GB Squad Place for Cheshire Player

Focus on - Matt Nottingham

Returning from the World Junior Championships in Mexico with a last sixteen finish in the mixed doubles and a quarter final finish in the men’s doubles has capped a very impressive season for 17 year old Matt Nottingham. He and partner Chris Coles have firmly established themselves as the top Under 19 doubles pair in England, winning the U19 National title at Milton Keynes in February. This is doubles record for Matt which has seen him win the National junior doubles titles, with two different partners, at under 13, under 15 and under 17, in addition to taking the under 19 title a year early.                                      

Matt and Chris at the World Juniors in Mexico……	and at the German Junior Open in Berlin

 The focus for Matt this year has been on the transition from juniors to seniors, a tough challenge that needs to be negotiated if progress towards his ultimate goal of an Olympic medal is to be maintained. Winning a hugely competitive Challenger men’s doubles event in Nottingham at the end of March was another step on the way, as was the quarter final appearance at the Senior Nationals at the Velodrome, Manchester in February, where Matt and Chris were beaten soundly by Chris Adcock and Robert Blair. This is all part of the learning experience, as was the chance to chat to Adcock and Blair after the match and pick up advice and tips from these stars of today.

All of this seems a long way from where it all started, in a draughty sports hall in Cheadle under the watchful eye of June Dawson, who encouraged Matt to enter his first local under 11 tournament at the age of 8, which he won.

The Poynton and Wirral cells in Cheshire accelerated Matt’s development over the next year or two, until he caught the eye of the England coaches. As he progressed, many chances to represent his country at junior level have been grasped with the enthusiasm and determination that characterised his badminton over the next five or six years.

This season has seen Matt get to the final and semi finals of the prestigious Dutch and German junior opens, where countries from the badminton hotbed of the Far East are represented.

In Germany, two semi finals with Chris and with scratch partner Alyssa Lim in the mixed and, in Holland, going one better in the mixed with a final appearance alongside his regular partner Helena Lewczynska, as well as another semi final in the men’s doubles event. His senior career also hit a high with a quarter final appearance in the mixed doubles of the Welsh European Badminton Union senior event with Helena, losing to the eventual winners from Russia.

All this has helped Matt to rise to number 3 in the European under 19 doubles ranking and number 6 in the under 19 mixed doubles, an impressive start for the 17 year old from Wilmslow.

His reward for this fantastic season is a place on the senior Great Britain squad, alongside the likes of Nathan Robertson and Anthony Clark, where the opportunity to get even greater experience and advice will be crucial to his development.

There is no doubt there is a long way still to go and Matt is under no illusion that a lot of hard work still needs to be done. Training currently up to 20 hours a week, this will need to be stepped up next season to continue the progress. Perhaps then, he can win the one title he really wants, and which has so far eluded him, the Cheshire Restricted Singles Crown!