says
ABS balls killed it!!
Active Member
My Story: How Table Tennis England Treated Me – A Call for Change
Dear Fellow Table Tennis Enthusiast: Players, Organisers, Volunteers, and Members,
For those who don’t know me I’m Simon Morgan, and for well over seven years, I've been one of the most active tournament organisers in English table tennis. I've hosted more senior tournaments than almost anyone else, creating events that brought together players from across the UK – from top-10 seniors to under-13 boys and girls, and even attracting participants from Wales and Scotland. My tournaments were known for running like clockwork, ensuring everyone got plenty of matches against players of similar standards. I was honoured to receive the Pride of Table Tennis Technical Official of the Year award, recognising my contributions to the sport we all love.
I organised these events out of pure passion – not for money or glory, but because there was a real lack of competitions in the West Midlands area, and I wanted to give players, including myself, more opportunities to play. As a player of modest standard, I even participated in my own tournaments, always ensuring referees and umpires were on hand. This was my motivation: to grow the sport and make it accessible. But instead of support from Table Tennis England (TTE), I've endured years of obstruction, harassment, and what feels like a personal vendetta from the Head of Competitions. What happened to me is a symptom of deeper problems in TTE's governance, and it's time the membership knew the full story. I'm sharing this not for sympathy, but to urge you to speak up and demand better from our governing body.
The Build-Up: Years of Obstruction and Harassment
It started around four or five years ago, coinciding with the growing success of my tournaments. Rather than celebrating this, TTE – primarily through Neil Rogers, the Head of Competitions – seemed intent on finding faults. I faced numerous inspections, some covert, designed to catch me out rather than help. I know of other organisers who quit entirely due to similar treatment from the Competitions Department, including volunteers driven away by a toxic culture that senior management, like former CEO Adrian Christy, knew about but ignored.
In 2022, things escalated. Neil Rogers unilaterally cancelled a tournament in Hereford just days before it was set to happen, citing a late submission of results from a previous event (a delay that happened because I'm a volunteer, not a paid employee). This would have bankrupted the Hereford County Table Tennis Association (HCTTA). Only after intervention from a TTE Board Member was it reinstated. Amazingly, not only had he tried to cancel that tournament, but he tried to cancel every one of my tournaments for the entire year.
At the time, I was already affected by stress, and TTE's actions made it worse. I considered filing a grievance then but held back because I really didn’t want the confrontation. I was hoping the Board's involvement would end the harassment. It didn't.
I admit there were times I couldn't fully comply with every regulation, like having the exact number of officials – especially in a remote area like Hereford, where last-minute no-shows happen, and cancelling on the day would disappoint players who'd travelled far. But in seven years, there were never any officiating issues at my events. I always strived to follow the rules, but TTE's burdensome regulations felt like barriers, not support.
The Breaking Point: Going Independent
Frustrated by the constant obstruction, I sought clarification from the Chair of the Tournament Approval Panel (TAP), about running tournaments independently through my unaffiliated club. He confirmed via email (with Neil Rogers copied in) that such events were outside TTE's jurisdiction – no permissions needed, no rules broken. Armed with this, (I had already resigned as a TTE Tournament Organiser out of sheer frustration earlier in the year) I started running my events independently. This was legal, and others have done the same amid widespread criticism of TTE's Competition Review, which I publicly opposed (as did many, many others).
The Disciplinary: A Kangaroo Court and Mental Health Nightmare
Despite the clear confirmation, TTE launched a disciplinary against me. I was accused of breaching Tournament Organiser rules by criticising the Competition Review – even though I'd resigned as a TO and freedom of expression is protected under the European Convention on Human Rights. I was also charged with running "open" competitions, but my club isn't affiliated, so TTE has no authority over it, and it was limited to Club members. By this logic, TTE should discipline organisations like VETTS, BUCs, or U3A.
