SPORTY debate over the town's best-ever table tennis player has been ping-ponging around this page for several weeks, chief contenders for that honour being Ken Tirebuck and the late Bill ('Bumper') Leyland.

Now, amateur historian Bernard Murphy and Bumper's sister, June Barrow, have picked up on the theme. And from what they serve up, it would appear that Ken shaded it . . . but only just!

Bernard, from Glover Street, St Helens, took a random dip into old newspaper files at the Central Library, producing a 1946 reference to Ken Tirebuck.

Then aged 16, the YMCA star had won the local junior and senior singles titles, was senior handicap winner, runner-up in the junior handicap singles and, partnered by E. Welsby, was runner-up in the junior doubles. He also went forward for international trials. Some record!

June Barrow, from Africander Road, Moss Bank, was delighted to learn that her brother was still so well remembered. "Our Bumper used to say there was only one player better than him, Ken Tirebuck. But when he got older, I know that he beat Ken on occasions.

"I watched our Bumper win five championships at the YMCA. And when he and Ken partnered each other for the doubles there was nobody that could beat them."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.