Hall of Fame for Jay

Hall of Fame for Jay

24 April 2013

KILLYLEAGH’S Jay McAllister to be inducted into the Pat Morgan Hall of Fame at the Lecale Table Tennis League’s annual presentation dinner on Saturday night.

Jay is undoubtedly one of Ireland’s greatest table tennis competitors, an outstanding ambassador for the sport and an inspiration for all players who continuously demonstrates week in week out that age is no barrier to success if you have the will to win.

And Jay certainly has that in abundance. Just ask any of his opponents who know to their cost that the Killyleagh legend is never beaten until the last point is won.

Jay is one of the last of the famous Killyleagh dynasty of exceptional table tennis talent. Throughout the ‘60 and ‘70s the town produced a host of male and female players who won league and individual titles galore.

But as local players left the sport, Jay found himself without a team and for a number of seasons played his table tennis with Pat Morgan and Mary McStay in the new three-player formation.

He remained with Pat and Mary until the next generation of players emerged to form a team at Killyleagh and it didn’t take long for the seasiders to be amongst the medals, including this season with the club collecting the Senior Handicap Cup.

In a career that has spanned nearly 50 years, Jay’s enthusiasm and competitiveness for the sport continues to grow. In recent years he has represented the Northern Ireland Fire Service at the highest level against England, Scotland and Wales and on three occasions has captained Killyleagh to the B&D Division 2 title.

He is also an Irish Association approved referee and recently officiated at the senior interpros held this year in Ulster.