To observers, it looked like institutional bullying – a way to "get" me for stepping out of line. I’m not the only organiser that feels that way and large numbers of volunteers have left the sport for the very same reason. The disciplinary process was adversarial and quasi-legal, with TTE even telling me they’d engaged a lawyer (whose identity they refused to disclose, adding to the intimidation). Neil Rogers acted as both accuser and "regulations expert," citing inapplicable rules. Shockingly, new regulations were published on the TTE website just before my hearing (dated July 27, 2024, after the alleged offences). Nothing will convince me it wasn’t done to prejudice my case, especially as they were reverted soon after. So many members wrote in my support I was asked to get them to stop. Rogers even tried to submit a defamatory document as a "counter-reference" – presumably to assassinate my character.
TTE knew about my stress history – I'd been off work for protracted periods – yet made no accommodations. The stress of the hearing triggered sleepless nights, anxiety, and spillover into my daily life. The Safeguarding Officer, instead of supporting me, was the chief investigating officer and never once enquired about my wellbeing. This was a blatant failure of duty of care. Fortunately, a fellow member stepped in to support me and I am hugely grateful to Tony Catt for his support and the time he’s freely given to try and help me through this ordeal. The damage was done however. It felt like "guilty until proven innocent." Unbelievably I was even expected to submit my defence before being told what I was accused of.
Thankfully, the panel exonerated me – common sense prevailed. But the process was unnecessary and deeply harmful. We've lost too many volunteers due to overregulation and poor treatment; TTE should have sat down with me to resolve issues, not drag me through this.
The Grievance: Dismissed Without Investigation
Embittered but determined to prevent this happening to others, I filed a formal grievance with the Chair at the time, Nick Donald. It detailed the harassment, procedural failings, and more:
The Data Rights Battle: Delays, Non-Compliance, and Misleading the ICO
Seeking transparency, I submitted a Subject Access Request (SAR) under GDPR for the relevant data TTE held on me, especially communications about me from 2020 onward. Joanna Keay-Blyth, Head of Operations and Governance, provided partial, merged emails – but it was woefully incomplete. When I pushed for more, she cited "lack of resources" – not a legally valid reason under ICO rules – and delayed further, saying it would take weeks due to her holidays. I was then given a flat refusal and been blocked ever since.
I reported TTE to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), who after seven months assigned a caseworker. Shockingly, TTE completely and deliberately misled the ICO, falsely claiming full compliance with my SAR. This is provably untrue from their own emails, which show selective disclosure and withheld material. Lying to a regulator is a serious matter, yet the ICO closed the investigation based on TTE's misleading claims. I've now escalated this for appeal. This whole behaviour suggests TTE must be hiding evidence of bullying, poor practices, or worse to fight so hard to avoid giving a member information they are lawfully entitled to. DSAR’s are a legal right and we’re all entitled to our data under GDPR. Whether they think they’ve got away with it or not doesn’t change the fact that TTE are breaking the law.
Wider Issues in TTE: A Toxic Culture
This isn't just my story. TTE faces criticism for overstaffing, terrible relations with the membership and stifling dissent. Public funds from Sport England go to admin bloat, not grassroots. Top players and parents fear reprisal for speaking out. Disciplinary actions silence critics, eroding trust. We had a new CEO start last year. Has anything changed?
We've lost organisers like me – roles TTE desperately needs. The sport claims 200k+ players, but TTE alienates those who build it.
A Call to Action: Make Your Voice Heard
Fellow members, if this resonates – if you believe TTE must change – please speak up. We deserve a governing body that supports, not bullies. Urge the Board to investigate this properly, review governance, and commit to transparency and safeguarding. Demand they address how TTE could mislead a regulator like the ICO, a grave breach of trust.
If you care about table tennis, email one of the member-elected directors to ensure it's not buried - [email protected]
Tell your National Councillors too. Let's tell our elected reps our concerns. Share your stories, demand accountability, and push for reform.
I've escalated to Parliament, my MP and DCMS because internal routes failed. But can we rely on them really? Probably not. ICO readily swallowed TTE’s story. Change starts with us. Together, we can make table tennis better.
Thank you for reading. Let's play fair – on and off the table. This fragmentation in our sport doesn’t benefit anybody but it’s not going to change until TTE changes.
