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 Tayport Tennis Club was first
formed in the 1880’s and the first
tennis courts were created on
the site where the present courts are situated. Sadly enough the
courts fell into disuse and became a dumping ground for all
kinds of rubbish. Around 1914/15 at the behest of Miss Cobb,
teacher at Tayport School, assistance from interested adults and
school pupils was sought to remove the refuse with a view to the
courts being brought back into use. After much shovelling and
infilling of the hard surface courts, tennis was reintroduced as
one of the early sporting facilities in Tayport at that time. To progress from the
situation with no perimeter fences or pavilion, funds were
raised by organizing Tayport Tennis Club dances. Twice yearly,
large dances were held in the Temperance Hall and were
considered the social event of the year. By 1927 a perimeter
fence had been installed and a wooden pavilion erected by a
local tradesmen. Three courts were now available for play.
 In 1989 major refurbishment of
the playing surface took place which saw the provision of the
superior sand-filled artificial grass laid, at considerable
expense. In the years that followed, membership of the tennis
club reached an all-time high of 150 due mainly to the new
playing surface and the welcoming and friendly family atmosphere
that exits to this day. In 1998 Tayport Tennis Club produced
Scotland’s number one lady tennis player in Nicola Payne, who
was also ceded no 400 in the world.
In 2003 another major
refurbishment was undertaken. After considerable fund raising
and obtaining a grand, the old sand-filled artificial grass
courts were replaced by three band new (sand-filled)
Astroturf
tennis courts and another big improvement
was made by installing
floodlights.
 The Tayport tennis club has
enjoyed the services of several highly regarded coaches, and
currently restarted junior Eastern holiday tennis coaching. The
huge interest of young players (and parents) bodes well for the
future of the club.
Whether you are interested in
competitive tennis or social tennis, the club is delighted to
welcome new members. While social members are the life blood of
the club, it has also produced some quality players in recent
years, playing in 2 Gents teams (div. 2 and 4) and 1 ladies team
competing in the various Tennis Tayside Leagues. To it’s credit
the club contributes significantly to our town’s community
spirit.
Ian Massie / Martijn Schenning
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