In the mid 1920s, Selsdon Tennis Club was formed. Originally, it consisted of just one court to play on. This court had once been located in the back garden of a house on Queenhill Road, but in the early 1920s, the land had been bought up by the building firm ‘Costains’ in order to help develop Selsdon Garden Village. When the land was given back to Croydon Council a few years later, the development from house to club occurred.

However, it took many years for the club to become what it is today. Over the years, it has been forced to adapt to the world evolving around it. This ranged from superficial things (such as having to increase the number of courts to account for growing membership) all the way to having to account for changing attitudes towards the standards expected of tennis players. When its current chairperson, Frances Cullen, first played there as a guest in 1973, she was told that she ‘wasn’t good enough’ to join, leading her to move onto other clubs. Fifteen years later, she returned, moved up the ranks of club leadership and ensured that one of her first suggestions was to end this policy. This opened up membership to both ‘beginners’ and the experienced. Today, the club has grown to approximately 100 members - half seniors, half juniors.

Having helped Selsdon Tennis Club secure a stable member base, Ms. Cullen is now looking to its future. Although there are many things that she would like to improve, one key development would be to introduce more facilities for disabled people in order to fully bring the club ‘into the modern world’. This isn’t the only aspect of the clubhouse she would like to modernise. Having been constructed in 1948 from the remains of an ‘old rugby house’, the building is perhaps a little past its prime…

Despite this, Ms. Cullen is, overall, happy with the direction of the club. Currently, it runs competitions all year round, from a Handicap Tournament in early spring to a Championship Tournament at the end of summer. For members who are looking for to foster closer connections, the club offers a range of cosy, ‘family friendly’ activities, including regular trivia nights. Above all, just as it has since the 1990s, Selsdon Tennis Club remains open to welcoming anyone new. All that is needed is a ‘positive outlook’ - and a willingness to give tennis a good go!