News in Oakham

Instead of celebrating his 18th birthday last week, Rutland Formula 4 driver Teddy Wilson was flying to the USA with his focus on the weekend's F4 US Championship round at Virginia International Raceway (VIR).

Last season Teddy, from South Luffenham, made an impressive single-seater debut there with fastest lap awards, pole positions and two podiums against a record-breaking field of 37 on his transition from karts.

The Greetham Valley Club Championships are normally played over 36 holes, over a weekend, but this year the inclement weather on Sunday led to the cancellation of the second 18 holes.

This meant that the championships were decided on the first round, and in the Gents section Trevor Smith (hcp 1) retained his title of Club Champion with a gross score of 74, just beating Leon Wyche (4) on countback.

Oakham's United unbeaten record in Groundhop games came to an end at Parson Drove today.

However, the game left an aftermath of controversy and debate as the home team used four substitutes instead of the maximum of three.

Tomorrow's season opener away at FC Parson Drove will be a special occasion.

As it is a Groundhop game it will attract a large crowd of non-league football fans, not only from across the UK but also from abroad.

Last weekend a Mixed Stableford Qualifier was played on Greetham Valley Golf Club's Valley Course and, for the first time in more than a few years, Tim Nixon (hcp 15) found himself at the top of the leader-board with a great score of 24 points.

Tim sank two birdies (one in each half) and was delighted to have played so steadily with a total of six pars to augment his score.

In order to give them a taste of first team experience Oakham United fielded a number of young players in the away clash with Harborough Town Reserves.

The game began with a flurry of goals in the first eleven minutes.

Oakham United's third pre-season friendly yesterday evening (Weds) was an all-Peterborough and District League clash with Stamford Belvedere of Division 1 as the visitors.

Before the game, player-manager Stewart Lambie had said that he viewed the game as a chance to look at more of the younger players. They could be knocking on the first team door in the coming season.

Peterborough Northern Star were the favourites coming into the game two divisions above the home side.

They play in the premier division but you can never write off the Oakham United boys.

Oakham United have been drawn away at Kirby Muxloe of the Midland Football League Division 1 in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase on 31 August.

The FA Vase is the premier knockout competition for Step 5-7 clubs in the non-league pyramid and replaced the old Amateur Cup in 1974.

The Gents Monthly Medal at Greetham Valley Golf Club produced a very tight result with 15 players playing to par or better - but the overall winner was Gary Brooks, by virtue of a countback calculation, over Paul Thwaites .

Gary (23hcp) scored nett 67 after a wobbly start in which he dropped ten shots to the card over the first five holes but, once he had found his rhythm, a birdie on the 9th meant that he had completed the last four holes (of the front half) in level par.