League legend Leslie will be fondly remembered

5 November 2014

LESLIE Dawes, who died last week aged 92, was a founder member of the Lecale Table Tennis League and a life vice-president for over 40 years.

In partnership with late Pat Morgan and Bernard Deeny, he was one of the ‘Three Musketeers of the early day of the league and formed St Patrick’s Table Tennis Club, which laid the foundations for the next generation of young Downpatrick players to emerge from a table tennis dynasty.

Leslie Sullivan remembers Leslie as a player of considerable skill and delicate footwork.

He wasn’t an attacking minded player, according to the ‘Big Man’, but his footwork around the table made it almost impossible to get the ball past him. – These qualities were to bring him an individual title in 1961 and, with Pat Morgan, numerous doubles titles.

Leslie’s ended before my time, but I know only too well the immense contribution he made to the development of the league both as a player and administrator. He regularly attended league dinners and presentations for over 30 years, and when his stature as a UTV sports presenter was needed for a big occasion he was on hand to generate publicity.

I recall the occasion that Alan Hydes, the former English No. 1 visited the Lecale League in 1982. Leslie interviewed Alan for his TV programme and what a tremendous boost it was for local table tennis.

When Leslie moved from TV back to radio, he joined Belfast Community Radio and I recall a phone call from him inviting me to be a guest on the final broadcast of his show, Pause with Dawes, to talk about modern table tennis equipment.

I spent a very enjoyable morning in Leslie’s company and in between records he talked about the old days of the Lecale League and the long nights playing with Pat Morgan and Pat Savage in Castlewellan in a room above Savage’s Bar.

As the Lecale League meanders towards its 60th birthday, the contribution made by the early pioneers like Leslie Dawes to local table tennis will never be forgotten by those who today continue to enjoy the institution they created.

Jim Ritchie

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