Simon Morgan
Dear Fellow Table Tennis Enthusiast: Players, Organisers, Volunteers, and Members,
For those who don’t know me I’m Simon Morgan, and for well over seven years, I've been one of the most active tournament organisers in English table tennis. I've hosted more senior tournaments than almost anyone else, creating events that brought together players from across the UK – from top-10 seniors to under-13 boys and girls, and even attracting participants from Wales and Scotland. My tournaments were known for running like clockwork, ensuring everyone got plenty of matches against players of similar standards. I was honoured to receive the Pride of Table Tennis Technical Official of the Year award, recognising my contributions to the sport we all love.
I organised these events out of pure passion – not for money or glory, but because there was a real lack of competitions in the West Midlands area, and I wanted to give players, including myself, more opportunities to play. As a player of modest standard, I even participated in my own tournaments, always ensuring referees and umpires were on hand. This was my motivation: to grow the sport and make it accessible. But instead of support from Table Tennis England (TTE), I've endured years of obstruction, harassment, and what feels like a personal vendetta from the Head of Competitions. What happened to me is a symptom of deeper problems in TTE's governance, and it's time the membership knew the full story. I'm sharing this not for sympathy, but to urge you to speak up and demand better from our governing body.
The Build-Up: Years of Obstruction and Harassment
It started around four or five years ago, coinciding with the growing success of my tournaments. Rather than celebrating this, TTE – primarily through Neil Rogers, the Head of Competitions – seemed intent on finding faults. I faced numerous inspections, some covert, designed to catch me out rather than help. I know of other organisers who quit entirely due to similar treatment from the Competitions Department, including volunteers driven away by a toxic culture that senior management, like former CEO Adrian Christy, knew about but ignored.
In 2022, things escalated. Neil Rogers unilaterally cancelled a tournament in Hereford just days before it was set to happen, citing a late submission of results from a previous event (a delay that happened because I'm a volunteer, not a paid employee). This would have bankrupted the Hereford County Table Tennis Association (HCTTA). Only after intervention from a TTE Board Member was it reinstated. Amazingly, not only had he tried to cancel that tournament, but he tried to cancel every one of my tournaments for the entire year.
At the time, I was already affected by stress, and TTE's actions made it worse. I considered filing a grievance then but held back because I really didn’t want the confrontation. I was hoping the Board's involvement would end the harassment. It didn't.
I admit there were times I couldn't fully comply with every regulation, like having the exact number of officials – especially in a remote area like Hereford, where last-minute no-shows happen, and cancelling on the day would disappoint players who'd travelled far. But in seven years, there were never any officiating issues at my events. I always strived to follow the rules, but TTE's burdensome regulations felt like barriers, not support.
The Breaking Point: Going Independent
Frustrated by the constant obstruction, I sought clarification from the Chair of the Tournament Approval Panel (TAP), about running tournaments independently through my unaffiliated club. He confirmed via email (with Neil Rogers copied in) that such events were outside TTE's jurisdiction – no permissions needed, no rules broken. Armed with this, (I had already resigned as a TTE Tournament Organiser out of sheer frustration earlier in the year) I started running my events independently. This was legal, and others have done the same amid widespread criticism of TTE's Competition Review, which I publicly opposed (as did many, many others).
The Disciplinary: A Kangaroo Court and Mental Health Nightmare
Despite the clear confirmation, TTE launched a disciplinary against me. I was accused of breaching Tournament Organiser rules by criticising the Competition Review – even though I'd resigned as a TO and freedom of expression is protected under the European Convention on Human Rights. I was also charged with running "open" competitions, but my club isn't affiliated, so TTE has no authority over it, and it was limited to Club members. By this logic, TTE should discipline organisations like VETTS, BUCs, or U3A.
To observers, it looked like institutional bullying – a way to "get" me for stepping out of line. I’m not the only organiser that feels that way and large numbers of volunteers have left the sport for the very same reason. The disciplinary process was adversarial and quasi-legal, with TTE even telling me they’d engaged a lawyer (whose identity they refused to disclose, adding to the intimidation). Neil Rogers acted as both accuser and "regulations expert," citing inapplicable rules. Shockingly, new regulations were published on the TTE website just before my hearing (dated July 27, 2024, after the alleged offences). Nothing will convince me it wasn’t done to prejudice my case, especially as they were reverted soon after. So many members wrote in my support I was asked to get them to stop. Rogers even tried to submit a defamatory document as a "counter-reference" – presumably to assassinate my character.
