, which will include a new clubhouse with tennis changing rooms and other facilities. The Tennis Section will look to grow substantially over the coming years, offering discounted membership to all LRC members and a “pay to play” facility for the local community. Using LTA guidelines, the capacity will rise from 80 to 240 players or from approximately 4,500 court hours per year to well over 20,000.

A new Tennis Section has now been created on this website under Other Sports where information regarding membership and coaching offers for the remainder of the 2020 season and how to find out more about MRTC will be available.

https://www.lymmrugby.co.uk/other-sports/lymm-rfc-tennis-section/