TTE knew about my stress history – I'd been off work for protracted periods – yet made no accommodations. The stress of the hearing triggered sleepless nights, anxiety, and spillover into my daily life. The Safeguarding Officer, instead of supporting me, was the chief investigating officer and never once enquired about my wellbeing. This was a blatant failure of duty of care. Fortunately, a fellow member stepped in to support me and I am hugely grateful to Tony Catt for his support and the time he’s freely given to try and help me through this ordeal. The damage was done however. It felt like "guilty until proven innocent." Unbelievably I was even expected to submit my defence before being told what I was accused of.
Thankfully, the panel exonerated me – common sense prevailed. But the process was unnecessary and deeply harmful. We've lost too many volunteers due to overregulation and poor treatment; TTE should have sat down with me to resolve issues, not drag me through this.
The Grievance: Dismissed Without Investigation
Embittered but determined to prevent this happening to others, I filed a formal grievance with the Chair at the time, Nick Donald. It detailed the harassment, procedural failings, and more:
- TTE's failure to follow its own disciplinary rules (e.g., not providing regulations at the start).
- Rogers' use of inapplicable rules and dual role, amounting to bullying.
- New regulations created mid-process – I requested dates of approvals but got nothing.
- Complicity of Adrian Christy and Joanna Keay Blythe in authorising the proceedings.
- No steps to mitigate impact on my mental health.
- Escalation of Facebook posts without giving me a chance to respond.
- No apology after exoneration.
The Data Rights Battle: Delays, Non-Compliance, and Misleading the ICO
Seeking transparency, I submitted a Subject Access Request (SAR) under GDPR for the relevant data TTE held on me, especially communications about me from 2020 onward. Joanna Keay-Blyth, Head of Operations and Governance, provided partial, merged emails – but it was woefully incomplete. When I pushed for more, she cited "lack of resources" – not a legally valid reason under ICO rules – and delayed further, saying it would take weeks due to her holidays. I was then given a flat refusal and been blocked ever since.
I reported TTE to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), who after seven months assigned a caseworker. Shockingly, TTE completely and deliberately misled the ICO, falsely claiming full compliance with my SAR. This is provably untrue from their own emails, which show selective disclosure and withheld material. Lying to a regulator is a serious matter, yet the ICO closed the investigation based on TTE's misleading claims. I've now escalated this for appeal. This whole behaviour suggests TTE must be hiding evidence of bullying, poor practices, or worse to fight so hard to avoid giving a member information they are lawfully entitled to. DSAR’s are a legal right and we’re all entitled to our data under GDPR. Whether they think they’ve got away with it or not doesn’t change the fact that TTE are breaking the law.
Wider Issues in TTE: A Toxic Culture
This isn't just my story. TTE faces criticism for overstaffing, terrible relations with the membership and stifling dissent. Public funds from Sport England go to admin bloat, not grassroots. Top players and parents fear reprisal for speaking out. Disciplinary actions silence critics, eroding trust. We had a new CEO start last year. Has anything changed?
We've lost organisers like me – roles TTE desperately needs. The sport claims 200k+ players, but TTE alienates those who build it.
A Call to Action: Make Your Voice Heard
Fellow members, if this resonates – if you believe TTE must change – please speak up. We deserve a governing body that supports, not bullies. Urge the Board to investigate this properly, review governance, and commit to transparency and safeguarding. Demand they address how TTE could mislead a regulator like the ICO, a grave breach of trust.
If you care about table tennis, email one of the member-elected directors to ensure it's not buried - [email protected]
Tell your National Councillors too. Let's tell our elected reps our concerns. Share your stories, demand accountability, and push for reform.
I've escalated to Parliament, my MP and DCMS because internal routes failed. But can we rely on them really? Probably not. ICO readily swallowed TTE’s story. Change starts with us. Together, we can make table tennis better.
Thank you for reading. Let's play fair – on and off the table. This fragmentation in our sport doesn’t benefit anybody but it’s not going to change until TTE changes.
Simon Morgan
